au revoir, à bientôt
The English phrase "bye, see you soon" is translated into French as au revoir, à bientôt.
This phrase is a friendly way to say goodbye when you expect to see the person again in a short time. You may also encounter Au plaisir de vous revoir to mean "Pleasure to see you again". Other variations include Ciao, à plus for "Bye, see you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase au revoir is a combination of au (to the) and revoir (seeing again), while à bientôt combines à (to/at) and bientôt (soon).
Which one should you use?
While au revoir is a standard goodbye, adding à bientôt specifies that the parting is temporary and a reunion is expected shortly.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal settings with friends or peers, you can replace au revoir with Salut to mean "Bye". The phrase Salut, à bientôt (Hi, see you soon) is used among friends and acquaintances. The word ciao is also popular in French, especially among younger speakers.
Did you know?
- The phrase au revoir is logically a command to 'see again', meaning a French goodbye is technically a request for a future meeting rather than a final parting.
- French has several versions of 'see you soon' depending on the specific time of reunion, such as à tout à l'heure for seeing someone later the same day.
- The word bientôt is built from bien, meaning 'very', and tôt, meaning 'early'.
Examples in context
- Au revoir, à bientôtGoodbye, see you soon
- Au plaisir de vous revoirPleasure to see you again
- Salut, à bientôtHi, see you soon
- Ciao, à plusBye, see you
- Bonne journée, au revoir, à bientôt.Have a good day, bye, see you soon.
- Merci pour tout, au revoir, à bientôt.Thanks for everything, bye, see you soon.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are leaving a coffee shop after meeting.
- ChloéC'était très sympa, Nathan.It was very nice, Nathan.
- NathanOui, merci Chloé. Au revoir, à bientôt !Yes, thanks Chloé. Bye, see you soon!
- ChloéAu revoir, à bientôt !Bye, see you soon!
- NathanSalut !Bye!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bientôt, revoir, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
