salut mon amour
The English phrase "hi, my love" is translated into French as salut mon amour.
salut mon amour is an affectionate greeting used to address a romantic partner.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of salut (hi/bye), mon (my) and amour (love).
Which one should you use?
Using bonjour mon amour instead of salut mon amour makes the greeting slightly more formal or standard, whereas salut is more casual.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut mon amour is an informal greeting because salut is an informal way to say "hi" or "hello". Other informal affectionate greetings include Salut, mon chéri / ma chérie (Hi, my darling), Coucou, mon cœur (Hi there, my heart) and Salut, mon trésor (Hey, my treasure).
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective mon remains masculine even if the person being addressed is female, because amour is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- The word salut shares a linguistic root with the English word 'salute', though it is used far more casually in French.
- The word mon may have been shaped by the Gaulish word mon, a Celtic language spoken in what is now France, before it was fully assimilated into Latin-based French.
- French has a specific variety of greeting called coucou, which is even more informal than salut and is often used with children or very close loved ones.
Examples in context
- Salut mon amour, tu as passé une bonne journée ?Hi, my love, did you have a good day?
- Salut mon amour, je suis enfin arrivé.Hi, my love, I have finally arrived.
- Salut mon amour, tu me manques beaucoup.Hi, my love, I miss you a lot.
Example conversation
Gabriel greets Chloé as she returns home from work.
- GabrielSalut mon amour, content de te voir.Hi, my love, happy to see you.
- ChloéSalut Gabriel, je suis tellement fatiguée.Hi Gabriel, I am so tired.
- GabrielRepose-toi un peu, je vais préparer le dîner.Rest a little, I will prepare dinner.
- ChloéMerci, tu es vraiment adorable.Thank you, you are really sweet.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries amour, mon, salut, CC BY-SA 4.0.
