au revoir chéri
The English phrase bye sweetheart is translated into French as au revoir chéri.
This phrase is used to say goodbye to a romantic partner or a loved one.
Which one should you use?
The word for sweetheart changes based on the gender of the person you are addressing: use chéri when speaking to a man and chérie when speaking to a woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to a woman, you must add an 'e' to the end of the word for sweetheart, resulting in au revoir chérie.
Did you know?
- French has many 'animal' terms of endearment, such as mon petit chou or ma puce, which can replace chéri to sound more playful.
- The word chéri is not originally French but traces its roots back to Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, meaning 'law' or 'religious path'.
- Addressing a stranger in a shop as chéri or chérie is often viewed as highly condescending or inappropriately flirtatious.
Examples in context
- Au revoir chéri, je t'aime.Goodbye sweetheart, I love you.
- Au revoir chéri, passe une bonne journée.Goodbye sweetheart, have a good day.
Example conversation
Emma is leaving for work while Nathan stays at home.
- EmmaJe pars maintenant, au revoir chéri !I'm leaving now, bye sweetheart!
- NathanBonne journée, Emma !Have a good day, Emma!
- EmmaMerci, on se voit tout à l'heure.Thanks, I'll see you later.
- NathanÀ plus tard, je t'aime.See you later, I love you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chéri, revoir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
