saluer
/sa.lɥe/
To salute in French is to saluer.
The verb saluer is most commonly used to mean 'to greet' someone (with a wave, a nod or a verbal greeting) rather than a military salute. While saluer can mean a military salute, the specific term for a formal military salute is often faire le salut.
Meaning: make a gesture (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of saluer is salué.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.lɥe/
When do people say it?
Bonjour is a formal greeting that translates to hello or good day. Bonsoir is the equivalent of good evening and is a formal greeting used during the evening or nighttime. Coucou is a playful and affectionate way to say hi or hey to someone you know well. Salut works as an informal greeting suitable for use among friends, peers or people in your age group. Yo is an informal and trendy way to say hi or hey, commonly used among young people.
Did you know?
- The word salut can also be used as a noun meaning 'salvation' in a religious context, referring to the saving of a soul.
- When you saluer someone in France, the gesture is often accompanied by 'la bise', the custom of kissing on the cheeks, which is a much more intimate form of greeting than a standard salute.
- The Latin root of saluer is linked to the word 'salus', meaning 'health' or 'safety', making every greeting a subtle wish for someone's well-being.
Examples in context
- Tom oublia de saluer.Tom forgot to salute.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use saluer in a sentence.Tatoeba #5364548 by Aiji, translation #4498758 by CK
- Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider?Hello, how can I assist you?
- Salut, comment ça va?Hey, how's it going?
- Coucou, tu viens à la fête ce soir?Hi, are you coming to the party tonight?
- Il m'a salué de la main.He greeted me with his hand (waved at me).
- Il faut saluer les invités en arrivant.You must greet the guests upon arrival.
- Le soldat doit saluer son supérieur.The soldier must salute his superior.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon see a friend across the street.
- HugoRegarde, Manon ! On devrait saluer Marc.Look, Manon! We should greet Marc.
- ManonOui, je vais saluer Marc maintenant.Yes, I will greet Marc now.
- HugoIl ne nous a pas vus.He didn't see us.
- ManonJe vais lui faire un signe.I will wave to him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry saluer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saluer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
