Greetings are very important to the modern French language and to Francophone culture. They form a key part of French politesse (politeness), a set of social codes that are important to follow in order to be respectful and welcoming of other people in the language and culture.
In fact, greetings in French differ a lot based on their level of formality, who you’re talking to, your location, and where you are in France or other Francophone countries.
It’s important when learning French or visiting France to be aware of the different greetings, so that you can appropriately communicate with different people and in different settings. This will be one of the first and most important steps to fluency.
Coucou is one of the most interesting and friendly French greetings, and it is one of my favorite greetings for the warm, fuzzy impression it gives.
But when and where should you use coucou? What does coucou mean? Can you say coucou to everyone you meet? No fear, read on to find out more about Coucou in French and other informal ways to say hello!
What is Coucou in French?
The word coucou in French is used to greet people, and often translates as “hi” or “hey” in English. It is quite an informal greeting in French, typically used amongst friends and family members. It can sometimes be used with colleagues in more casual environments, but never with acquaintances or other people you don’t know very well.
Coucou differs from other informal French greetings such as “salut” in the fact that it’s a bit sweeter and more endearing. It is reserved not just for friends, but often our closest friends, allowing you to greet your most loved ones in a warm and fuzzy way.
Coucou was originally used as a sound to imitate the cuckoo bird, and is used as a French equivalent for the English peek-a-boo. You may see French parents and loved ones hiding behind their hands and shouting coucou as they appear before a kid’s eyes.
But, today, coucou has gone beyond its original usage, and now is one of the most common French greetings. That said, due to its original meaning, some people in France associate coucou with being a childish and overly informal greeting, and may steer clear of its use.
Though coucou is widely used by all French speakers, it is more commonly used by young people than older people. Coucou is also especially common in the Paris region, and is a great greeting to try out if you’re visiting.
It is perhaps also more common amongst women, rather than men. It is a bit more uncommon to hear two men use coucou with each other, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t!
If someone says coucou to you, the best response back would be to say coucou! If you don’t feel so comfortable using this word, you can easily respond with salut or ça va, which we’ll cover in more detail below!
Coucou vs bonjour
Bonjour is, of course, the most famous and widely known French greeting. It translates as “good day” or “hello”, and is the most common way of greeting someone in France and other Francophone countries during the daytime (in the evening, you should use bonsoir).
Bonjour can be used in both formal and informal settings, and is used amongst strangers, acquaintances, friends and family.
Alternatively, coucou is more informal than bonjour, and is often seen as being a warmer and friendlier greeting.
While you may use bonjour with more distant family or with friends that you’re not as close with, coucou can be used with your closest friends and family as a more casual and endearing way of saying hello.
Other informal ways to say hello in French
Salut
Salut is another informal way of saying hello in French, and is the most common way of informally greeting someone. Like coucou, it commonly translates as “hey” or “hi”.
Salut is commonly used between friends, family and colleagues, no matter the time of day. Though informal, it is not as informal or warm as coucou, and can be used amongst a wide range of informal situations and acquaintances.
You can also say salut as an informal way to wish someone goodbye, used in the same manner and same settings as you would use it to say hello.
Wesh
Wesh has its origins in Arabic, coming from the Arabic phrase “wech rak?”, which means “how are you?”. The phrase originated out of French-Arab communities in the south of France, and translates into English as something like “yo” or “what’s up?”. It’s one of many modern French phrases that originated from Arabic.
Wesh is typically used among young people in a very casual manner, and is not something you’ll learn at school or in most French classes. It is much more casual than salut and coucou, and shouldn’t be used at work or with older family members.
Quoi de neuf?
This phrase translates literally as “what’s new?” and can be used to informally greet friends and friendly acquaintances, similar to saying “hey”.
Quoi de neuf? is most commonly used amongst young people in a variety of settings, but is less used amongst older people or between people of different generations.
Ça va?
Ça va? is an informal way of asking “how are you?”. It typically follows one of the informal greetings in French above, but can sometimes be used as a greeting in its own right.
This phrase can be used amongst a range of friends and family, and also at work and with more casual acquaintances.
Typical responses to the question include ça va (it’s going alright), pas mal (not bad), and ça va bien (it’s going well).
The longer and more formal version of ça va? is comment ça va?, which is a better choice for older people or more senior colleagues, at least until they invite you to speak in a more casual way.
Ça roule?
Ça roule? is another informal way of saying hi in French. The phrase translates literally as “is it rolling?”, and is used to mean “how are things?” or “how’s it going?”.
Similar to quoi de neuf?, it is very informal and is only really used amongst young people. Don’t say this one to your boss or an older person on the local bus!
Tiens
When you’re surprised to see someone, or when you haven’t seen someone in a long time, you can use the exclamation tiens. It best translates as “there you are” or “there they are”.
You may run into an old friend in a train station, or you may have missed your favorite work colleague for a few hours in the office. These are both great scenarios to exclaim “tiens, Jean” (of course substitute your friend’s name in here!).
La Bise
One of the loveliest and most common French greetings is in fact a silent one, known as the famous bise, or kiss. No words required for this one, just air kisses on the cheek of the person you’re greeting.
Depending on your relation to the person and where in France or the world you are, bises can range from one to three in number. In the north of France, two kisses are more common, whereas the south tends to give three bises.
Conclusion
Coucou is an informal French greeting, used to mean “hey” or “hi” in interactions with people you’re close to or with other friendly acquaintances. It implies a warm and endearing message, expressing happiness and emotional closeness.
Here’s a neat list to summarize the greetings above.
| French | English |
| Coucou | Hey (informal) |
| Bonjour | Hello (formal and informal) |
| Salut | Hi (informal) |
| Wesh | Yo |
| Quoi de neuf? | What’s new? |
| Ça va? | How are you? |
| Ça roule? | How’s it going? |
| Tiens | There you are |
And that’s a wrap! Now you know what coucou means in French, plus other informal ways to say hello. Hopefully, you can use it to impress your French friends. Au revoir!