Greetings
Hello there!
Like in English, some French greetings depend on the time of day.
Bonjour !
Good morning! / Good afternoon!
Bonsoir !
Good evening!
If you're being casual, you can say Salut ! any time of day!
Salut !
Hi! / Bye!
How are you?
Ça va can be used both to ask how someone is doing and to answer the question!
Salut, ça va ?
Hi, how are you?
Ça va, et toi ?
I'm fine, and you?
Accents
In French, an accent mark over a letter can make a new sound.
je
je (as in "petition")
é
journée (similar to "bay")
è
très (as in "bet")
If the last letter of a word is an e (without an accent!), it's usually silent.
femme
woman
bonne nuit
good night