à plus tard
/a ply taʁ/
In French, 'until later' is expressed as à plus tard.
À plus tard is a casual way to say goodbye when you expect to see the person again soon. While à plus tard refers to an indefinite time later in the day or the near future, à bientôt is used specifically to emphasize that the meeting will happen soon. In some regions, the standard Au revoir can also be used informally to indicate 'until later'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition à (to/at), the adverb plus (more) and the adverb tard (late).
Which one should you use?
À plus tard implies a somewhat indefinite time later in the day or near future, whereas à bientôt specifically emphasizes that the meeting will happen soon.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual speech, à plus tard is often shortened to just à plus. If you want to say 'until next time' or 'see you next time', you can use the informal phrase À la prochaine.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium, the phrase À tantôt is predominantly used to mean 'until later' or 'see you later'.
How do you pronounce it?
/a ply taʁ/
Did you know?
- The word tard in à plus tard shares a common ancestor with the English word 'tarry', which means to delay or linger.
- While à plus tard is common in France, people in Belgium often use à tantôt to express the same sentiment. Using à tantôt in France might confuse a listener, as it is not the standard term there.
Examples in context
- Ne remets pas ces affaires à plus tard !Don't put this stuff off until later.This sentence shows how to use à plus tard when referring to postponing an action.Tatoeba #4996177 by sacredceltic, translation #9199766 by sundown
- Allez, à plus tard !Alright, see you later!
- À plus tard, on se voit demain.See you later, we'll see each other tomorrow.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are leaving a cafe to go to different appointments.
- LucasJe dois y aller maintenant.I have to go now.
- LéaD'accord, on se retrouve ce soir ?Okay, shall we meet up tonight?
- LucasOui, à plus tard !Yes, see you later!
- LéaÀ plus tard, Lucas !See you later, Lucas!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry à plus tard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries plus, tard, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
