à ce soir
The English phrase "see you tonight" is translated into French as à ce soir.
à ce soir is a casual way to say goodbye to someone you expect to meet again later in the same day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "to this evening". The preposition à is used here to indicate a scheduled point in time for a future meeting.
Which one should you use?
Use à ce soir specifically for a meeting occurring in the evening. If the meeting is occurring much sooner in the same day, use à tout à l'heure (see you in a little bit). If the next meeting is on the following day, use à demain (see you tomorrow).
Did you know?
- In French, the distinction between soir and nuit is so strong that wishing someone bonne soirée means 'have a nice evening' while bonne nuit is used only when someone is actually going to sleep.
- The word soir is actually a linguistic descendant of the Latin word for 'late', specifically from the adjective 'sērus'.
- While à ce soir is used for the evening, French speakers use à plus as a very short, slangy way to say 'see you later' regardless of the time of day.
Examples in context
- À ce soir !See you tonight!This example shows how to use à ce soir as an exclamation.Tatoeba #4737914 by lovasoa, translation #7428274 by MarijnKp
- Alors à ce soir, donc. Tchao !See you tonight, then. Cheers!This example shows a casual way to end a conversation using à ce soir.Tatoeba #1101489 by sacredceltic, translation #39349 by AlanF_US
- À ce soir.See you tonight.This example shows a simple statement using à ce soir.Tatoeba #9764646 by felix63, translation #2648979 by CK
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are leaving the office at the end of the workday.
- EmmaBonne fin d'après-midi, Hugo.Have a good afternoon, Hugo.
- HugoMerci Emma, à ce soir !Thanks Emma, see you tonight!
- EmmaÀ ce soir, on se retrouve au restaurant.See you tonight, we'll meet at the restaurant.
- HugoÇa marche, à plus tard.That works, see you later.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ce, soir, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
