salut
/sa.ly/
The French word for hi is salut.
salut is a common informal way to say hi, but it can also be used to say bye.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While salut works as both a greeting and a farewell in informal contexts, other words serve different purposes. For example, bonjour is the standard, polite way to say hello in neutral or formal settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut is informal. For formal situations, use bonjour (good day) to say hello or bonsoir (good evening) to greet someone in the evening or at night. Other informal options include the affectionate coucou (hey/hiya) or the slang yo, which is borrowed from English and often used by younger generations.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.ly/
Did you know?
- The word salut is also the French noun for 'salvation'. While you use it to say 'hi' to a friend, it appears in religious contexts to mean being saved from sin.
- In a formal military or official context, a salut is a hand salute. The physical gesture and the spoken greeting share the same word.
- Though salut is informal, it is derived from the Latin word salūtem, meaning 'health'. Greeting someone is literally wishing them good health.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hi everyone!This example shows how to use salut to greet a group.Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #13188716 by glossboss
- Salut, mon amie !Hi, my friend!This example shows how to use salut when addressing a single friend.Tatoeba #3270739 by Aiji, translation #3270741 by Ricardo14
- Salut, les mecs !Hi, guys.Tatoeba #5050011 by sacredceltic, translation #2561375 by Hybrid
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas meet at a coffee shop.
- LéaSalut, Lucas !Hi, Lucas!
- LucasSalut, Léa. Ça va ?Hi, Léa. How are you?
- LéaÇa va bien, merci.I'm doing well, thanks.
- LucasMoi aussi, ça va.Me too, I'm good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
