salut
/sa.ly/
In French, the phrase for "hi" is salut.
salut is an informal way to say "hi". Interestingly, it is a versatile word that can also be used to say "bye" in casual settings.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While salut is used for informal greetings, bonjour is the standard, more formal or neutral way to say hello. To say "good evening" specifically as evening approaches, you should use the formal bonsoir.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, such as Quebec, Canada, the informal greeting allô is commonly used to say "hello".
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.ly/
When do people say it?
When using informal greetings like salut, coucou or yo, you are communicating in a casual manner. In more polite or formal social contexts, it is better to use bonjour or bonsoir.
Did you know?
- In French, salut is also the noun for 'salvation' in a religious context. One can pray for their salut while using the word to say 'hi' to a friend.
- In many French social circles, it is customary to perform 'la bise', a series of air-kisses on the cheeks, immediately after the initial 'hi'.
- The word salut shares its ancient roots with the English word 'whole', stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root for 'completeness' or 'health'.
Examples in context
- Salut à tous !Hi everyone!This sentence is useful for practicing the greeting salut with a group.Tatoeba #10625667 by felix63, translation #13188716 by glossboss
- Salut, mon amie !Hi, my friend!This sentence is useful for using the greeting salut with a friend.Tatoeba #3270739 by Aiji, translation #3270741 by Ricardo14
- Salut, les mecs !Hi, guys.This sentence is useful for using the greeting salut with a group of guys.Tatoeba #5050011 by sacredceltic, translation #2561375 by Hybrid
- Salut, ça va?Hi, how are you?
- Coucou, tu viens ce soir?Hi, are you coming tonight?
- Yo, quoi de neuf?Yo, what's up?
- Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider?Hello, how can I assist you?
- Bonsoir, ravie de vous rencontrer.Good evening, nice to meet you.
- Allô, comment ça va?Hello, how are you?
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo meet briefly in a hallway.
- ChloéSalut, Hugo !Hi, Hugo!
- HugoSalut, Chloé. Ça va ?Hi, Chloé. How are you?
- ChloéÇa va bien, merci.I'm doing well, thanks.
- HugoSuper, à plus tard !Great, see you later!
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.
