à bientôt
/a bjɛ̃.to/
The English phrase "speak soon" can be translated into French as à bientôt.
À bientôt is a versatile phrase used to mean both "see you soon" and "speak soon." It is a friendly way to say goodbye when you expect to interact with someone again in the near future.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, à bientôt translates to "to soon".
Which one should you use?
While à bientôt implies seeing or speaking to someone in a short, undefined period, à plus tard is more specific to seeing someone later on the same day. Additionally, if you expect to speak to the person again within a few hours of the current conversation, à tout à l'heure is a more precise alternative.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec (Canada), the phrase à tantôt is commonly used to say "speak soon".
How do you pronounce it?
à bientôt is pronounced /a bjɛ̃.to/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word bientôt is a compound of bien, meaning 'well', and tôt, meaning 'early'. In its original form, it literally suggested doing something 'well early'.
- While à bientôt is used across the French-speaking world, the regional variation à tantôt is a staple of Québec French but sounds antiquated to speakers in France.
- The informal version à plus is a clipped form of à plus tard and functions similarly to the English 'see ya'.
Examples in context
- Salut Sarah, à tout à l'heure. On se retrouve à la pause déjeuner.Hi Sarah, speak soon. Let's meet at lunch break.
- Salut Pierre, bonnes vacances ! On se parle bientôt pour organiser notre prochaine sortie.Hey Pierre, have a great vacation! We'll talk soon to organize our next outing.
- Salut Mathieu, à tantôt. On se voit au party de ce soir !Hey Mathieu, speak soon. See you at the party tonight!
- Merci pour l'appel, à bientôt !Thanks for the call, speak soon!
- Je dois y aller, à bientôt.I have to go, speak soon.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are ending a phone call.
- NathanC'était super de te parler, Léa.It was great talking to you, Léa.
- LéaOui, on s'appelle plus tard !Yes, we'll call each other later!
- NathanD'accord, à bientôt.Okay, speak soon.
- LéaSalut Nathan, à bientôt !Bye Nathan, speak 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.
