When you start learning a new language, the first things you learn are usually basic greetings and expressions of courtesy. In French, this is no different. Let's start with some of the most common greetings in French.
Basic greetings
In French, the most basic greeting you can use is "Bonjour" (Good morning). You can use this greeting in any formal or informal situation during the day. At night, you can say "Bonsoir" (Good night).
If you want to ask how someone is doing, you can say "Comment ça va?" (How are you?). The most common answer to this question is "Ça va" (It's going), but you can also say "Ça va bien" (It's going well) if you're feeling particularly good.
When you say goodbye to someone, you can say "Au revoir" (Goodbye) or "À bientôt" (See you soon). If you are saying goodbye to someone at night, you can say "Bonne nuit" (Good night).
Expressions of courtesy
In addition to these basic greetings, there are also a number of courtesy expressions you can use in French. For example, if you want to say "please", you can say "s'il vous plaît" (if you are speaking formally or with more than one person) or "s'il te plaît" (if you are speaking informally with one person).
If you want to say "thank you", you can say "merci". If you want to say "you're welcome", you can say "de rien".
If you want to apologize, you can say "je suis désolé" (I'm sorry) or "pardon" (I'm sorry). If you want to say "excuse me", you can say "excusez-moi" or "pardon".
These are just some of the most common courtesy expressions in French. As you continue to learn the language, you'll discover many other useful expressions that you can use in different situations.
With practice, you will become more comfortable using these French greetings and expressions of courtesy, and they will become second nature to you. Then, "Bonne chance!" (Good luck!) with your French studies!
