French word

saluer

Pronunciation

IPA/salɥe/

Meaning

  • verbgreet

Example

Je vais saluer mon voisin.

I'm going to greet my neighbor.

Illustration for saluer (greet)

More examples

Elle aime saluer ses voisins le matin.

She likes to greet her neighbors in the morning.

Core concept

A person marks respect by addressing someone or making a polite greeting gesture.

Common phrases

  • saluer quelqu'un

    greet someone

  • se saluer

    greet each other

  • saluer de la main

    wave

Similar words

dire bonjour: Say hello or hi to someone as a greeting.
faire la bise: Show friendliness by greeting someone with light kisses on the cheeks.
serrer la main: Show respect by greeting someone with a brief handshake.

Definition in French

Dire bonjour ou faire un geste cérémoniel envers quelqu'un pour marquer la politesse ou le respect.

Word origin

French saluer comes through Old French from Latin salutare, derived from salus meaning health or safety.

Usage tips

  • Saluer takes the person greeted as a direct object, as in saluer mon voisin, not with a preposition before the person.

Other meanings

  • saluteverb
  • praiseverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word