Meaning
A farewell wishing someone a pleasant evening.
Cultural Background
In France, it is considered rude to leave a small shop without saying 'Bonne soirée' (or 'Bonne journée' during the day). It is a mandatory social acknowledgement. Quebecers use 'Bonne soirée' similarly, but you might hear 'Bonne fin de soirée' more frequently even earlier in the night. In Belgium, the distinction is the same, but the accent might make 'soirée' sound slightly longer on the final vowel. Swiss French speakers are very formal with their greetings; 'Je vous souhaite une excellente soirée' is very common in shops.
The 6 PM Rule
Switch from 'Bonne journée' to 'Bonne soirée' around 6:00 PM, or whenever it starts getting dark.
Arrival vs Departure
If you say 'Bonne soirée' when arriving, people will think you are in a huge rush to leave!
Meaning
A farewell wishing someone a pleasant evening.
The 6 PM Rule
Switch from 'Bonne journée' to 'Bonne soirée' around 6:00 PM, or whenever it starts getting dark.
Arrival vs Departure
If you say 'Bonne soirée' when arriving, people will think you are in a huge rush to leave!
Add 'à vous'
Adding 'à vous' (to you) makes it sound much more professional and polite: 'Bonne soirée à vous'.
Test Yourself
You are leaving a restaurant at 9:00 PM. What do you say to the waiter?
Choose the best phrase:
'Bonne soirée' is the correct farewell for the evening.
Complete the phrase with the correct form of 'good'.
_______ soirée !
'Soirée' is feminine singular, so it requires 'Bonne'.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
1. Arriving at 7 PM 2. Leaving at 7 PM
Bonsoir = Hello (Evening), Bonne soirée = Goodbye (Evening).
Complete the dialogue.
A: Au revoir, bonne soirée ! B: Merci, _______ aussi !
All these are valid ways to say 'you too'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
French Time Wishes
Morning
- • Bonne matinée
Day
- • Bonne journée
Evening
- • Bonne soirée
Practice Bank
4 exercisesChoose the best phrase:
'Bonne soirée' is the correct farewell for the evening.
_______ soirée !
'Soirée' is feminine singular, so it requires 'Bonne'.
1. Arriving at 7 PM 2. Leaving at 7 PM
Bonsoir = Hello (Evening), Bonne soirée = Goodbye (Evening).
A: Au revoir, bonne soirée ! B: Merci, _______ aussi !
All these are valid ways to say 'you too'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt's a bit early. Usually, we say 'Bonne fin d'après-midi' or 'Bonne fin de journée' until about 6 PM.
'Soir' is the point in time (the evening). 'Soirée' is the duration or the experience of the evening.
Yes, it is perfectly neutral and polite for a professional setting.
The most common response is 'Merci, vous aussi !' (formal) or 'Merci, toi aussi !' (informal).
Because 'soirée' is a feminine noun, so the adjective must agree in gender.
Yes, it's a very common way to end an informal or semi-formal email sent in the evening.
It's not better, just more stylistic and 'chic'. 'Bonne soirée' is more standard.
Yes, you can say 'Bonne soirée à tous !' or 'Bonne soirée tout le monde !'.
At 11 PM, it's better to say 'Bonne fin de soirée' or 'Bonne nuit' if they are going home to sleep.
Yes, it is used throughout the French-speaking world, including Quebec, Belgium, and Switzerland.
Related Phrases
Bonne journée
similarHave a good day
Bonne nuit
similarGood night
Bonsoir
contrastGood evening (Hello)
Bonne fin de journée
similarHave a good end of the day
