Politeness opens doors
In France a cheerful 'Bonjour!' before anything else is the key that unlocks a friendly reply — skip it and doors stay cool. Your first French words are the polite greetings that shape every exchange.
Polite beginnings
- Bonjour — Hello / Good day
- Merci — Thank you
- S'il vous plaît — Please
- Au revoir — Goodbye
Accents change sound
Accents (é, è, ê) guide pronunciation. 'café' ends with an 'ay' sound because of the é.