Salut !

Salut is pronounced roughly sa-lu.

A few helpful details:

• The a sounds like the a in father.
• The u is a French u, which does not exist exactly in English. It is made with the tongue position of ee but with rounded lips.
• The final t is usually silent.

So it is approximately sa-lu, not sa-lut.

Salut is informal.

You use it with:

• friends
• family
• classmates
• coworkers in a relaxed setting
• people your own age in casual situations

You generally should not use it in very formal situations, such as:

• with a teacher in a very formal context
• in a job interview
• with a customer, unless the situation is very casual
• with someone you want to address very politely

In formal situations, Bonjour is usually safer.

It can mean both.

Depending on the situation, Salut ! can be:

• Hi!
• Bye!

French often uses the same word for greeting and parting in casual speech, just like English sometimes uses bye casually and hi for greeting.

Use Salut in casual situations and Bonjour in more neutral or polite ones.

A simple rule:

• Salut = hi / casual
• Bonjour = hello / good day / polite or standard

If you are not sure which one to use, Bonjour is usually the safer choice.

Yes. Salut can be used to greet:

• one person
• several people

Unlike some French words, it does not change form for singular or plural in this use.

For example, you can say Salut ! to one friend or to a whole group of friends.

Because Salut ! is a fixed greeting, not a full sentence with a subject and verb.

English does this too:

• Hi!
• Hello!
• Bye!

So even though French often has clear sentence structure, greetings like Salut ! can stand alone.

No, it is not required, but it is very common.

• Salut ! looks lively and natural in many contexts.
• Salut without the exclamation mark is also fine, especially in texting or casual writing.

The exclamation mark mainly affects tone, not meaning.

You can use it in both speaking and writing.

It is very common in:

• text messages
• chats
• informal emails
• social media
• casual spoken conversation

In a formal email or letter, though, Salut is usually too casual.

No. Salut ! works perfectly by itself.

But you can also add a name if you want:

• Salut, Marie !
• Salut, tout le monde !

Adding a name can make it sound more personal or directed to a specific person or group.

No. Even though they look similar, they are not used the same way.

French Salut is a common casual greeting meaning hi or bye.

English salute usually refers to:

• a military gesture
• showing respect
• formally honoring someone

So the resemblance is interesting, but the everyday use is different.