au revoir
/o ʁə.vwaʁ/
The English phrase "good bye" is translated into French as au revoir.
au revoir is a common expression used when leaving someone to indicate that you will see them again. Other ways to depart include wishing someone a good time with bonne journée (have a good day) or bonne soirée (have a good evening), or indicating when you will see them again with à bientôt (see you soon) and à plus tard (see you later).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase au revoir literally translates to "to the re-seeing".
Which one should you use?
While au revoir is the standard way to say goodbye, salut is used among friends and is much more casual. For a much more heavy, formal or permanent way to say goodbye, which often implies you will never see the person again, use adieu.
How do you pronounce it?
/o ʁə.vwaʁ/
Did you know?
- The concept of 'until we see each other again' is so common across the globe that au revoir shares a similar logic with the Arabic إلى اللقاء.
- In very formal French settings, it is common to accompany au revoir with a slight nod or a handshake, as omitting a physical or visual acknowledgment can be seen as abrupt.
- While au revoir is the standard goodbye, its cognate in Italian, arrivederci, actually translates to 'until we see each other again', sharing a very similar logic of future reunion.
Examples in context
- À bientôt, mon amiSee you soon, my friend
- À plus tard, Marie!See you later, Marie!
- Au revoir, à demain !Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
- Je m'en vais, au revoir tout le monde.I'm leaving, goodbye everyone.
- Il a dit au revoir avant de partir.He said goodbye before leaving.
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are finishing their coffee at a cafe.
- HugoC'était très sympa de te voir, Léa.It was very nice to see you, Léa.
- LéaMoi aussi, Hugo. Au revoir !Me too, Hugo. Goodbye!
- HugoAu revoir, passe une bonne soirée.Goodbye, have a good evening.
- LéaMerci, toi aussi !Thanks, you too!
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.
