bis später
/bɪs ˈʃpɛːtɐ/word by word
The German phrase for "talk to you later" is bis später.
Bis später is a casual way to say goodbye when you expect to speak with the person again soon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "until later".
Which one should you use?
Use bis später when you expect to see or speak to someone later in the same day. In contrast, use bis dann (see you then) when a specific time for the next meeting has already been agreed upon.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Bis später is an informal way to say goodbye and is best used with friends, family or colleagues you know well.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word bis is a preposition that takes the accusative case, but since später is an adverb in this context, there is no noun to decline.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɪs ˈʃpɛːtɐ/
Did you know?
- Using bis später with a stranger in a professional setting can be perceived as overly familiar or even rude.
- The word bis shares an ancestral root with the English phrase 'up to', as both originally indicated a limit or a boundary.
- While bis später is for the same day, Germans use bis bald when the next meeting is in the near future but no specific date is set.
Examples in context
- Bis später!Talk to you later.This example shows how to use bis später as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #367027 by MUIRIEL, translation #139279 by wonkk
- Bis später, Herr Smith!Talk to you later, Mr. Smith!
- Tschüss, bis später!Bye, talk to you later!
- Bis später beim Training!Talk to you later at training!
- Alles klar, bis später!All right, talk to you later!
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are finishing a quick chat in the hallway.
- JuliaIch muss jetzt gehen.I have to go now.
- LukasKein Problem, bis später!No problem, talk to you later!
- JuliaWir telefonieren heute Abend.We will talk on the phone tonight.
- LukasJa, bis später, Julia!Yes, talk to you later, Julia!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bis später, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bis, später) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
