How to Say Hello in French

Reuters (via Bloomberg)

French Connection’s FCUK branding caught the logo-laden zeitgeist of the Nineties. Simple T-shirts emblazoned with the arresting slogan were ideal for pairing with combat pants and a girl-power pout, or the requisite parka and scowl, depending on your gender and style preferences.

It was a hit that helped propel the brand into a public stock listing and into the limelight with high-profile advertising campaigns, such as Eva Herzigova’s bust-enhancing bra in the Battersea power station ad in 1992. But the momentum hasn’t lasted, and sales are now down sharply for the British label.

Last week, the brand’s retail sales in Europe and the UK fell by 5.8 percent on a like-for-like basis for the 15 weeks to May 10. It also warned that sales in North America would be weaker than expected for the rest of the year. The retailer closed two non-contributing stores during the period.

The company attributed the drop to “the ongoing impact of currency headwinds and a continuing slowdown in consumer spending in North America,” according to a statement. It expects full-year sales to be flat.

It’s worth noting that it is still The french connection keep in touch possible to say hello in French, although this will likely be more informal than saying hello in English. One way to do this is to say salut, which is similar to Ciao in Italian. Alternatively, you can add the word toi to the end of your greeting, for example Salut, toi (Hi there, you). This is more often heard in films and from children, but it’s very casual.

Another more formal way to greet someone is to ask them how they are, a question that can be answered in a variety of ways. One of the most common is comment vas-tu, which means “how are you doing?” (no 'hello' necessary). You can respond to this with Je vais bien, merci meaning I’m fine thanks and je vous souhaite beaucoup (which sounds much more formal than a simple'merci').

It is also polite to kiss people in some parts of France – though the traditional practice is not universal. Typically, you will greet a woman by kissing her cheek twice and a man by kissing him on the forehead. However, you should always err on the side of caution and only kiss someone once if you are unsure if they want a second kiss. Using too many kisses can be seen as uncouth, even in the most casual settings. As for the French themselves, they are generally very polite and will not impose their own customs on visitors.