Welcome to your very first French lesson — bienvenue ! French is spoken by over 300 million people across the world, and you're about to take your first step into this beautiful language. In this lesson, you'll learn how to greet people at different times of day, say goodbye, and ask how someone is doing. These are the building blocks of every French conversation, so let's dive in!
Learning tips
- French greetings change with the time of day: 'bonjour' works from sunrise to around 6 pm, then you switch to 'bonsoir'. It's a small thing that natives notice immediately.
- The phrase 'ça va' is incredibly versatile — it means both 'how are you?' (as a question) and 'I'm fine' (as an answer). Context and intonation tell them apart.
- French has nasal vowel sounds that don't exist in English. The 'on' in 'bonjour' and 'bonsoir' is a nasal /ɔ̃/ — try humming through your nose while saying 'oh'.
- Don't worry about perfection on your first day. Even a single 'bonjour!' will delight a French speaker and open doors.
Warm-up & Active Recall
Dialog
The dialog takes place in two scenes. First, Camille and Lucas meet at a café by the Seine in the morning — classic Parisian territory! Then they cross paths again in the evening at university. Notice how the greeting shifts from 'bonjour' to 'bonsoir' as the day progresses. The phrase 'ça va ?' is very informal; it literally means 'it goes?' but functions as 'how are you?'. Also note that Camille says 'ça va mal aujourd'hui' — meaning she's not doing well. Lucas responds with 'bonne nuit', a goodbye used only at bedtime.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| bonjour | /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ | good morning / hello (daytime) | Used from sunrise until around 6 pm — the default daytime greeting. |
| bonsoir | /bɔ̃.swaʁ/ | good evening | Used from roughly 6 pm onward, when the day shifts to evening. |
| bonne nuit | /bɔn nɥi/ | good night | Said only when parting for the night or going to bed — not a general evening greeting. |
| salut | /sa.ly/ | hi / bye (informal) | Very casual; works as both hello and goodbye among friends. Don't use it with strangers or authority figures. |
| au revoir | /o ʁə.vwaʁ/ | goodbye | Literally 'until re-seeing' — the standard formal and informal farewell. |
| ça va | /sa va/ | how are you? / I'm fine | Doubles as both question and answer depending on context; the most common casual check-in in French. |
| bien | /bjɛ̃/ | well / good | Used to say you're doing well. Paired with 'ça va' to form 'ça va bien' — I'm doing well. |
| mal | /mal/ | badly / not well | The opposite of 'bien'. 'Ça va mal' means things are not going well. |
| merci | /mɛʁ.si/ | thank you | Essential in every French interaction. Saying 'merci' is considered basic politeness. |
| oui | /wi/ | yes | The standard 'yes'. In very casual speech you may also hear 'ouais' (/wɛ/), but stick with 'oui' for now. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| très bien | /tʁɛ bjɛ̃/ | ||
| comme ci comme ça | /kɔm si kɔm sa/ | ||
| et toi ? | /e twa/ | ||
| et vous ? | /e vu/ | ||
| monsieur | /mə.sjø/ | ||
| madame | /ma.dam/ |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ça va bien | I'm doing well |
| ça va mal | I'm not doing well / things are bad |
Grammar: Basic greetings and time-of-day conventions
| Moment de la journée | Salutation |
|---|---|
| Matin (lever du soleil – 12 h) | Bonjour |
| Après-midi (12 h – 18 h) | Bonjour |
| Soir (18 h – coucher) | Bonsoir |
| Nuit (au moment de se coucher) | Bonne nuit |
French greetings are tied to the time of day, which is different from English where 'hello' works any time. 'Bonjour' covers both morning and afternoon — from sunrise until roughly 6 pm. Once evening arrives, you switch to 'bonsoir'. 'Bonne nuit' is a bedtime phrase only, used when saying goodnight before sleeping, not simply when it's dark outside. Think of it like English 'good night' — you wouldn't say it at 7 pm just because the sun has set. For informal hellos and goodbyes among friends, 'salut' works at any hour. This table summarises the system:
| Time of day | Greeting |
|---|---|
| Morning (sunrise – noon) | Bonjour |
| Afternoon (noon – 6 pm) | Bonjour |
| Evening (6 pm – bedtime) | Bonsoir |
| Bedtime | Bonne nuit |
Mastering this system immediately marks you as someone who knows the language, not just a tourist saying 'hello' all day.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct French greeting or response word.
- , Lucas ! Comment ça va ?(daytime greeting — before noon)
- Ça va , merci.(how are you doing? — positive answer)
- , Camille ! Bonne nuit !(farewell before parting)
- ! Ça va mal aujourd'hui.(evening greeting — after 6 pm)
- , ça va ? — , ça va bien !(informal hello / positive answer to 'ça va?')
Grammar Application
Choose the correct French greeting or response for each situation described.
- Il est 9 h du matin. Quelle salutation ? → (it's 9 in the morning — which time-of-day greeting?)
- Il est 20 h. Quelle salutation ? → (it's 8 pm — which time-of-day greeting?)
- Tu pars. Dis au revoir de façon informelle → (you're leaving — informal goodbye to a friend)
- Quelqu'un dit « Ça va ? » et tu vas bien → (someone asks 'ça va?' and you're doing fine — reply with the full phrase)
- Il est minuit. Tu vas dormir → (it's midnight and you're going to sleep)
Translate into French
Translate each English sentence into French using what you've learned.
- Hello! How are you?
- Fine, thanks.
- Good evening! Goodbye!
- How are you? — Not well.
- Hi! Good night!
Build Your Own Sentence
Write a short French exchange (one or two lines) using as many of today's greeting words as you can. There's no single right answer — try to combine a greeting, a response, and a farewell.
Takeaway
French greetings are time-sensitive: 'bonjour' in the day, 'bonsoir' in the evening, and 'bonne nuit' only at bedtime — getting this right is one of the easiest ways to sound natural from day one.