salut
/sa.ly/
The English phrase 'bye' can be translated into French as salut.
salut is an informal way to say goodbye among friends, similar to 'bye' or 'bye-bye'. Interestingly, this same word can also be used to mean 'hello'.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Which one should you use?
While salut is used in casual settings, au revoir is the standard, more polite way to say goodbye. For a more formal or somber sense of 'farewell', one might use adieu.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
salut is an informal term used with friends. For more polite or standard situations, use au revoir or use the formal adieu to convey a sense of finality or a somber tone.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.ly/
When do people say it?
In France, when saying goodbye to friends or close acquaintances, people often use the informal term bisous, which means 'kisses'. Other casual ways to depart include à plus or à plus tard, both meaning 'see you later' or 'until later'.
Did you know?
- The word salut is also used as a noun meaning 'salvation' in a religious or spiritual context.
- While salut is used for friends, a casual goodbye in France is often accompanied by la bise, the custom of kissing both cheeks.
- The word salut shares the same root as the English word 'salute'. Both originate from the Latin word for 'health' or 'wellness', turning a greeting into a wish for the other person's well-being.
Examples in context
- Je dois y aller maintenant. Salut !I have to go now. Bye!This sentence shows how to use salut when you need to leave.Tatoeba #11165612 by lbdx, translation #2093311 by gleki
- Bon, il est temps que je file. Salut !Well, it's time for me to run off. Bye!This sentence demonstrates using salut when it is time to depart.Tatoeba #5661693 by Yemana, translation #5661505 by marcj794
- Salut !Bye!This sentence shows the standalone use of salut.Tatoeba #509819 by Aiji, translation #647456 by Hans07
- Merci pour votre aide. Au revoir!Thank you for your help. Goodbye!
- Au revoir, madame. À la prochaine réunion!Goodbye, madam. Until the next meeting!
- Je vous souhaite bonne chance. Adieu.I wish you good luck. Farewell.
- Adieu, monsieur. Nous ne nous reverrons peut-être plus.Farewell, sir. Perhaps we won't see each other again.
- Salut, on se voit demain.Bye, see you tomorrow.
- Salut les gars, à plus tard !Hey guys, see you later!
- J'y vais. À plus !I'm leaving. See you later!
- Bonne soirée. À plus tard !Have a good evening. See you later!
- Allez, tchao ! On se voit ce soir.Alright, bye! See you tonight.
- Bon, je m'en vais maintenant. Bisous à toi !Well, I'm leaving now. Kisses to you!
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are leaving a cafe.
- EmmaOn y va ? Salut !Shall we go? Bye!
- HugoOui, à demain, Emma.Yes, see you tomorrow, Emma.
- EmmaSalut, Hugo !Bye, Hugo!
- HugoÀ plus tard !See you later!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries salut, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
