Good Morning in French: Bonjour and How to Greet Anyone

How to say good morning in French

The phrase you’ll use most is bonjour. It’s built from bon (“good”) and jour (“day”), so it literally means “good day.” French speakers use it as the all-purpose daytime greeting, which means it covers “hello,” “good morning,” and “good afternoon” all at once.

There’s no separate, everyday word that maps neatly onto the English “good morning.” So when you want to greet someone at 8 a.m., at 11 a.m., or over lunch, the natural choice is simply bonjour. You keep using it until the early evening, when you switch to bonsoir (“good evening”).

Tip: if you only remember one French word from this entire guide, make it bonjour. It’s polite, it works in every situation, and it never sounds out of place.

Pronouncing “bonjour” the right way

Good news: bonjour is short and very doable for English speakers. It has two syllables, roughly “bon-ZHOOR.”

• The bon part uses a nasal vowel, close to the “on” in the English word “song” (without fully pronouncing the “n”).
• The jour part starts with a soft “zh” sound, like the “s” in “pleasure” or “measure,” followed by a French “r” made in the back of the throat.

For example: say it slowly a few times as “boh(n)-ZHOOR,” letting the first vowel stay in your nose and the second syllable land softly. Don’t stress it like the hard English “J” in “jour-nal,” and you’ll be understood right away.

Casual ways to say good morning to friends

With people you know well, bonjour can feel a little formal. French has warmer, more relaxed options for friends, family, and colleagues you’re close to:

• Salut — the everyday “hi.” Perfect for friends and casual settings. It works both when you arrive and when you leave.
• Coucou — very affectionate and playful, a bit like “hey there.” Save it for close friends, family, and children.
• Bonjour, ça va ? — “Hello, how’s it going?” Adding ça va turns a greeting into a mini-conversation.
• Bien dormi ? — “Sleep well?” A natural, homey thing to say to someone you live with in the morning.

These small choices matter. Dropping a cheerful coucou to a friend or a polite bonjour to a stranger signals that you understand not just the words but the social tone behind them. For more everyday expressions like these, browse our list of essential French phrases.

The “bon matin” trap

Here’s where many learners slip up. If you translate “good morning” literally, you get bon matin. It looks right, but in France it simply isn’t used, and it will instantly mark you as a beginner (or as a translation-app user).

Interestingly, bon matin is common in Quebec, where French speakers do use it to wish someone a good morning. So it’s not “wrong” everywhere, it’s regional. But if you’re learning standard French from France, stick with bonjour.

What about “bonne matinée”?

You may also hear bonne matinée, which does contain the word for “morning.” But it’s not a greeting you say when you meet someone. It means “have a good morning,” and you say it when you’re leaving someone, the same way you’d say bonne journée (“have a good day”) on your way out. So you greet with bonjour and part with bonne matinée, never the other way around.

Formal vs. casual: reading the room

French pays close attention to formality, especially with people you don’t know. The safe, respectful pattern in a shop, an office, or with an older person is to pair bonjour with a title:

• Bonjour, Monsieur — to a man.
• Bonjour, Madame — to a woman.
• Bonjour à tous — “hello everyone,” for a group.

In relaxed settings with people your own age, salut is perfectly friendly. When in doubt, start with bonjour: it’s never too formal, and no one will ever be offended by it. If you want a few more openers to keep a conversation going, our useful French phrases for conversation are a great next step.

How to respond when someone greets you

When a French speaker says bonjour to you, the easiest and most natural reply is simply to say bonjour back. From there, you can keep it flowing:

• Bonjour ! Ça va ? — “Hello! How’s it going?”
• Bonjour, et vous ? — “Hello, and you?” (polite/formal).
• Salut ! Ça roule ? — “Hi! How’s things?” (very casual).

With just bonjour, a couple of casual alternatives, and one mistake to sidestep, you’re ready to greet anyone in French with confidence. Curious why the same bonjour can sound so different from Paris to Marseille to Montreal? Take a listen through our guide to French accents around the world. So, who will you greet with your first real bonjour tomorrow morning?