In France, a simple greeting is the key to starting any conversation, whether you're buying a croissant or meeting a new friend. The most important word to know is bonjour.

You can use bonjour in almost any situation. It works for strangers, shopkeepers, and friends. It's a polite, all-purpose greeting that you'll hear everywhere.

For a more casual 'hi,' especially with friends or people your age, you can use salut.

Salut is informal, like saying 'hey' in English. It's best used with people you know well. When in doubt, bonjour is always a safe and respectful choice.

While bonjour works all day, French speakers often switch to a different greeting in the evening. As the sun goes down, you'll start to hear bonsoir.

Think of bonsoir as 'good evening.' It's used when arriving somewhere or meeting someone in the evening, just like bonjour is used earlier in the day.

Politeness is highly valued in French culture. Two simple phrases will go a long way: 'thank you' and 'please'.

And when you're asking for something:

Using these expressions shows respect and will always be appreciated.

After greeting someone, you might want to introduce yourself. The most common way to say 'My name is...' is with the phrase je m'appelle...

To ask for someone else's name in a casual way, you can say:

Let's put it all together in a short conversation.

After you've both shared your names, it's polite to say that you're pleased to meet them.

The extra 'e' in parentheses, (e), indicates a feminine ending. If you are female, you would write it as enchantée, but the pronunciation is the same. It's a warm and friendly way to end an introduction.

Ready to try it out? Let's see what you've learned.

You now have the essential phrases to greet people and introduce yourself in French. Great start!