sien jou later
sien jou later is the Afrikaans way to say see you later.
Meaning: goodbye (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal word-for-word translation of the English expression: sien means see, jou means you and later means later.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
sien jou later is used in informal or casual settings, such as among friends and acquaintances.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a grammatically correct shortened version of Ek sien jou later (I will see you later), which omits the subject and the auxiliary verb.
Did you know?
- The word sien comes from the Proto-Indo-European root sekʷ, which meant not just to see but also to follow or notice.
- Although sien jou later is a literal translation of the English, it is quite rare to hear it used as a standard goodbye in most Afrikaans-speaking circles. People are much more likely to use the word totsiens or a simple dag.
- While sien jou later is a direct translation of English, the more traditional Afrikaans farewell is totsiens, which literally means 'until sight'.
Examples in context
- Sien jou later, my vriend.See you later, my friend.
- Ek moet nou gaan, sien jou later!I have to go now, see you later!
- Sien jou later by die huis.See you later at the house.
Example conversation
Stefan and Liezel are leaving a coffee shop.
- StefanDit was lekker om jou te sien, Liezel.It was nice to see you, Liezel.
- LiezelSien jou later, Stefan!See you later, Stefan!
- StefanSien jou later.See you later.
- LiezelTotsiens.Goodbye.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “see you later” translations and entries sien jou later, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jou, sien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
