Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| إِلَى اللِّقَاء | ʔilā l-liqāʔ |
| أَرَاكَ لَاحِقًا | ʔarāka lāḥiqan |
| إِلَى اللِّقَاء قَرِيبًا | ʔilā l-liqāʔ qarīban |
These phrases are all used to say goodbye. You might use a standard form to signal a formal departure or a more literal translation to express the intent of seeing someone again soon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase إِلَى اللِّقَاء is composed of the preposition إِلَى meaning "until" or "to" and the noun اللِّقَاء meaning "the meeting" or "the encounter".
Which one should you use?
إِلَى اللِّقَاء translates to "until the meeting" and serves as a standard way to say goodbye. In contrast, أَرَاكَ لَاحِقًا is a more literal translation of the English phrase "I will see you later".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
إِلَى اللِّقَاء is the most common way to say goodbye in formal or standard Arabic (MSA) settings. The informal options include using نشوفك or dialect-specific forms like أشوفك (addressing a male) or أشوفكِ (addressing a female).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase أَرَاكَ لَاحِقًا, the verb أَرَاكَ is conjugated for a single male listener. To address a female, you must change the phrase to أَرَاكِ لَاحِقًا (arāki lāḥiqan). In informal speech, the word بعدين can be used to mean "later" or "afterwards".
How do you pronounce it?
ʔilā l-liqāʔ
Did you know?
- In some Levantine dialects, instead of 'see you later', people might say بنشوفك (we will see you), using the 'we' form even if it is just one person speaking.
- In some Gulf dialects, you might hear نشوفك على خير, which adds the phrase 'on goodness' to the 'see you' part of the goodbye.
- When saying goodbye, it is common to combine إِلَى اللِّقَاء with a prayer for the other person, such as في أمان الله, meaning 'in the protection of God'.
Examples in context
- شُكْرًا جَزِيلًا، إِلَى اللِّقَاء.shukran jazilan, ila al-liqa.Thank you very much, see you later.
Example conversation
Yusuf and Layla are leaving a coffee shop.
- يوسف Youssefشُكْرًا عَلَى الْوَقْتِ، لَيْلَى.shukran 'ala al-waqt, Layla.Thanks for the time, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaعَفْوًا، يُوسُف. إِلَى اللِّقَاء.'afwan, Yusuf. ila al-liqa.You're welcome, Yusuf. See you later.
- يوسف Youssefإِلَى اللِّقَاء قَرِيبًا.ila al-liqa qariban.See you soon.
- ليلى Laylaمَعَ السَّلَامَة.ma'a as-salama.Goodbye.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “see you later” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
