sien jou môre
/sin jœu̯ ˈmɔː.rə/word by word
To say 'see you tomorrow' in Afrikaans, use sien jou môre.
Meaning: see you tomorrow (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
This phrase is a literal translation of 'see you tomorrow': sien means 'see', jou means 'you' and môre means 'tomorrow'.
Which one should you use?
Use sien u môre when you want to be more formal or polite, such as when addressing a stranger or an elder.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Sien jou môre is an informal expression. Because it uses the singular informal pronoun jou, it is appropriate for use with friends, family or peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is an elliptical construction, which means the subject Ek (I) is omitted. This omission is standard practice for casual greetings in Afrikaans.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /sin jœu̯ ˈmɔː.rə/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word môre comes from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to blink' or 'twinkle'. This ancient connection links the idea of 'tomorrow' to the first glimmer of dawn.
- In Afrikaans, môre can mean both 'tomorrow' and 'morning'. To specify 'tomorrow morning', speakers say môre-oggend.
- In some casual South African contexts, sien jou might be replaced by the English 'see you' or 'cheers' due to the high level of multilingualism in the region.
Examples in context
- Sien jou môre.See you tomorrow.This sentence shows how to use sien jou môre as a standalone parting phrase.Tatoeba #9141069 by Monde, translation #497969 by CM
- Tot môre, alles goed!See you tomorrow, all is well!
- Sien jou môre by die skool.See you tomorrow at school.
- Ek sien jou môre.I will see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Johan and Marelize are leaving work for the day.
- JohanMooi loop, Marelize.Go well, Marelize.
- MarelizeDankie Johan, sien jou môre.Thanks Johan, see you tomorrow.
- JohanJa, sien jou môre.Yes, see you tomorrow.
- MarelizeTotsiens.Goodbye.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sien, jou, môre) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jou, môre, sien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
