When you meet a person for the first time of the day,
say BONJOUR.
Never say bonjour when you meet a person for the second (or third, or fourth) time of the day because it can be considered rude.
If you say bonjour to someone you’ve already greeted at some point during the same day, it is assumed that you have forgotten.
Saying hello or bonjour to greet someone is a normal and polite thing to do in both English speaking countries and in France, but what should you say or do when you see the same person later in the day if you are not supposed to say bonjour again?
Informal
| Rebonjour | Hi again. |
| Re | (leave off bonjour) |
Rebonjour (or the extremely informal “Re”) is a way to acknowledge that you’ve already seen someone that day while still saying hello. Sometimes you will feel like being more formal.
Formal
| Smile and nod. | (no words are necessary) |
| Bonjour à nouveau. | Hello again. |
