👉 See also: 30 French greetings from informal to formal (with Marie’s audio) »
Level A1 (Beginner)
Updated January 2, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The most common way to say hello in French is bonjour.
The French Word of the Day is bonjour, meaning “hello” or “good morning.” This lesson explains how to pronounce bonjour clearly and naturally, along with the four most common ways it is used in everyday conversational French. Listen to Marie’s audio examples and repeat.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
✅ Related lessons
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📘 Bonjour meaning in French
Bonjour means “hello” or “good morning” in French. Literally, it combines bon (good) and jour (day), meaning “good day.” It’s neutral in tone and works in both formal and informal situations. French speakers use bonjour from the morning until the late afternoon when greeting someone for the first time that day, whether at work, in shops, or in public. For example, “Bonjour, madame ! Comment allez-vous ?” (Hello, ma’am. How are you?).
🎧 Bonjour pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of bonjour is /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “bohn-zhoor.”
Click and listen to Marie pronounce bonjour at three different speeds:
Bonjour — slow
Bonjour — medium
Bonjour — fast (fluent speed)
Bonjour beginner pronunciation tips:
➜ The on in bon is nasal /ɔ̃/ — don’t pronounce the n (think of a soft, nasal “bohn”).
➜ The j sound in jour is like the s in “measure,” not a hard English j.
➜ The final r is a light French throat sound, not a strong rolled or English r.
📝 Bonjour usage examples
1. Hello, good morning — most common usage
Bonjour ! Comment ça va aujourd’hui ?
Hello! How are you today?
2. Entering shops and businesses
Bonjour, je voudrais un croissant, s’il vous plaît.
Hello, I would like a croissant, please.
3. Formal introductions
Bonjour Monsieur, enchanté de vous rencontrer.
Hello sir, nice to meet you.
4. Dire bonjour — to say hello
En France, les gens disent bonjour jusqu’au soir.
In France, people say hello until the evening.
Another way to say hello in French is salut, which translates to both “hi” and “bye” and is informal compared to bonjour.
👉 Salut — complete audio lesson »
French speakers switch to bonsoir, meaning “good evening,” after about 5pm or when the sun goes down.
👉 Bonsoir — complete audio lesson »
Master More French Greetings
Take your French speaking skills to the next level by mastering these essential greetings, each featuring native French audio by Marie Assel Cambier.
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- salut — hi / bye (informal)
- coucou — hi / hey (very informal, friendly)
- bonsoir — good evening
- bonne journée — have a nice day
- bonne soirée — have a nice evening
- enchanté(e) — nice to meet you
- au revoir — goodbye
- bonjour tout le monde — hi everybody
- passer le bonjour à quelqu’un — to say hello to somebody
- rebonjour — hello again
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 20 ways to say hello in French »
👉 French greetings guide »
👉 15 ways to say goodbye in French »
👉 au revoir – goodbye »
👉 salut — hi/bye »
👉 ça va How are you? »
🚀 Continue learning French online on FrenchLearner!
👉 French Word of the Day »
👉 French Vocabulary lists »
👉 French for beginners guide »
👉 French song lyrics hub »
❓ Bonjour — Common Questions
What does the French word bonjour mean?
Bonjour means “hello” or “good morning” in French. Literally, it combines the words bon (good) and jour (day). It is a neutral greeting used in both formal and informal situations.
What are the three meanings of bonjour?
Functionally, bonjour serves three roles: it is a “good morning” greeting in the early hours, a general “hello” throughout the daytime, and an essential social rule. In France, saying bonjour is a mark of politeness and respect, often required before starting any interaction.
Is it bonjour or bonsoir?
The choice depends entirely on the time of day. You use bonjour from the morning until late afternoon. Once the sun begins to set or evening approaches, French speakers switch to bonsoir (good evening).
Is bonjour goodbye or hello?
Bonjour is strictly a greeting used when you arrive or meet someone for the first time that day. It is not used to say goodbye; for that, you would use au revoir or bonne journée (have a nice day).
