Every conversation starts with a greeting. In French, the time of day matters. The most common and versatile greeting you'll use is "bonjour."

You can say bonjour to anyone at any time, from morning until late afternoon. It's always polite and safe. When evening arrives, you switch to "bonsoir."

Think of it as the evening version of bonjour. If you're with friends or people your own age, you can use a more casual greeting.

Salut is informal, like saying "hi" or "hey" in English. It's best used with people you know well. Interestingly, you can also use salut to say "bye."

Politeness is important in French culture. Three phrases will carry you a long way in everyday situations. The first is for showing gratitude.

When you need to ask for something, use "s'il vous plaît."

And if you need to get someone's attention or apologize for bumping into them, "excusez-moi" is the phrase you're looking for.

After greeting someone, it's natural to ask how they are doing. The standard way to do this is with a simple question.

A common and positive response is just as simple.

Finally, when it's time to leave, the most common way to say goodbye is "au revoir."

This literally means "until we see again" and can be used in almost any situation, whether formal or informal. Now, let's practice these essential phrases.

Time to check your knowledge.

With these phrases, you have the basic tools to start and end a simple, polite conversation in French.