What does it mean word for word?
The phrase à la prochaine literally means "to the next one", where the "one" is an implied noun like 'time' or 'meeting'.
Which one should you use?
While à la prochaine implies a certain level of familiarity and the expectation of seeing the person again, au revoir is more neutral and can be used in formal settings or when the next meeting is not certain. au revoir is a common phrase for goodbye or farewell in French. For a slightly more complete and formal version, you can use à la prochaine fois, which means "until next time".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
à la prochaine is an informal way to say goodbye, suitable for friends, family or colleagues you know well. For more casual situations, you might use Salut (bye or see you), À plus (see you later) or On se revoit (we'll see each other again). Conversely, if you need a formal expression, Jusqu'à notre prochaine rencontre means "until our next encounter".
How do you pronounce it?
/a la pʁɔ.ʃɛn/
Did you know?
- In very casual settings, à plus is often shortened further in text or speech to A+, where the plus sign represents the word 'plus'.
- The preposition à in à la prochaine descends from two different Latin roots, 'ad' and 'ab', which merged into one word in Old French.
- Using jusqu'à notre prochaine rencontre in a casual setting would sound unnaturally poetic or like a line from a 19th-century novel.
Examples in context
- J'espère pouvoir vous revoir très bientôt. À bientôt!I hope to see you again soon. See you soon!
- C'était un plaisir de vous rencontrer aujourd'hui. Jusqu'à notre prochaine rencontre!It was a pleasure meeting you today. Until our next encounter!
- Je dois partir maintenant. À plus!I have to leave now. See you later!
- C'était sympa de te voir. On se revoit!It was nice seeing you. We'll see each other again!
- Merci pour tout, à la prochaine !Thanks for everything, till we meet again!
- C'était super, à la prochaine.It was great, till we meet again.
- Je dois partir, à la prochaine !I have to go, till we meet again!
Example conversation
Two friends are leaving a coffee shop after a long chat.
- HugoJe m'en vais, Emma.I'm leaving, Emma.
- EmmaD'accord, Hugo. À la prochaine !Okay, Hugo. Till we meet again!
- HugoÀ la prochaine !Till we meet again!
- EmmaSalut !Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry à la prochaine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, à, à la prochaine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
