Au revoir, à bientôt
The English phrase "goodbye see you soon" is translated into French as Au revoir, à bientôt.
This combination is used when you have a definite or expected intention to meet the person again in the near future.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Au revoir literally translates to "until seeing again" (where au means "to/until" and revoir means "to see again"), while à bientôt literally means "to soon" or "until soon".
Which one should you use?
If you want to say "see you later" instead of "see you soon", you can use À plus tard.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal settings with friends, you can replace the formal Au revoir with Salut. For a more formal way to say "Looking forward to seeing you soon", you can use Au plaisir de vous revoir bientôt.
When do people say it?
A light kiss on each cheek is known as la bise.
Did you know?
- In France, Au revoir is so standard that failing to say it when leaving a shop or bakery can be perceived as a significant social snub or a sign of rudeness.
- In some regions of France, À plus tard is shortened even further to just À plus in texting and speech, where the final 's' is often pronounced for emphasis.
- While 'à bientôt' means 'see you soon', the word 'bientôt' is historically composed of 'bien', meaning 'very', and 'tôt', meaning 'early'.
Examples in context
- Au revoir, à la prochaineGoodbye, until next time
- Salut, à demainBye, see you tomorrow
- Au revoir, monsieur, à bientôt.Goodbye, sir, see you soon.
- C'est fini pour aujourd'hui, au revoir, à bientôt.It's finished for today, goodbye, see you soon.
- Je pars maintenant, au revoir, à bientôt.I am leaving now, goodbye, see you soon.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are leaving a coffee shop after a quick meeting.
- HugoMerci pour le café, Chloé.Thanks for the coffee, Chloé.
- ChloéDe rien, Hugo. Au revoir, à bientôt !You're welcome, Hugo. Goodbye, see you soon!
- HugoOui, à plus tard.Yes, see you later.
- ChloéSalut !Bye!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bientôt, revoir, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
