NIVEAU A1-A2 · LEÇON 2

Salutations et Formules de Politesse

Greetings, polite expressions, and simple real-life communication

👋 Ce que tu vas apprendre

✔️ dire bonjour selon le moment de la journée
✔️ répondre poliment à "How are you?"
✔️ utiliser Please, Thank you, Sorry, Excuse me
✔️ distinguer salutations formelles et informelles
✔️ éviter les erreurs classiques des débutants

1. What are greetings?

Greetings are words and expressions we use to say hello, ask how someone is, and start a conversation politely. They are very important in daily life, at school, at work, in shops, and when meeting new people.

Basic greetings:

Hello — Bonjour / Salut
Hi — Salut
Good morning — Bonjour (matin)
Good afternoon — Bonjour (après-midi)
Good evening — Bonsoir

Hello, how are you? Bonjour, comment ça va ?

Good morning, teacher. Bonjour, professeur.

💡 Tip: Use Good morning in the morning, Good afternoon in the afternoon, and Good evening in the evening. Good night is used when leaving at bedtime, not as a greeting.

2. How do we answer greetings?

Question: How are you?
Possible answers:

I'm fine, thank you.
I'm good, thanks.
I'm very well.
Not bad, thanks.

— How are you? — Comment vas-tu ?

— I'm fine, thank you.

— What's up? / — Not much. And you?

— How is your day going? / — It's going well, thanks.

💡 Key idea: In English, people often answer politely even if they are not perfect. A simple and polite response is usually enough.

3. Useful polite expressions

Please → s'il vous plaît
Thank you / Thanks → merci
You're welcome → de rien
Excuse me → excusez-moi / pardon
Sorry → désolé / pardon

Please sit down. S'il vous plaît, asseyez-vous.

Thank you very much. Merci beaucoup.

You're welcome. De rien.

Excuse me, where is the classroom? Excusez-moi, où est la classe ?

💡 Tip: Please makes your sentence more polite. Use it when asking for help, making a request, or giving an instruction.

4. Formal and informal greetings

Situation	Expression	Use
Formal	Hello, Good morning, Good afternoon	Teacher, boss, adults, interviews, official situations
Informal	Hi, Hey, What's up?	Friends, classmates, people you know well
Very polite	Excuse me, please, thank you very much	When asking, thanking, or interrupting politely

Good morning, sir. Bonjour, monsieur.

Hi, Sarah! How are you? Salut, Sarah ! Comment vas-tu ?

Excuse me, can I ask a question? Excusez-moi, puis-je poser une question ?

5. Common everyday dialogues

A: Hello! How are you? Bonjour ! Comment vas-tu ?

B: I'm fine, thank you. And you? Je vais bien, merci. Et toi ?

A: I'm good, thanks. Je vais bien, merci.

A: Excuse me, where is the library? Excusez-moi, où est la bibliothèque ?

B: It's over there. C'est là-bas.

6. Greetings at school and in public places

At school: Good morning, teacher. / Hello, class.
In a shop: Hello, can I help you?
At work: Good morning, sir / madam.
When leaving: Goodbye, see you later, bye!

Good morning, teacher. Bonjour, professeur.

Can I help you? Puis-je vous aider ?

See you later! À plus tard !

7. Common mistakes to avoid

⚠️ Avoid using "Good night" to say hello.
✔ Good night = used when going to sleep or leaving at night.

❌ Good night, teacher. → ✔ Good evening, teacher.
→ Use Good evening in the evening.

❌ Thank you very much! → ✔ You're welcome.
→ This is the correct polite answer after someone says "thank you".

⚠️ Remember: "Hi" is informal. Do not use it in very formal situations like an interview or an official meeting.

🎓 Coach Assoa vous conseille

Les salutations sont la première étape pour bien communiquer en anglais. Pour commencer simplement : Hello, Good morning, How are you?, I'm fine, thank you, Please, Thank you, You're welcome. Entraînez-vous à les dire à voix haute tous les jours dans de petites conversations.

Vidéo complémentaire — écoute et répète les expressions.

Clique sur Start Listening. L'audio sera joué avec une voix en-US si ton navigateur en propose une. Écoute bien, puis réponds aux questions. (3 écoutes max)

Ready to listen. (0 / 3 écoutes)

⚠️ Ton navigateur ne supporte pas la synthèse vocale. Essaie avec Google Chrome.

Transcript

Good morning! Excuse me, please. How are you today? I'm fine, thank you. Can you help me, please? I'm looking for the classroom.

Test your knowledge of everyday greetings and polite expressions

❓ 10 questions

⏱️ 10 minutes

✅ Immediate correction after each answer

🎓 Detailed results at the end

⏱️ 10:00

QUESTION 1 / 10

🏁 Results

— / 10