School gate chit chat: Typical phrases and vocab

💬 The all-purpose polite hello. Use it any time of day, though especially in the morning and daytime.

🇫🇷 In France, saying bonjour first is social magic. At the school gate, starting with it feels polite and friendly.

💬 More casual than bonjour. Best with people you already know a little.

🇫🇷 At the school gate, parents often move from bonjour to salut once they see each other regularly.

💬 A super common informal check-in. You can answer with Ça va, bien merci or just Ça va.

🇫🇷 French small talk loves short formulas. At pickup, this is often more a friendly ritual than a deep question.

💬 A safe, natural answer to Ça va ?. You can also say Très bien, merci.

🇫🇷 Even brief politeness counts a lot in everyday French interactions, especially with other parents you see often.

💬 Literally 'until later.' In speech, people often shorten it to À plus !

🇫🇷 Very handy at the school gate, since you'll probably see the same parents again soon.

💬 Simple and common when you'll definitely see the person the next day.

🇫🇷 French school routines are regular, so this phrase feels very natural between parents.

💬 A standard polite goodbye in daytime. In the evening, switch to Bonne soirée.

🇫🇷 A warm but neutral closing phrase—perfect if you're friendly but not close yet.

💬 Uses vous, the polite/plural 'you.' Safe with adults you don't know well.

🇫🇷 A normal way to start chatting at the gate, especially in the first weeks of school.

💬 Le portail is the gate. J'attends = 'I'm waiting.' The apostrophe in J'attends replaces je before a vowel.

🇫🇷 The portail is a key school-life word in France—lots of parent conversations happen right there.