à bientôt
/a bjɛ̃.to/
The English phrase "talk soon" can be translated into French as à bientôt.
À bientôt is a friendly way to say goodbye when you expect to speak with someone again in the near future.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to to soon.
Which one should you use?
à plus is a common shortened, colloquial version of 'à plus tard' used among friends to mean "see ya" or "later".
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase is pronounced /a bjɛ̃.to/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The shortened version à plus is so common in text messages that it is often written simply as a+.
- The word bientôt contains an archaic sense of 'well' because it is a combination of bien meaning 'well' and tôt meaning 'early'.
- While à bientôt is a general farewell, French speakers often use à tout à l'heure if they expect to see the person again on the same day.
Examples in context
- À bientôt !Talk soon!
- On s'appelle, à bientôt.We'll call each other, talk soon.
- Je te laisse, à bientôt.I have to go, talk soon.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are hanging up the phone after a quick catch-up.
- GabrielMerci pour l'appel, Emma.Thanks for the call, Emma.
- EmmaDe rien, Gabriel. À bientôt !You're welcome, Gabriel. Talk soon!
- GabrielOui, à bientôt.Yes, talk soon.
- EmmaSalut !Bye!
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.
