French Phrases: Basic Greetings
Even if you do not really speak French, it is worth knowing at least the following simple words and phrases. Although many French speakers will know the English equivalents, they will still appreciate the effort if you take the trouble to learn these basic French greetings.
Very basic greetingsFirstly, even if you "don't speak French", you may well have heard some of the following already.
 Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modification* The formal versions are used roughly to where you're not on first name terms with a person, whereas the informal versions would be used in cases where you are on first name terms (e.g. friends and family, colleagues of a similar rank). The situation is a little more complex than this: for more information, see the section on when to use tu and vous. Introducing yourself in FrenchThe following are also useful for introducing yourself in French:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modificationA question that sometimes arises among learners is "how do you say 'Pleased to meet you' in French?" Well, the possibly surprising answer is that often, French people meeting for the first time will simply say Bonjour!. The following are also possible:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modificationNote that female speakers would say heureuse:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modificationAn interesting point raised by Natalie Schorr (2004), Tune Up Your French Being polite in FrenchHere are some basic expressions of courtesy:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modificationSaying goodbye in FrenchAs in English, there are various ways to say goodbye in French. The following are commonly used:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modificationIn informal e-mails and SMS messages, it's common to write A+ instead of à plus. The following are used to 'wish somebody well'. Note that it's quite a common formula in French to use the adjective bon(ne) plus a noun to mean enjoy your ..., good luck with the .... Here are some common examples, but you may come across others:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modificationSeasonal greetingsAs well as he phrases and greetings are above, the following are useful at specific times of the year:
Pronounce these words Suggest a change / proposez une modification1 This is the cover-all expression that implies Happy Christmas and Happy New Year. If you're learning Spanish, you may also be interested in our sister site's page of Spanish greetings (with audio recordings). 
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is that some speakers may find the simple "heureux"/"heureuse" a little abrupt, and that in practice, you may be better off simply saying
Bonjour...!