Salut
informal, Quebec
In Quebec you can say goodbye with Salut, Au revoir or the English loan bye, often doubled as bye bye. À la prochaine means "until next time".
Meaning: farewell (interjection)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| Salut | informal, Quebec |
| au revoir | neutral |
| bye | casual, English loan |
| à la prochaine | friendly |
Au revoir is the safe choice for shops, offices and people you do not know well. Salut and bye bye fit friends and family.
Which one should you use?
Salut works both as "hi" and "bye", so the moment you say it tells the listener which one you mean. Bye is very common in Quebec speech even though it comes from English.
How do you pronounce it?
Au revoir sounds like "oh ruh-VWAR". In casual Quebec speech it is often shortened.
Did you know?
- Quebec French often keeps bye in everyday speech and doubles it as bye bye, a habit that is rarely heard in the same way in France.
Examples in context
- Salut, à demain!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Au revoir, madame.Goodbye, madam.
Example conversation
Julie says goodbye to her friend Marc outside a café in Montreal.
- JulieBon, je dois partir.Well, I have to go.
- MarcOk, salut!Ok, bye!
- JulieBye bye, à la prochaine!Bye bye, until next time!
