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bonsoir

good evening

noun bohn-SWAHR Common
Communication Greetings

Usage Note

Bonsoir is the standard evening greeting, used from roughly late afternoon onward where bonjour would feel odd. It can also serve as a farewell early in the evening, though bonne nuit ('good night') is reserved for bedtime. Unlike bonjour, it is not split across registers — it works in all situations.

Examples

"Bonsoir, comment allez-vous ?"

Natural Translation

Good evening, how are you?

Literal Translation

Good-evening, how go-you?

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