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. (N.B. See the bottom of the page for
seasonal greetings.)
Is there a phrase you need that isn't covered here?
Why not ask at the French language forum?
Very basic greetings
Firstly, even if you "don't speak French", you may well have heard some of
the following already.
A 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:
An interesting point raised by Natalie Schorr (2004), Tune Up Your French 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...!
Being polite in French
Here are some basic expressions of courtesy:
merci!
mɛʁsi
thank you!
de rien
də ʁjæ̃
not at all!, no problem!, you're welcome!, sure! (US)
In 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: