The best ways to say good morning in French

Saying ‘good morning’ in French can increase your chances to show people that you care about them. In fact, this greeting is a great way to have a fresh start to the day with a fresh mindset.

In this article, we will tell you different ways to greet your loved ones in the morning. “Matin”, which means “morning” and Québécois, who tend to use anglicisms, actually say “Bon matin” for “Good morning”.

Good morning vs. good day in French

We will start with “Bonjour”, literally “Good day”. Below are some of the most popular ways to greet someone in the morning. ‘Bonjour’ can be used till 6 PM.

English	French	IPA	Context/Note
Morning!	Salut!	saly!	Informal
Good morning!	Bonjour!	bõʒuɾ!
Hey!	Coucou!	kuku!	Informal, cute
Good morning, how are you?	Bonjour, comment ça va ?	bõʒuɾ, kɔmə sa va ?
Have a good day!	Passez une bonne journée !	pasez‿ ynə bɔnə ʒuɾneə !	This is not a greeting and should be used when saying goodbye.
Good day to you!	Bonne journée !	bɔnə ʒuɾneə !	This is not a greeting and should be used when saying goodbye.
Good morning, nice to meet you.	Bonjour, enchanté(e)	bõʒuɾ, ɑ̃ʃɑ̃te(ɛ)
Good morning everyone.	Bonjour à tous.	bõʒuɾ a tu.
Good morning my friends.	Bonjour mes amis.	bõʒuɾmez‿ ami.
Good morning, looks like you had a good night sleep!	Bonjour, tu as l’air d’avoir passé une bonne nuit !	bõʒuɾ, ty a lɛɾ davwaɾ pase ynə bɔnə nɥi !	Informal
Good morning, you seem to be in a good mood!	Bonjour, tu as l’air d’être de bonne humeur !	bõʒuɾ, ty a lɛɾ dɛtɾə də bɔnə ymœɾ !	Informal
Good morning, did you get up on the wrong foot?	Bonjour, tu t’es levé(e) du pied gauche ?	bõʒuɾ, ty tɛ ləve(ɛ) dy pje goʃə ?	Informal
Good morning, would you like a coffee?	Bonjour, voulez-vous un café ?	bõʒuɾ, vule-vuz‿ œ̃ kafe ?
Good morning, children.	Bonjour les enfants !	bõʒuɾlez‿ ɑ̃fɑ̃ !
Good morning, François.	Bonjour François.	bõʒuɾ fɾanswa.

You can now learn French at home by looking at the contextual use of all these phrases and several others. Try using these greetings in your daily conversations with family, friends, and colleagues. It will boost your confidence to speak French in public.

Good morning in French with titles

When greeting someone in a formal setting, knowing how to say “Good morning” in French to a woman and “Good morning” in French to a man can be useful. And if you are unsure about the gender, stick with “Bonjour”! If you are meeting someone for the first time, you should introduce yourself first.

English	French	IPA
Good morning, madam.	Bonjour Madame.	bõʒuɾ madamə.
Good morning, Miss.	Bonjour Mademoiselle.	bõʒuɾ madəmwazɛlə.
Good morning, sir.	Bonjour Monsieur.	bõʒuɾməsjø.

Using these gender-specific phrases increases your chances of speaking like native speakers, giving you the opportunity to get immersed in French culture and socialize with different people.

Romantic good morning in French

French is the language of love for many. Is there anything more romantic than a warm croissant with a cup of coffee in bed? In the table below, you can learn how to say Good morning, my love, and other sweet morning greetings in French.

English	French	IPA	Context/Note
Good morning, my love.	Bonjour mon amour.	bõʒuɾ mõn‿ amuɾ.
Good morning, beautiful.	Bonjour ma belle.	bõʒuɾ ma bɛlə.	For ladies only.
Good morning, handsome.	Bonjour mon beau.	bõʒuɾ mõ bo.	Not widely used in French. We basically don’t compliment a man’s physique!
Good morning, I made you some coffee.	Bonjour, je t’ai fait un café.	bõʒuɾ, ʒə te fɛt‿ œ̃ kafe.
Good morning, I made breakfast.	Bonjour, j’ai préparé le petit-déjeuner.	bõʒuɾ, ʒe pɾepaɾe lə pəti-deʒœne.
You look so beautiful this morning.	Tu es si belle ce matin.	tyɛ si bɛlə sə matɛ̃.	For ladies only.
Good morning, darling.	Bonjour ma chérie/mon chéri.	bõʒuɾ ma ʃeɾjɛ/mõ ʃeɾi.
Good morning, love of my life.	Bonjour, amour de ma vie.	bõʒuɾ, amuɾ də ma vjə.	Save this one only if he/she went to get you a croissant!
Hey, you	Salut toi.	saly twa.

Other ways to express good morning greetings in French

If “bonjour” is too short for you, here are a few other greetings to spice up your morning a little more. Know that memorizing these greetings may take time, especially if you are a beginner.

English	French	IPA	Context/note
Rise and shine!	C’est l’heure de se lever !	kɛ lœɾə də sə ləve !
Get up!	Debout ! / Lève-toi !	dəbu ! / lɛvə-twa !	Informal, usually for children or partners.
Did you sleep well?	Vous avez bien dormi ? / Tu as bien dormi ?	vuz‿ ave bjɛ̃ dɔɾmi ? / ty a bjɛ̃ dɔɾmi ?
It’s a beautiful day!	Quelle belle journée !	kɛlə bɛlə ʒuɾneə !
The sun is shining this morning!	Il fait grand soleil ce matin !	il fe gɾɑ̃ sɔlɛj sə matɛ̃ !
It snowed last night.	Il a neigé cette nuit.	il a n(e)ʒe sɛtə nɥi.

Even though the French does not have a specific phrase for “Good morning,” it is customary to greet family, friends, roommates, coworkers, and others in the morning. They usually just say hello.

Keep in mind that the French are generally polite and greet each other, so even a friendly nod or attempting to mumble out one of the ways to say “good morning” in French is a good idea.

Famous French idioms with morning

• L’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt.
• Literal translation: The future belongs to those who wake up early.

• Simple comme bonjour.
• Literal translation: Simple as good morning.

• Voir sous un nouveau jour.
• Literal translation: To see under a new day.

• Passer le bonjour.
• Literal translation: To pass the good morning.

Learn French at italki

If you would like to improve your French language skills, you can now learn French online with italki. This platform offers the facility of both Zoom classes as well as italki classrooms. The italki French teachers are highly professional with years of experience. Their fascinating and engaging instructional practices are highly engaging making you a fluent French speaker within a short time. Visit the website to get enrolled!

Why learn French on italki?

Choosing italki as your language learning platform comes with several advantages that make it a popular choice among learners worldwide. Here are some compelling reasons to choose italki:

Variety of Teachers: italki offers a wide selection of qualified language teachers, allowing you to choose instructors based on their teaching style, experience, and background. This ensures you find a teacher who aligns with your learning preferences.

Flexible Schedule: You can schedule lessons at times that are convenient for you. This flexibility is especially beneficial for learners with busy schedules or those in different time zones.

Personalized Learning: Teachers on italki tailor lessons to your specific needs, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced learner. Lessons can focus on grammar, conversation, vocabulary, or any aspect you want to improve.

One-on-One Interaction: One-on-one lessons offer focused attention from the teacher, giving you ample opportunity to practice speaking, receive feedback, and ask questions.

Affordable Options: italki offers various pricing options, allowing you to choose teachers within your budget. You can opt for trial lessons, regular lessons, or lesson packages based on your preferences.

Convenient Virtual Classroom: italki provides a virtual classroom equipped with tools for video calls, text chat, document sharing, and a whiteboard. This platform ensures a seamless and interactive learning experience.

Global Community: Interacting with teachers from different parts of the world exposes you to various accents, dialects, and cultural insights. It’s an enriching way to experience language and culture.

Real-Life Practice: Teachers often incorporate real-life scenarios and cultural insights into lessons, enabling you to apply language skills to practical situations.

Feedback and Progress Tracking: Regular feedback from your teacher helps you identify areas for improvement and track your progress over time.

Language Exchange: Apart from booking lessons, italki offers a language exchange community where you can connect with native speakers of the language you’re learning. This exchange can provide additional practice and insights.

Quality Assurance: italki reviews and verifies teachers’ credentials and qualifications, ensuring you learn from experienced professionals.

Accessible Learning: You can access italki from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, making it convenient to learn from anywhere.

Satisfaction Guarantee: If you’re not satisfied with your first lesson, italki offers a refund of the lesson credits you used.

Ultimately, italki empowers you to take charge of your language-learning journey by offering personalized instruction, cultural immersion, and the flexibility to learn at your own pace. It’s an engaging and effective way to develop your language skills, connect with people from around the world, and embrace the beauty of language and culture.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is bonjour hello or good morning?

A. In general, bonjour is the standard way of saying “good morning.” However, depending on where you are in the world, you may also be able to say bon matin. Surprisingly, you should generally greet someone once per day.

Q. How do the French greet each other?

A. The most common greetings in French are “bonjour” and “bonsoir”. The first can be used all day and the second in the evening. In a more casual setting, “salut” is also commonly used.

Q. How do I respond to bonjour?

It is more than sufficient to simply say bonjour back in response to those who greet you, but if you want to go a step beyond, you can respond with comment allez-vous, which is the French equivalent of asking how it’s going.

Conclusion

Saying “Good morning” in French may not be as obvious as you expected, but you now have several options. If you are wondering how long it takes to learn French, know that it depends on your time and dedication.

Learning common greetings and phrases can help you converse with French people. Start from the basics for example you can learn how to tell the time in French. If you want to learn French systematically, reach out to italki and we wish you happy learning!