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"Hello, please tell me about France."

"Why is your language so difficult to learn?"

  

Bonjour, comment vas-tu? (Hello, how are you?)

Bonjour Monsieur, comment allez-vous? (Good morning, how are you?)

Salut, comment ça va? (Hi, you're OK?)

They may all mean the same, but the first is used among friends.

The second is more formal and respectful: it’s the polite way to speak to someone older than yourself who you don’t know, or don’t know very well.

The third is a familiar way of speaking, when talking with your mates.

It’s obviously not possible to greet everyone, but it’s polite to say  “bonjour” when you get into a lift or go into a shop or office.

Shake hands or kiss?

French people often shake hands when they meet or say goodbye. They kiss if they know each other well.

The “bise” (kiss on the cheek), is a sign of friendship or of familiarity between people who see each other frequently, such as members of a sports club. When they win or score a goal, they often show how happy they are by exchanging kisses.

One kiss or two?

That depends where you live and how old you are. Young people usually give 4 kisses whilst grown ups think one on each cheek is enough: one received and one returned.

The word “bisou” is the diminutive of “bise”. It is a more loving way of saying “kiss”, so little children use it a lot and so do people who are in love.

“Tu” or “vous”?

Using the “tu” form of a verb is the normal way young people speak to each other. It’s the same among friends or family: parents and their children call each other “tu”, and so do uncles and nephews.

The “vous” form" is more respectful and is used, for example, when speaking to someone older than yourself, to a teacher, to your boss, or when speaking to several people at the same time.

"Allo! bonjour Boris ! C’est Paul. Comment vas-tu?" (Hello. This is Paul speaking. How are you?)

Bonne journée! (Have a good day!)

Bon après-midi! (Have a good afternoon!)

Bonsoir! (Good evening!)

Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)

Au revoir et merci! (Goodbye and thank you!)