au revoir
/o ʁə.vwaʁ/
In French, 'bye formally' is said as au revoir.
au revoir is the most common and standard way to say goodbye formally in French.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase au revoir literally translates to 'until seeing again'. It is composed of au (to the/until the) and revoir (seeing again).
Which one should you use?
While au revoir is the standard formal choice, salut is a common informal alternative used with friends and family that can mean both 'hi' and 'bye'. For much more significant or emotional occasions, you might use the more heartfelt and formal adieu, which means 'farewell'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /o ʁə.vwaʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
When do people say it?
If you wish to extend the polite parting, you may use bonne journée to wish them a good day or bonne soirée to wish them a good evening.
Did you know?
- In many French shops or bakeries, it is considered impolite to leave without saying au revoir to the staff, even if you did not buy anything.
- While au revoir is the standard polite exit, adieu historically implied a final parting where the speakers might never meet again, often implying 'to God' as a final destination.
- The phrase au revoir is a cognate with the Italian arrivederci and the Romanian la revedere, all stemming from the same Latin root for 'seeing again'.
Examples in context
- J'ai vraiment apprécié notre conversation. Au revoir, Monsieur Dupont.I truly enjoyed our conversation. Goodbye, Mr. Dupont.
- Je pars pour une longue période. Adieu, mes chers amis.I'm leaving for a long period. Farewell, my dear friends.
- Merci pour votre temps. Bonne journée, Madame.Thank you for your time. Have a good day, Madame.
- Au revoir, Monsieur.Goodbye, Sir.
- Au revoir et bonne journée.Goodbye and have a good day.
Example conversation
Hugo is leaving a professional meeting with Léa.
- HugoMerci pour votre aide.Thank you for your help.
- LéaJe vous en prie.You are welcome.
- HugoAu revoir, Madame.Goodbye, Madam.
- LéaAu revoir, Hugo.Goodbye, Hugo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry au revoir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries au revoir, revoir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
