Social · France

Always say "Bonjour" before anything else

Say "Bonjour" (or "Bonsoir" in the evening) before asking a question, entering a shop, or starting any interaction, skipping straight to your request reads as rude, regardless of what language you're speaking.

France SocialstrictUpdated September 2, 2026

Lead with “Bonjour” (daytime) or “Bonsoir” (evening), to shop staff when you walk in, to a waiter before ordering, to a stranger before asking directions. It costs one word and changes how the whole interaction goes.

This holds even if you’re about to switch to English, say the greeting in French first, then ask your question in whatever language works.

If you forget, don’t be surprised if a shopkeeper just says “bonjour” back at you instead of answering, that’s their way of asking you to start over properly.

Why it matters

In France the greeting itself is treated as the minimum courtesy that opens any exchange. Shopkeepers, waitstaff, and strangers on the street expect it before anything else, even before "excuse me" or "do you speak English?" The logic isn't fussiness for its own sake: saying bonjour acknowledges the other person's presence and dignity before you ask them for something, skipping it can come across as treating them as a mere service provider rather than a person. Some shopkeepers will visibly enforce this, repeating "bonjour" back at you, sometimes more than once, instead of answering your question, until you say it too.

Source: What does bonjour mean and why you need to say it – Oui In France

Always say "Bonjour" before anything else

Why it matters

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