How to Address People in French

Whether you're traveling to France for work or vacation or learning the language for fun, it is important to know how to correctly address people in French. The following steps will teach you which French greetings to use depending on the situation and with whom you're speaking.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Say "Bonjour Monsieur" to be polite when you're addressing a man during the day. "Bonjour" means "Hello" or "Good day," and "Monsieur" means "Sir."

2. Use "Bonjour Madame" when you're greeting a married woman. If you're not sure if she's married or not, always use "Madame" just in case, which is the equivalent of "Mrs."

3. Greet a younger woman, or a woman who isn't married with "Bonjour Mademoiselle." This means "Hello miss."

4. Address people with "Bonsoir" instead of "Bonjour" in the evening. "Bonsoir" means "Good evening."

5. Ask politely how someone is doing by saying "Xomment allez-vous?"

6. Speak less formally with friends and family. Say "Salut" to say "Hey" or "Hi," and ask them "Ca va?" to say "How's it going?"

7. Inquire what someone's name is by asking them "Comment vous appelez-vous?" If you're speaking to someone in a less formal situation, you can say, "Comment t'appelles-tu?" To introduce yourself, say "Je m'appelle," which means "My name is."

Tips & Warnings

• Go to your local library or find a bookstore which carries a French instructional CD that will help you with the pronunciation of French greetings. Listen to the CD and repeat the greetings many times until you are confident that you are pronouncing them correctly.