Greetings and Farewells
Salutations et adieux
- Basic greetings and farewells.
- Starting and ending a conversation.
- Useful phrases to use during class (asking for clarification, repetition, etc.).
- Personal pronouns
This lesson introduces basic French greetings and farewells such as "Bonjour", "Enchanté", and "À bientôt". You will also practice personal pronouns and polite classroom expressions like "Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous répéter ?" to start and end conversations naturally.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the following words into two categories according to whether they are used to greet or to say goodbye.
Salutations (début de la conversation)
Adieux (fin de la conversation)
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
À bientôt
See you soon
2
Enchanté
Nice to meet you
3
À tout à l'heure !
See you later!
4
Bonjour
Hello
5
Bon après-midi
Good afternoon
Exercice 5: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Use the correct greeting in each situation and start a small talk. (Use the correct greeting in each situation and start a small talk.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Bonjour ! Good morning! |
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Bon après-midi ! Good afternoon! |
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Bonsoir ! Good evening! |
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Comment ça va ? How are you? |
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Bien. Et toi? Fine. And you? |
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À plus tard ! See you later! |
|
Désolé, pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? Sorry, can you repeat, please? |
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Je ne comprends pas. I don’t understand. |
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Pourriez-vous l'épeler ? Could you spell that? |
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Enchanté de vous rencontrer. Nice to meet you. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Tu ___ mon collègue au bureau.
(You ___ my colleague at the office.)2. Je ___ content de te rencontrer, enchanté !
(I ___ happy to meet you, nice to meet you!)3. Nous ___ une réunion cet après-midi.
(We ___ a meeting this afternoon.)4. Je vous ___ une bonne journée !
(I ___ you a good day!)Exercise 8: Meeting at the town hall
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Être - to be
Présent
- Je suis
- Tu es
- Il/Elle/On est
- Nous sommes
- Vous êtes
- Ils/Elles sont
Aller - to go
Présent
- Je vais
- Tu vas
- Il/Elle/On va
- Nous allons
- Vous allez
- Ils/Elles vont
Rencontrer - to meet
Présent
- Je rencontre
- Tu rencontres
- Il/Elle/On rencontre
- Nous rencontrons
- Vous rencontrez
- Ils/Elles rencontrent
Dire - to say
Présent
- Je dis
- Tu dis
- Il/Elle/On dit
- Nous disons
- Vous dites
- Ils/Elles disent
Répondre - to answer
Présent
- Je réponds
- Tu réponds
- Il/Elle/On répond
- Nous répondons
- Vous répondez
- Ils/Elles répondent
Demander - to ask
Présent
- Je demande
- Tu demandes
- Il/Elle/On demande
- Nous demandons
- Vous demandez
- Ils/Elles demandent
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Avoir to have Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') j'ai | I have |
| tu as | you have |
| (il/elle/on) il a / elle a / on a | he has / she has / one has |
| nous avons | we have |
| vous avez | You have |
| (ils/elles) ils ont / elles ont | they have |
Être to be Share Copied!
present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') je suis / j'suis | I am / I'm |
| tu es | you are |
| (il/elle/on) il est / elle est / on est | he is / she is / one is |
| nous sommes | we are |
| vous êtes | you are |
| (ils/elles) ils sont / elles sont | they are |
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Greetings and Farewells: Introduction to Basic French Communication
This lesson focuses on essential French expressions used for greeting others and saying goodbye in everyday situations. Designed for A1 beginners, it covers polite and natural ways to start and end conversations, as well as phrases to ask for clarifications politely.
Key Topics Covered
- Common greetings such as Bonjour, Bonsoir, Salut, and polite introductions like Je suis enchanté de faire votre connaissance.
- Farewell expressions including Au revoir, À bientôt, À demain, and Bonne journée.
- Personal pronouns usage in simple sentences and greetings, helping you express yourself clearly and politely.
- Basic conversational exchanges for starting and ending class conversations, as well as asking for repetition or clarification effectively.
Useful Phrases and Expressions
Examples you will encounter in this lesson include:
- Bonjour, comment ça va ? (Hello, how are you?)
- Je suis enchanté de faire votre connaissance. (I am delighted to meet you.)
- Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, could you repeat, please?)
- À demain, bonne journée ! (See you tomorrow, have a good day!)
Personal Pronouns and Verb Conjugation
This lesson introduces the personal pronouns (je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles) alongside verb conjugations for common verbs in the present tense. For example:
- Être (to be): je suis, tu es, il est, nous sommes, vous êtes, ils sont.
- Aller (to go): je vais, tu vas, etc.
Dialogues for Practical Usage
Practice simple dialogues for daily classroom situations:
- Starting conversations with classmates.
- Asking for clarification or repetition.
- Politely ending conversations with farewells.
Additional Notes on Language Differences
Unlike English, French greetings and farewells are frequently more formal, especially in new or professional settings. Phrases like Enchanté(e) literally mean "delighted" and are common polite greetings upon meeting someone for the first time. Also, personal pronouns are used more consistently in French verbs; each verb form changes according to the subject pronoun, whereas English uses fewer changes.
Useful comparison phrases:
- Comment ça va ? - "How are you?" (informal, friendly)
- À demain. - "See you tomorrow."
- Excusez-moi - "Excuse me," a polite way to get attention or ask for something.
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