Bonjour, tu es mon ami.

Hello, you are my friend.

Breakdown of Bonjour, tu es mon ami.

• bonjour: hello
• être: to be
• tu: you
• mon: my
• l'ami: the friend

Questions & Answers about Bonjour, tu es mon ami.

Why does the sentence start with Bonjour?

Bonjour is a common French greeting meaning "Hello" or "Good day." It’s typically used in the morning or early afternoon, but can also be used any time of day in a polite or somewhat formal context.

Is it always correct to use tu instead of vous?

In French, tu is the informal singular "you," used with friends, family, or someone your own age in casual situations. Vous is the formal or plural "you," used in polite contexts or when speaking to more than one person. In this sentence, tu is appropriate because it expresses familiarity (talking to a friend).

Why do we say mon ami instead of ma ami?

In French, pronouns and adjectives change according to the gender of the noun. Ami is a masculine noun, so the possessive adjective needs to match in gender: mon for masculine "my friend." If it were a feminine noun like amie, you would say mon amie (note that mon is also used before a vowel, even for feminine nouns).

How do you pronounce Bonjour, tu es mon ami?

A simple phonetic breakdown is:

• Bonjour -> /bohn-zhoor/
• tu es -> /tyoo ay/ (some speakers might say /tü e/)
• mon ami -> /mohn ah-mee/

Can I leave out tu es and just say mon ami?

Not if you want the same meaning. Tu es mon ami explicitly states "You are my friend." If you just say mon ami, it translates to "my friend" without the verb. It could sound abrupt or incomplete in many contexts.