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Greeting and saying goodbye in French at the right time of day

In English, hello works at any hour and with anyone, and good evening can open or close a conversation. French is stricter. Each greeting or goodbye depends on three things: whether you are arriving or leaving, what time of day it is, and how well you know the person. Bonjour and bonsoir are for arriving, bonne soirée and bonne nuit are for leaving, and salut is only for friends.

English speakers often translate word for word. They say bonne soirée on arrival because it looks like good evening, or they say salut to a shopkeeper because it feels like a friendly hi. Both sound odd to a French ear. The good news is that the whole system fits into a few clear rules.

Word list
à bientôtA1 see you soon Leaving: à + time word, see you soon à plus tardA1 see you later Leaving: à + time word, casual short form is à plus à tout à l'heureA1 see you later Leaving: later the same day only bonjourA1 good day Arriving: all day, never to leave bonjourA1 good morning Arriving: also covers good morning bonjourA1 hello Arriving: neutral hello, safe with anyone bonne nuitA1 good night Leaving: only at bedtime bonne soiréeA1 good evening Leaving: in the evening, not on arrival bonsoirA1 good evening Arriving: evening greeting from about 6 pm salutA1 hello Arriving: informal hi, friends only à demainA2 see you tomorrow Leaving: à + time word, see you tomorrow au revoirA2 goodbye Leaving: neutral goodbye, any time, anyone bon matinA2 good morning Arriving: Canadian only, in France say bonjour coucouA2 hello Arriving: very informal hi, close friends, family, kids on se voit bientôtA2 see you soon Leaving: casual like à bientôt, means see you soon on se voit demainA2 see you tomorrow Leaving: casual like à demain, means see you tomorrow? on se voit plus tardA2 see you later Leaving: casual, often a question, shall we meet later? salutA2 goodbye Leaving: informal bye, friends only adieuB1 goodbye Leaving: farewell for good, very final, otherwise say au revoir
How it works

Before you speak, ask yourself three quick questions:

Am I arriving or leaving?

Greetings and goodbyes are different words in French, and most of them cannot swap roles.

What time is it?

Use bonjour from morning until late afternoon. Switch to bonsoir in the evening, roughly from 6 pm.

Who am I talking to?

With strangers, shop staff and anyone you call vous, stay neutral: bonjour, bonsoir, au revoir, often with monsieur or madame. With friends and family, salut and coucou are fine.

A polite exchange in a shop often starts with a greeting and ends with a wish for the rest of the day or evening:

Bonjour, monsieur, une baguette s'il vous plaît.
(Hello sir, one baguette please.)
Bonsoir madame !
(Good evening, madam!)
Merci, bonne soirée !
(Thanks, have a nice evening!)
The words
Arriving

Bonjour is the all-purpose greeting. It covers hello, good morning and good afternoon, and it is always safe. Canadians also say bon matin for good morning, but in France it sounds strange. In the evening, bonsoir replaces bonjour. Among friends, salut means hi, and coucou is an even more affectionate hi, used with close friends, family and children.

Salut Léa, ça va ?
(Hi Léa, how's it going?)
Coucou, c'est moi !
(Hi there, it's me!)
Bon matin, tout le monde !
(Good morning, everyone! Canadian French)
Leaving

Au revoir is the neutral goodbye that works everywhere. With friends, salut also means bye, so the same word opens and closes the conversation. Bonne soirée wishes someone a nice evening as you leave, and bonne nuit is said only at bedtime.

Au revoir, madame, et merci !
(Goodbye, madam, and thank you!)
Je pars, salut tout le monde !
(I'm off, bye everyone!)
Bonne nuit, les enfants !
(Good night, kids!)
Saying when you will meet again

Many goodbyes are built on à plus a time word: à bientôt (see you soon), à plus tard (see you later), à demain (see you tomorrow) and à tout à l'heure (see you later today). As a question or suggestion, you can also say on se voit plus tard. Friends often shorten à plus tard to à plus, and à ce soir means see you tonight.

Merci pour tout, à bientôt !
(Thanks for everything, see you soon!)
Je dois y aller, à plus tard !
(I have to go, see you later!)
On se voit plus tard au café ?
(Shall we meet later at the café?)
J'arrive à six heures, à tout à l'heure !
(I'll be there at six, see you in a bit!)
À demain, au bureau !
(See you tomorrow at the office!)
Watch out
  • Bonjour is not a goodbye. When you leave during the day, say au revoir or wish someone bonne journée (have a nice day). In the afternoon, you can also say bon après-midi.
  • Bonne soirée is not a greeting. If you walk into a restaurant at 8 pm, say bonsoir. Keep bonne soirée for the moment you leave.
  • Bonne nuit means you or they are going to bed. Leaving a shop at 9 pm, say bonsoir or bonne soirée, not bonne nuit.
  • À tout à l'heure only works if you will see the person again the same day. For a later date, use à bientôt or à demain.
  • Salut and coucou are too casual for a baker, a receptionist or your partner's grandmother. When in doubt, use bonjour. When you meet someone for the first time, you can add enchanté (nice to meet you).
  • You may meet adieu, a very final or dramatic farewell, and allô, which in France is only used to answer the phone. Neither is part of everyday greetings.
Summary

First decide whether you are arriving or leaving. Arriving: bonjour by day, bonsoir in the evening, salut or coucou only with friends. Leaving: au revoir is always safe, bonne soirée is for the evening, bonne nuit is for bedtime, and an à phrase such as à demain or à tout à l'heure says when you will meet again.