à bientôt
/a bjɛ̃.to/
In French, "so long" is expressed as à bientôt.
à bientôt is a casual way to say goodbye when you expect to see the person again soon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition à (to/at) and the adverb bientôt (soon).
Which one should you use?
à bientôt is more casual and optimistic about a near-future meeting, while au revoir is the standard, more formal way to say goodbye without specifying when you will meet again. Additionally, à bientôt implies seeing someone again in a short, indefinite timeframe, whereas à plus tard is more specifically used when you have a later appointment or a more concrete sense of seeing them later that same day.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, a common, informal farewell is Salut, bye là!
How do you pronounce it?
/a bjɛ̃.to/
When do people say it?
Ciao is a friendly and informal way to say goodbye among friends or peers in French culture.
Did you know?
- French speakers often pair à bientôt with a bisou (a kiss on the cheek), a gesture that is far more common in professional and social circles than in English-speaking cultures.
- The word bientôt is built from bien and tôt, which literally translates to 'very early'.
- In many French-speaking African cultures, the process of saying goodbye is often much longer and more elaborate than the quick à bientôt used in Paris.
Examples in context
- À bientôt !See you soon!
- On se voit demain, à bientôt.We'll see each other tomorrow, see you soon.
- Merci pour l'aide, à bientôt !Thanks for the help, see you soon!
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are leaving a coffee shop after meeting for lunch.
- ManonC'était très sympa, Gabriel.It was very nice, Gabriel.
- GabrielOui, à bientôt, Manon !Yes, see you soon, Manon!
- ManonOn se rappelle demain ?Shall we call each other tomorrow?
- GabrielD'accord, à bientôt !Okay, see you soon!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry à bientôt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bientôt, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
