Grade by Grade
C. Reading / D. Writing · Reading and Writing in French: First Steps

Bonjour! Greetings and Polite Words in French Texts

C3.2 D3.2 C1.2About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can read and write French greetings, goodbyes and polite words.
  • I can tell when to use tu (a friend) and vous (an adult you don't know well, or more than one person).
  • I can find greetings in cards, notes and messages.
  • I can notice that French speakers in different places sometimes use different words.

Words to know

une salutation
A greeting, like Bonjour!
tu
You, used with a friend, a child or a family member.
vous
You, used politely with an adult you don't know well, or with more than one person.
formal
Polite and careful, for adults you don't know well, teachers or strangers.
informal
Relaxed and friendly, for friends and family.
francophone
A person or place where people speak French.

Salut! Bonjour!

Imagine two notes. One says Salut Max! The other says Bonjour, Madame Leblanc. Who do you think wrote each one to whom?

The first is to a friend. The second is to an adult, maybe a teacher. In French, just like in English, we choose our words for the person we are talking or writing to. Today you will read and write French greetings and polite words.

Two neighbours wave to each other across a snowy street lined with houses.
Two neighbours wave hello across the street. In French, a friend might call out "Salut!", but you would greet an adult with "Bonjour, Madame" or "Bonjour, Monsieur". AI-generated image
FrenchEnglishUse it with
BonjourHello / Good morning / Good dayanyone, all day
SalutHi / Byefriends and family (informal)
BonsoirGood eveninganyone, in the evening
Au revoirGoodbyeanyone
À bientôtSee you soonanyone
Bonne nuitGood nightat bedtime
Merci / Merci beaucoupThank you / Thank you very muchanyone
S'il te plaîtPleasea friend (tu)
S'il vous plaîtPleasean adult or a group (vous)
Excusez-moiExcuse mean adult or a group
Greetings and polite words. Look carefully at the accents and apostrophes.

Tu or vous?

French has two ways to say you:

  • tu for a friend, a classmate, a brother or sister, a pet. Comment vas-tu? (How are you?)
  • vous for an adult you don't know well (a store clerk, a principal) or for more than one person. Comment allez-vous?

Families are different: many children say tu to their parents and grandparents. When you are not sure with an adult, vous is the polite choice.

Titles

French uses short titles before names:

  • Madame (Mrs./Ms.) and Monsieur (Mr.). In writing they are often shortened to Mme and M.
  • Bonjour, Monsieur Tremblay. Bonjour, Mme Roy.
To a friend (tu)To an adult (vous)Salut Léa!Merci!À bientôt!SamBonjour Monsieur Patel,Merci beaucoup!Au revoir!Sam
The same thank-you card, written two ways: Salut for a friend, Bonjour Monsieur and Merci beaucoup for an adult.

Different places, different words

French is spoken in many places: Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, France, Haiti, Senegal and more. People in different places sometimes use different words for the same thing, just like pop and soda in English.

  • You're welcome: in Canada, people often say Bienvenue. In France, people usually say De rien. Both are correct!
  • Weekend: in Canada, people often say la fin de semaine. In France, people say le week-end.
  • Lunch: in Canada, many people call lunch le dîner. In France, lunch is le déjeuner.
Worked example

Let's read a note together

Read this note from a teacher:

Bonjour les amis!

Merci pour les belles cartes. À bientôt!

Mme Gagnon

  1. Who wrote it? The name at the bottom: Mme Gagnon, a teacher (Mme = Madame).
  2. Greeting: Bonjour les amis! = Hello, friends!
  3. Message: Merci pour les belles cartes = Thank you for the beautiful cards. (cartes is like the English cards.)
  4. Goodbye: À bientôt! = See you soon!

The teacher is saying thank you to the class for their cards. The note has a greeting, a message and a closing.

Bonjour les amis!Merci pour les belles cartes.À bientôt!Mme Gagnongreetingmessageclosingwho wrote itHello, friends!Thank you for the cards.See you soon!Mme = Madame
A short note has a greeting, a message, a closing and the writer's name.
Worked example

Let's choose tu or vous

You want to ask for help. Write please for (a) your best friend Noah and (b) the librarian, Monsieur Roy.

  1. Noah is a friend, so use tu: S'il te plaît, Noah!
  2. Monsieur Roy is an adult at the library, so use vous: S'il vous plaît, Monsieur Roy.

(a) S'il te plaît (b) S'il vous plaît

Hands-on activity

Greeting card mail

You need: paper, markers.

  1. Fold a paper in half to make 2 small cards.
  2. Card 1 is for a friend or family member. Write: Salut + name + ! Then Merci! or À bientôt! and your name.
  3. Card 2 is for an adult you know, like a coach, a neighbour or a teacher. Write: Bonjour + Madame or Monsieur + name. Then Merci beaucoup! and Au revoir!
  4. Check your accents: À bientôt, plaît.
  5. Deliver your cards!

Model card 1: Salut Léa! Merci! À bientôt! Sam Model card 2: Bonjour Monsieur Patel, Merci beaucoup! Au revoir! Sam

Just for fun

**Why is Salut such a handy word?**

It means hi and bye, so you can use it when you arrive and when you leave without learning a new word!

Your turn

1

What does Au revoir mean?

2

You write a note to your cousin. Do you start with Salut or Bonsoir, Monsieur?

3

Write please to a store clerk you don't know.

4

What does Mme stand for?

5

A card says Merci beaucoup! What does it mean?

6

Someone in Sudbury says Bienvenue after you say Merci. What do they mean?

More practice: warm-up

1

What does Bonjour mean?

2

What does Bonne nuit mean?

3

Which is informal: Salut or Bonjour?

4

What does M. stand for before a name?

5

Write thank you in French.

More practice: on your own

1

Do you use tu or vous with your class of 25 classmates all together? Why?

2

Fix the accent: A bientot.

3

In a story, a girl in Ottawa says Bonne fin de semaine! What does she wish?

4

Write a 3-part note to a friend: a greeting, a thank you, a goodbye.

5

Which goodbye fits best at 8 p.m. at a sleepover bedtime: Bonne nuit or Bonjour?

Challenge

1

A pen pal in France writes Bon week-end! A pen pal in Québec writes Bonne fin de semaine! Do they mean different things?

2

Write a polite note to your principal, Madame Roy, to say thank you. Use 3 parts.

3

Which sentence would you say to your dog? Comment vas-tu? or Comment allez-vous?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What does À bientôt mean?

2.

Which word for you do you use with your best friend?

3.

Which is the polite please for an adult you don't know?

4.

In Canada, what is a common way to say you're welcome?

5.

What does la fin de semaine mean?

6.

Which greeting is informal?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The curriculum asks Grade 4 students to identify sociolinguistic conventions in French texts, such as informal versus standard greetings and regional words like fin de semaine / week-end (C3.2), to use greetings and courtesy expressions in their writing (D3.2), and to understand short texts with familiar words (C1.2).

Tu and vous: This is a new idea for English speakers. Keep it simple: tu for one friend or family member, vous for adults you don't know well and for groups. Families differ, and that is fine.

Common difficulties:

  • Missing accents and apostrophes in À bientôt, S'il te plaît. Point them out as part of the spelling.
  • Using Salut with every adult. Explain that Salut is like "Hey!"

At home: Greet each other in French at breakfast this week. If you visit a French-speaking area of Ontario (for example parts of Ottawa, Sudbury or the northeast), notice bilingual signs and greetings.