Neues Konzept

Your first words

A handful of phrases will carry you through your first day in Paris:

French English When
Bonjour ! Hello! / Good morning! All day, to anyone — shops, neighbours, friends
Bonsoir ! Good evening! From early evening onwards
Salut ! Hi! / Bye! Only with friends and people your own age
Ça va ? How are you? / All right? After bonjour or salut, with people you know

The usual answer is Ça va bien, merci. — I'm fine, thanks. Then pass the question back: Et toi ? — And you? (To someone you'd address politely, it's Et vous ?)

To give your name, say Je m'appelle Marina. — My name is Marina (literally “I call myself Marina”). Meeting someone for the first time, say Enchanté ! — Nice to meet you! A woman writes it Enchantée; both sound exactly the same.