Greetings

Here is the actual first lesson. Most of the times, it is the first words that people learn as they are the first words that you say when you meet someone. And once again, we don't act exactly the same way in French than in English.

What Do You Say When You meet Someone ?

In English, there are 'Good morning', 'Good Afternoon' and 'Good Evening' to greet someone when we first meet depending on the moment of the day. In French, no. We just use 'Bonjour' (which would translate to good day) at any time of the day. Easier. Something like 'hello' which you can use whenever you meet someone. Hello is a bit more informal than the other three, we use 'Bonjour' in all cases.

Then comes the tricky 'Bonsoir' (which actually is the exact translation of good evening). We use it to say hello in France in the evening, let's say after 6 PM, but mainly in the countryside. But in french speaking part of Belgium and most of the French speaking countries in Africa, it is used just after noon. So to say, same as good afternoon and good evening all together. And ... We also use it to say bye when we leave sometimes.

'Hi' as an exact equivalent in French which is 'Salut', that you keep for close friends. But 'salut' can also be used when you leave !

If you just want to be sure and memorize one word, bonjour is the right one !