Finding Familiarity
Or the unexpected joy of a simple salutation
Hello friends!
There are many ways to say hello and goodbye in French.
Bonjour and au revoir (hello and goodbye) may be the most known to non-French speakers, and are your most formal options. A simple bonjour as you enter a shop and an au revoir as you leave will go a long way in establishing a rapport with anyone in Paris.
Then you have salut, which is less formal than the above options. It’s also used interchangeably often with ciao, which is indeed Italian, not French. Both terms can be used to mean "hi” or “bye”.
My personal favorite way to say hi is coucou, a term used with people you know and have an established relationship with. It’s endearing and just fun to say.
To say “see you later”, you have even more options, including but not limited to: à toute a l’heure, à plus tard, à bientôt (technically “see you soon”), and à la prochaine (till next time).
That last one is my personal favorite. While they all indicate a later meeting, à la prochaine feels more intentional to me, perhaps less indefinite than the other options. It implies that there will be a next meeting, something more concrete than the less exact “later”. There’s a certain familiarity in it that makes me feel a part of something.
Recently, I have found myself changing which salutations I use as I interact with the local vendors in my neighborhood. Though I started with the more formal bonjour, I find myself using the more familiar options more and more as I frequent the same markets, boulangeries, cafés, or other establishments. I see the same people every time I visit, and they are becoming part of my established life here in Paris.
The other day, upon returning from a week in Denver, I went back to my favorite market stand to by produce. I was greeted with the now expected “Bonjour mademoiselle” from the man who always tries to get me to buy melon (I hate melon). I had a brief conversation with him as I loaded up my shopping bag with other fresh produce, which has become our norm.
As I left, he changed up his usual parting message:
“À la prochaine”.
It was simple, but it meant a lot. Having spent a week back in the US, where I felt well-surrounded by people who love me, this tiny statement made me feel like am establishing myself here. I am finding my place, my people, and yes, even my routines (something my ADHD tendencies truly hate).
Since then, I have slowed down to recognize how I greet people or how they greet me. It’s an acknowledgement of our shared humanity — our shared experience trying to navigate this thing called life.
This week, I challenge you to pay attention to the ways you greet the people around you or how they greet you. It’s a little thing, but I have a feeling it could change the way you move about your day. I’d love to hear any stories that come out of it.
À la prochaine,
Melanie