Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tot straks | ||
| tot zo | /tɔt zoː/ (word by word) | |
| tot ziens! | ||
| tot direct | /tɔt diˈrɛkt/ (word by word) | Flanders |
These phrases are all used as ways to say goodbye when you expect to see the person again in the near future. While they all translate to various forms of "see you soon," the specific timing of the next meeting changes which one you should pick.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase tot straks, the word tot means "until".
Which one should you use?
The choice of phrase depends on how much time will pass before you meet again. Use tot zo if you expect to see the person very shortly, typically within minutes or an hour. Use tot straks if the meeting will happen later in the same day, but not immediately.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Flanders (Belgium), you may hear the regional variation tot direct, which means "see you in a moment."
How does it change in a sentence?
To make your farewell sound more natural and conversational in spoken Dutch, you can add the word dan (then) to the end of the phrase, as in tot straks dan.
Did you know?
- If you are using tot direct in Belgium, you are using a word borrowed from French, reflecting the multilingual history of the region.
- While tot ziens is the standard 'goodbye', the word ziens is actually a noun form of the verb 'to see'. Literally, you are saying 'until the seeing'.
- The phrase tot ziens is often shortened in very casual settings to just doei or ciao, making the full phrase feel significantly more polite or distant.
Examples in context
- Tot ziens!See you soon!This is a simple way to say "See you soon!" using tot ziens!Tatoeba #397248 by Dorenda, translation #32672 by CK
- Tot straks dan.See you soon then.This shows how to use tot straks in a natural conversational way by adding dan.Tatoeba #9637171 by megamanenm, translation #8472260 by shekitten
- We hebben nog steeds veel plezier! Tot straks!We're still having a lot of fun! See you soon!
- Ik moet gaan. Tot zo!I have to go. See you soon!
- Bedankt voor uw tijd. Tot binnenkort!Thank you for your time. See you soon!
- Het was prettig om met u te spreken. Tot gauw!It was nice speaking with you. See you soon!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daan and Sophie are colleagues taking a short break.
- DaanIk loop even naar de koffieautomaat.I'm just walking to the coffee machine.
- SophieNeem je een kopje voor mij mee?Will you bring a cup for me?
- DaanJa hoor, tot straks!Yes, see you soon!
- SophieBedankt, Daan!Thanks, Daan!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “see you soon” translations and entries tot straks, tot zo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (tot, zo, direct) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries direct, straks, tot, zo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
