bonjour
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/
In French, "morning good" is translated as bonjour.
bonjour is the most universal and common way to say "good morning" in French. It is used as a greeting when meeting someone during the morning or the early part of the day.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of bon (good) and jour (day), literally meaning "good day".
Which one should you use?
While bonjour is used for the morning and early part of the day, once the late afternoon or evening begins, you should switch to bonsoir. Additionally, if you want to say "have a good day" rather than just saying hello, you can use the variation bonne journée.
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike many other French adjectives, the bon in bonjour is an invariable part of the greeting and does not change based on the gender of the person you are addressing.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/
When do people say it?
In France, it is considered impolite to start a conversation with a stranger, such as a shopkeeper or a waiter, without first saying bonjour.
Did you know?
- In many parts of the French-speaking world, particularly in parts of Africa, bonjour is not just a greeting but a necessary ritual to acknowledge the presence of others in a room, even if you are not speaking to them directly.
- In Quebec, you might hear bon matin as a literal translation of 'good morning', but using it in France would sound unnatural to a local.
- The French word jour is a distant relative of the English word 'journal', as both stem from the idea of tracking time by the day.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, comment ça va ce matin?Good morning, how are you this morning?
- Coucou, bien dormi ?Hey, did you sleep well?
- Bonjour, comment allez-vous ?Good morning, how are you?
- Bonjour tout le monde !Good morning, everyone!
- Bonjour, je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.Good morning, I would like a coffee, please.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan meet in the hallway at work.
- ChloéBonjour, Nathan !Good morning, Nathan!
- NathanBonjour, Chloé. Ça va ?Good morning, Chloé. How are you?
- ChloéTrès bien, merci.Very well, thank you.
- NathanBonne journée !Have a good day!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bonjour, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
