How to say good morning in French in 33 classic ways
If you've seen Beauty and the Beast - La Belle et la Bête - you're likely familiar with "Bonjour". However, knowing when and how to use it, as well as other ways to say Good morning in French, can boost your French greeting skills.
Learning how to say Good morning in French can come in handy in various scenarios. For example, you may need it for an early work meeting with French colleagues, a breakfast with a francophone friend, or when waking up next to your new French love interest. We'll even teach you how to say Good morning beautiful in French!
Are you an early bird or not? Regardless, you'll need to know the word "matin", meaning "morning", to say good morning in French. In Quebec, they often say "Bon matin", borrowing from English.
But what about France?
How to say good morning in French
The French way is a bit less straightforward. Instead of saying "Good morning", they use "Bonjour", which translates to "Good day". You can use this greeting until around 6pm, when "Bonsoir" (meaning "Good evening") takes over.
Here are a few ways to say good morning in French. Remember, when in doubt, go with "Bonjour".
| 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. |
n formal contexts, it's helpful to know how to say "Good morning" in French to a woman or a man. If you're uncertain about someone's gender, it's best to stick to "Bonjour"!
When meeting someone for the first time, you may also want to introduce yourself by saying your name.
| English | French | IPA |
| Good morning, madam. | Bonjour Madame. | bõʒuɾ madamə. |
| Good morning, miss. | Bonjour Mademoiselle. | bõʒuɾ madəmwazɛlə. |
| Good morning, sir. | Bonjour Monsieur. | bõʒuɾməsjø. |
French is often considered the language of love. What could be more romantic than enjoying a warm croissant and coffee in bed? In this table, you'll find some sweet morning greetings in French, including how to say "Good morning my love".
| 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. | More drinks in French here. |
| 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 morning greetings in French
If “bonjour” is too plain or too short for you, here are a few other greetings to spice up your morning game.
| 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. |
Music is a powerful tool for language learning. I still remember the first song I learned in English class and how it stuck with me. With that in mind, here are some French songs to help you learn how to say "Good morning" in French!
Check out these songs:
- "Il est cinq heures Paris s'éveille" by Jacques Dutronc
- "Bonjour" by Anne Sylvestre (for both kids and adults)
- "Bonjour" by Rachid Taha
- "Bonjour" from the movie Beauty and the Beast.
la belle et la bête : Bonjour
French has several idioms that incorporate the concept of morning. For instance:
- "L’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt" (The future belongs to those who wake up early)
- "Simple comme bonjour" (Simple as good morning)
- "Voir sous un nouveau jour" (To see under a new day)
- "Passer le bonjour" (To pass the good morning)
If someone greets you with one of these expressions, it's polite to respond. In French, the appropriate reply to "good morning" is simply "Bonjour", and you may also add "Comment allez-vous?" (How are you?).
By the way, if you're unfamiliar with the French custom of exchanging kisses on the cheek, be sure to check out our tips on how to navigate the situation. It's so nuanced that a British person even created a website about the proper number of "bises" by region in France!
On that note, we'll conclude this article on "Bonjour" with a fitting farewell: "Au revoir"!
