How to Say Good Morning in French: 16 Morning Greetings & Expressions

The Short Answer

French does not have a dedicated phrase for "good morning." The standard greeting is Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR), which literally translates to "good day" and covers the entire period from sunrise to roughly 6 PM. Unlike English, Spanish (Buenos días), or German (Guten Morgen), French collapses morning and afternoon greetings into a single word.

This surprises many learners, but it reflects a fundamental difference in how French structures time-based greetings. The language divides the day into two blocks: jour (day) and soir (evening). There is no separate matin (morning) greeting in standard French, only in Québec, where Bon matin has taken hold as a calque from English. Whether you're looking up "good morning in french" for travel, study, or conversation, this guide covers everything you need.

"The French language does not traditionally use 'bon matin' as a greeting. The correct form is 'bonjour,' which applies to the entire first part of the day."

(Académie française, Dire, ne pas dire)

That said, French speakers have plenty of morning-specific expressions that go beyond Bonjour. This guide covers 16 greetings and phrases you will hear during French mornings, from the café counter to the family breakfast table to the office corridor.

Quick Reference: French Morning Greetings at a Glance

Why French Has No "Good Morning"

Before diving into each expression, it helps to understand why this gap exists. The answer lies in how French divides the day.

English splits greetings across three periods: morning, afternoon, and evening. French uses only two: jour (day, covering morning through late afternoon) and soir (evening, from roughly 6 PM onward). This gives French speakers Bonjour and Bonsoir, and nothing in between.

The word matin (morning) absolutely exists in French. You can say ce matin (this morning), demain matin (tomorrow morning), or tous les matins (every morning). But it was never grammaticalized into a greeting the way jour and soir were. According to the Académie française, Bonjour has served as the all-purpose daytime greeting since the Middle Ages.

The Standard Morning Greeting

Bonjour

Bonjour is the single most important word for any French learner. It is your good morning, your good afternoon, and your social entry ticket. In France, walking into a boulangerie at 7 AM without saying Bonjour is a genuine social error, and the baker may serve you with noticeably less warmth.

The pronunciation places stress on the second syllable: bohn-ZHOOR. The "j" sounds like the "zh" in "pleasure," and the nasal "on" is produced by letting the air pass through your nose (say "ohn" without fully closing the "n").

According to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, French is spoken by approximately 321 million people across 29 countries. In every single one of them, Bonjour is the correct morning greeting.

The Québec Exception

Bon matin

Bon matin is the only true "good morning" in any variety of French. It entered Québécois French through English influence. Québec's proximity to English-speaking Canada and the United States made this calque almost inevitable.

You will hear Bon matin on Québécois morning radio shows, at breakfast restaurants in Montréal, and in casual greetings among friends and colleagues. The Office québécois de la langue française notes its widespread use while acknowledging that prescriptive grammarians often recommend Bonjour instead.

Morning-Specific Expressions

These phrases do not replace Bonjour; they follow it. A typical French morning interaction starts with Bonjour and then flows into one of these expressions.

Bien dormi ?

This is the phrase you will hear most often at the French breakfast table. It is a contracted form (the full sentence would be Tu as bien dormi ?), but the shortened Bien dormi ? is far more natural in casual speech.

The response is typically Oui, très bien, merci (yes, very well, thanks) or, if the night was rough, Pas très bien (not very well) or Bof, pas trop (meh, not really).

Tu as bien dormi ?

The complete version of Bien dormi ? carries a slightly more personal, attentive tone. You might use this when you can tell someone did not sleep well; it signals genuine concern rather than a reflexive morning check-in.

Ça va ce matin ?

Adding ce matin (this morning) to the universal Ça va ? gives it a morning-specific flavor. It acknowledges that mornings are their own beast. Perhaps the person had a late night, a bad commute, or simply has not had their coffee yet.

Vous avez passé une bonne nuit ?

This is the polished, vous-level way to inquire about someone's night. Hotel staff use it with guests, attentive hosts use it with visitors, and grandchildren use it with grandparents. It reflects the care that French culture places on formality and consideration.

Workplace Morning Greetings

French workplace culture treats the morning greeting as a non-negotiable social ritual. Arriving at the office without greeting your colleagues is considered rude, and in some environments, genuinely damaging.

Bonjour à tous

When you walk into a meeting room or an open-plan office, Bonjour à tous addresses everyone at once. In French workplaces, particularly in traditional companies, many employees still do a tour de bureau, walking around to say Bonjour individually to each colleague with a handshake or la bise. In larger or more modern offices, a collective Bonjour à tous suffices.

Comment allez-vous ce matin ?

Adding ce matin to the standard formal greeting Comment allez-vous ? shows attentiveness. It tells the listener you are not just reciting a formula; you are genuinely acknowledging the specific moment of the day. The standard response is Très bien, merci. Et vous ? (Very well, thank you. And you?).

Je vous souhaite une bonne journée

This is the expanded, formal version of Bonne journée. You will hear it in professional emails, after business meetings, and from customer service representatives. It carries extra weight and politeness, the kind of phrase that makes the listener feel valued.

Casual & Family Morning Expressions

These are the greetings that happen at the kitchen table, between roommates, and among close friends meeting for breakfast.

Salut

Among friends and family, Salut is a perfectly natural morning greeting. While Bonjour is obligatory with strangers, service workers, and in professional settings, Salut is the default at home and among peers. A simple Salut over coffee is all you need.

Bonjour mon cœur

French mornings at home often begin with a term of endearment. Mon cœur (my heart), mon amour (my love), and chéri(e) (darling) are all natural additions to Bonjour. Between parents and young children, Bonjour mon petit cœur (good morning, little heart) is especially warm.

Debout, là-dedans !

This playful wake-up call is the French "rise and shine." Parents use it with children, roommates use it with each other, and it carries an affectionate, upbeat energy. The phrase literally means "up, in there!", pointing at the bed or room where the sleeper is still hiding.

Déjà réveillé(e) ?

This expression carries a note of pleasant surprise. It implies the person is awake earlier than expected. In French, the adjective agrees with the gender of the person: réveillé for masculine, réveillée for feminine, though the pronunciation is the same.

Morning Farewells

These phrases are said when leaving someone during the morning, not when arriving. Understanding the distinction prevents a common learner mistake.

Bonne matinée

Bonne matinée is the morning-specific farewell that many French learners never learn. It means "have a good (rest of the) morning" and is used when parting from someone before noon. After noon, it shifts to Bonne après-midi (have a good afternoon) and then Bonne soirée (have a good evening).

Bonne journée

You will hear Bonne journée more than almost any other phrase during a French morning. Every baker, every barista, every receptionist will send you off with it. The response is simple: Merci, vous aussi ! (Thanks, you too!).

The French Café Morning Ritual

Un café ?

Coffee and French mornings are inseparable. At home, Un café ? is both an offer and a greeting. At a café or boulangerie, ordering your morning coffee is a ritual with its own vocabulary. According to Ethnologue, France consumes approximately 5.4 kg of coffee per capita annually, and much of it flows through the morning routine.

How to Respond to Morning Greetings

Here is how to handle the most common morning exchanges.

Morning Greeting Responses

Farewell Responses

Morning Customs Across the French-Speaking World

Morning greetings in French vary not just in words but in physical customs. The Francophonie spans five continents, and morning rituals differ accordingly.

In Metropolitan France, the morning typically begins with la bise, cheek kisses between family, friends, and close colleagues. The number varies by region: two in Paris, three in Provence, four in parts of the Loire Valley. In the workplace, a handshake with Bonjour is standard for less familiar colleagues.

In Québec, mornings are somewhat less formal. A wave or nod with Bonjour or Bon matin is common. La bise is less frequent than in France, reflecting the influence of Anglo-Canadian customs.

In Francophone Africa, morning greetings are often more elaborate. In Sénégal, for example, a morning greeting exchange can last several minutes, with each person inquiring about the other's family, health, and night's rest. Rushing through a greeting is considered disrespectful.

Practice With Real French Content

Reading about morning greetings gives you the vocabulary, but hearing them in context is what makes them natural. French films are filled with morning scenes: breakfast conversations in Amélie, café orders in Paris, je t'aime, and workplace greetings in The Intouchables.

Wordy lets you watch French movies and shows with interactive subtitles. When a character says Bonjour at a café or Bien dormi ? over breakfast, you can tap the phrase to see its meaning, pronunciation, and cultural context in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases from a list, you absorb them from authentic conversations.

For more French content, explore our blog for language guides, or check out the best movies to learn French for curated film recommendations. You can also visit our French learning page to start practicing with real content today.