What is bonsoir?

As an AI language model, I can provide the following information about "bonsoir":

1. Bonsoir is a French word that is most commonly used as a greeting or farewell in the evening or at night. It is the equivalent of "good evening" or "goodnight" in English.

2. The word "bonsoir" is derived from the French words "bon" and "soir", which means "good" and "evening".

3. In French culture, it is considered polite to greet someone with "bonsoir" when meeting them in the evening, especially if it is after 6 pm.

4. Bonsoir can also be used as an expression of farewell or a way to sign off from a conversation or meeting in the evening.

5. The pronunciation of "bonsoir" in French is "bohn-swahr", with a silent "n" in the middle.

6. It is important to note that bonsoir is more formal than simply saying "salut" (hello) or "au revoir" (goodbye) in French.

7. The term bonsoir is also used in other French speaking countries such as Canada, Switzerland, and African countries where French is an official language.