Keen to introduce your child to French? These French flashcards focus on basic greetings that children could actually use if they ever meet French speakers.
We have made these after watching kids get frustrated with those complicated language apps. Sometimes simple is better. Each card shows one greeting with a picture that helps kids understand when they might use it.
These aren’t your usual complicated cards. Their clean, simple design helps children:
- Feel less nervous about trying French words
- Learn some politeness in another language
- Connect words to real situations they know
- Recognize French when they hear it somewhere
French isn’t just a school subject. It’s a way to connect with millions of people who speak it every day.
Images
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Eight Basic Greetings
Instead of giving kids fifty cards they’ll never use, this set has eight greetings that come up most often. Each one connects to something kids already do.
- Bonjour – Morning hello at school. When kids see their teacher or friends first thing in the morning.
- Bonsoir – Evening hello at home. Good for family dinners or when dad comes home from work.
- Salut – Casual hi with friends. The easy way kids say hello during recess or at the park.
- Bonne nuit – Goodnight. For bedtime with family or even saying goodnight to stuffed animals.
- Enchanté(e) – Nice to meet you. Helps kids learn to introduce themselves politely.
- Au revoir – Goodbye. For when kids leave school or when friends have to go home.
- À bientôt – See you soon. For when kids know they’ll see someone again tomorrow.
- Ça va bien, merci – I’m good, thank you. Helps kids learn how to respond politely when someone asks how they are.
Simple Design
These cards try to avoid the usual problems with flashcards. The pictures are clear and show exactly when kids might use each greeting. Nothing fancy or confusing.
- Clear Pictures: Each image shows when to use the greeting. No random cartoons or weird artwork.
- Just Eight Cards: Enough to be useful, not so many that kids give up.
- Tested with Real Kids: A few families tried these to make sure they actually worked.
- Built to Last: Laminated because kids spill juice and drop things.
- Teaches Manners: Besides learning words, these focus on being polite and respectful.
Ways to Practice
- Morning Routine: Stick one card on the bathroom mirror where kids will see it while brushing teeth. Some parents do this and say their kids start saying “Bonjour” instead of grumbling in the morning.
- Car Rides: Keep them in the car for when kids get bored during errands or trips to soccer practice.
- Family Dinners: Try having everyone use one French greeting before eating. Makes dinner a little more interesting.
- Bedtime: Kids can say “Bonne nuit” to their stuffed animals or pets as part of their bedtime routine.
Interesting Flashcard Games That Work
- Quick Grab Game: Spread all the cards face-up on the kitchen table. Call out the English meaning like “Good morning” and see who can grab the right French card first. Kids love racing each other, and the physical movement helps them remember better. You can make it more challenging by calling out situations instead – like “What do you say when you meet someone new?”
- Story Circle: Sit in a circle and start telling a made-up story. Each person adds one sentence, but they have to use a different French greeting somewhere in their part of the story. It gets pretty silly – like “The princess said ‘Bonjour’ to the dragon” or “The superhero told the villain ‘Au revoir’ before flying away.” Kids remember the greetings better when they’re part of funny stories they create together.
- French Detective: When you’re out running errands, kids become detectives listening for French greetings. At the grocery store, coffee shop, or restaurant, they try to spot when someone says “Bonjour” or “Merci.” When they hear it, they get excited like they’ve found hidden treasure. This works especially well in areas where French is spoken, but even French words in movies or overheard conversations count.
- Phone Practice: Give kids old cell phones or toy phones and have them practice calling different people. They might call grandma, their teacher, or a friend, but every call has to start with a French greeting. Kids love pretending to be grown-ups making important phone calls. You can even have them practice different greetings depending on who they’re “calling” – formal greetings for the doctor, casual ones for friends.
- Musical Greetings: Spread the cards on the floor and play music while kids dance around them. When you stop the music, they have to quickly grab the nearest card and use that French greeting with someone in the room. The fun part is they never know which greeting they’ll get, so they might end up saying “Bonne nuit” in the middle of the afternoon, which makes everyone laugh.
- Restaurant Game: Set up a pretend restaurant in your living room using chairs and maybe a tablecloth. Kids take turns being the server and the customer. Every interaction has to start with a French greeting – the server says “Bonjour” when customers arrive, customers say “Enchanté” when meeting the server, and everyone says “Au revoir” when leaving. You can extend this by having them practice multiple greetings in one game session.
Want to expand their vocabulary further? Check out our Clothes Flashcards for Kids to build everyday words they use in conversations.
Why Pictures Help Kids
Kids usually learn better when they can see what words mean. When they see the school gate picture with “Bonjour,” they understand it’s for morning time. When they see friends making plans with “À bientôt,” they get that it’s about seeing someone again soon.
These visual connections help words stick in their memory better than just hearing them over and over.
Exploring more languages? Try our Spanish Greetings Flashcards to help kids become confident multilingual speakers from an early age.
What This Really Teaches
French greetings do more than teach vocabulary. They show kids that people around the world have different ways of saying the same friendly things. Learning to greet someone in their language shows respect and interest in their culture.
When kids learn “Bonjour,” they’re also learning that being polite works in any language. That taking time to say hello properly matters to people everywhere.
These cards might help kids understand that the world is full of people who would appreciate someone making an effort to speak their language. Click here to get your printable set of eight easy, kid-friendly greeting cards and start exploring French together!
Printing French Flashcards at Home
Open the PDF file and click print. Set your printer to A4 paper and portrait orientation. Choose “fit to page” so everything prints the right size.
Color printing looks nicer, but black and white works fine too. If you want cards that last longer, print on heavier paper or cardstock. Laminating adds protection against spills and daily handling.
Cut along the border lines and the cards are ready to use.
Learning these simple French greetings is a small step that can lead to meaningful connections with people and cultures worldwide.