Greetings – Senegalese Style

Greetings are the backbone of any conversation in Senegal. Do you need to take a taxi or buy something at a store? Don’t launch into business right away…first start with wishing the person a good day and ask them how they are. It can quickly go back and forth as follows: Bonjour! Ça va? Ça va bien, merci. Ça va? Ça va. Once you have the pleasantries on the table, it’s then considered polite to attend to other needs. If you know the person and/or see them on a regular basis you wouldn’t just stop with the back and forth Ça va-ing. After the initial greetings above, you would ask about one’s family, then their mother and father. Maybe then move on to their job and ?? Obviously your French or Wolof (local dialect) needs to be at a certain level to accomplish the additional greetings, but you need to make an effort and attempt the basics. And, people will say everything is fine – even if it’s not! Here are a few things to keep in mind: If you don’t greet a Senegalese person properly, they will consider you rude. If you greet them earlier in the day, and then see them later in the same day, greet them again. They consider it insulting if you don’t!

*And yes, I'm feeling much better. Thanks everyone!