Dialogue
French greetings in context: one café visit from hello to goodbye
Follow a café conversation from bonjour to bonne journée. Practise your part, explore the café scene and match each greeting to its moment.
- A2
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Open an everyday visit with Bonjour ! and leave with Au revoir ! or Bonne journée ! With a friend, Salut ! works for both hello and goodbye. Keep a greeting with its next line so you can hear the whole exchange in your head.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Picture the visit: find the entrance, then the table
Find:
Practise Nora’s part
- Serveur
Bonjour madame !
English
Hello!
- Nora
Bonjour ! Je rejoins une amie.
Greet the server and say you are meeting a friend.
English
Hello! I’m meeting a friend.
- Léa
Salut Nora ! Je suis ici.
English
Hi Nora! I’m here.
- Nora
Salut Léa ! Ça va ?
Greet Léa and ask how she is.
English
Hi Léa! How are you?
- Léa
Très bien, merci. Et toi ?
English
Very well, thanks. And you?
- Nora
Ça va bien. Tu attends depuis longtemps ?
Say you are well and ask whether she has been waiting long.
English
I’m well. Have you been waiting long?
- Léa
Non, cinq minutes. Tu as le temps de prendre un café ?
English
No, five minutes. Do you have time for a coffee?
- Nora
Oui, avec plaisir !
Accept warmly.
English
Yes, gladly!
- Léa
Bon, je dois partir. On se voit demain ?
English
Well, I have to go. Shall we see each other tomorrow?
- Nora
Oui, à demain !
Agree and say see you tomorrow.
English
Yes, see you tomorrow!
- Serveur
Au revoir, mesdames. Bonne journée !
English
Goodbye. Have a good day!
- Nora
Merci, bonne journée à vous aussi !
Thank the server and return the wish.
English
Thank you, have a good day too!
| Moment | Phrase | Meaning in this exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Entering | Bonjour ! | Hello. |
| Seeing a friend | Salut ! Ça va ? | Hi! How are you? |
| Returning the question | Et toi ? | And you? One friend. |
| Leaving with tomorrow agreed | À demain ! | See you tomorrow. |
| Returning a farewell wish | Bonne journée à vous aussi ! | Have a good day too. |
Bonjour also works with tu: Bonjour Léa, tu vas bien ? The greeting and the pronoun make separate choices. For two friends together, Vous allez bien tous les deux ? uses plural vous. In an evening visit, try Bonsoir on arrival and Bonne soirée when leaving; bonsoir can also be a farewell.