French · Greetings & Essentials
"Good afternoon" in French: bonjour
bonjour
Note: when leaving: bon après-midi
Good afternoon in French is usually bonjour — the same greeting as good morning. When leaving, you can say bon après-midi. Evening switches to bonsoir.
Entering a shop at 3 p.m.
Bonjour, je cherche un cadeau.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce bonjour
Say it
bohn-ZHOOR
/bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/
Bonjour is bohn-ZHOOR with nasal on. Soft j like s in measure. French r at the end.
"Good afternoon" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| bonjour | hello / good afternoon Standard greeting until evening. | Standard greeting until evening. |
| bon après-midi | have a good afternoon Often when parting in the afternoon. | Often when parting in the afternoon. |
| bonjour madame / monsieur | good afternoon (polite) With staff and strangers. | With staff and strangers. |
| bonne après-midi | have a good afternoon Also heard; agreement varies in speech. | Also heard; agreement varies in speech. |
How to use bonjour in real life
- 1Entering a shop at 3 p.m.
Bonjour, je cherche un cadeau.
Good afternoon, I'm looking for a gift.
Bonjour still applies.
- 2Video call
Bonjour à tous, merci d'être connectés.
Good afternoon everyone, thanks for joining.
Group greeting.
- 3Leaving colleagues at 4 p.m.
Bonjour encore… non, bon après-midi à tous !
Hello again… no, have a good afternoon everyone!
Bonjour is the hello; bon après-midi works as you leave.
Mistakes English speakers make with bonjour
Incorrect: Bonne après-midi as a first hello in a shop.
Correct: Bonjour when you arrive.
Walk-in greetings use bonjour; bon après-midi is more of a farewell wish.
Incorrect: Good afternoon, monsieur.
Correct: Bonjour, monsieur.
Use bonjour, not English good afternoon.
Good to know
French does not split morning and afternoon greetings the way English does. Bonjour carries you until bonsoir takes over in the evening.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Afternoon pharmacy visit
ChatPal
Bonjour, vous avez de l'ibuprofène ?
Good afternoon, do you have ibuprofen?
You
Bonjour. Oui, juste derrière vous.
Good afternoon. Yes, right behind you.
ChatPal
Merci. Bon après-midi !
Thanks. Have a good afternoon!
You
À vous aussi.
You too.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Good afternoon" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Good afternoon" in French
How do you say good afternoon in French?
Bonjour when greeting; bon après-midi often when leaving.
Is there a special afternoon hello?
No separate shop greeting — bonjour covers it.
When do I switch to bonsoir?
In the evening, roughly after work hours / dusk.
How do you pronounce bonjour?
Bohn-ZHOOR.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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