Salutations
Primary 2 · French
Salutations
Lesson 2 of 4
15 min
It is 12 h 30. School is over. Byiringiro takes his bag.
Madame Umutoni smiles. She says « Bon après-midi ! ». What does she mean?
When you leave, say Au revoir. Then add a kind wish. The wish changes with the time.
| You leave… | Say… | It means… |
|---|---|---|
| 🌅 in the morning | Bonne journée ! | Have a nice day! |
| ☀️ at midday | Bon après-midi ! | Have a nice afternoon! |
| 🌇 in the evening | Bonne soirée ! | Have a nice evening! |
| 🌙 at bedtime | Bonne nuit ! | Sleep well! |
In Kinyarwanda you do this too: Mwirirwe ! in the day, Muramuke ! in the evening.
Madame Umutoni : « Au revoir, Byiringiro. Bon après-midi ! »
Byiringiro : « Merci, madame. Vous aussi ! »
Uwase : « Salut, Byiringiro ! Bon après-midi ! »
Byiringiro : « Merci, toi aussi ! À demain ! »
Someone wishes you a nice day? Say thank you. Then wish it back!
Monsieur Gatete : « Au revoir, Byiringiro. Bonne soirée ! »
Byiringiro : « Merci, monsieur. Vous aussi ! »
Maman : « Byiringiro, au lit ! Bonne nuit ! »
Byiringiro : « Bonne nuit, maman ! »
Au lit ! means to bed!
Say bonjour. The on sound goes into your nose. You do not say the n.
Now say bonne nuit. This time you hear the n: bo-nne.
Play the door game with a big person. They walk to the door at 7 h, then at 19 h, then at bedtime.
You say the right wish. They answer « Merci, toi aussi ! ». Then swap.
Tip
Wish for what is coming. In the morning, the whole day is coming: Bonne journée ! In the evening, the evening is coming: Bonne soirée !
Say or write your answer first, then tap Show answer to check.
🌅 It is 7 h. Papa leaves for work. What do you wish him?
Answer: Bonne journée, papa !
🌇 It is 18 h. Your friend Ishimwe goes home. What can you say?
Answer: Bonne soirée, Ishimwe ! (Salut, à demain ! is good too.)
Madame Umutoni says « Bon après-midi ! ». What do you answer?
Answer: Merci, madame. Vous aussi !
Bon or bonne? … nuit
Answer: Bonne nuit. You hear the n.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each wish to its meaning.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
