à la prochaine
/a la pʁɔ.ʃɛn/
à la prochaine is the French way to say "until next time".
à la prochaine is a casual way to say goodbye when you expect to see the person again.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "to the next one", where prochaine refers to an implied "time" or "occasion".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
à la prochaine is a casual, elliptical expression used among friends or acquaintances. For an informal way to say "see you later" among friends or colleagues, you can use À plus tard or use the informal and friendly Salut, on se revoit to say goodbye.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgian French, À tantôt is commonly used to say "until next time".
How does it change in a sentence?
à la prochaine is a shortened, elliptical form of à la prochaine fois.
How do you pronounce it?
/a la pʁɔ.ʃɛn/
Did you know?
- In some regions, à la prochaine can be used ironically to say goodbye to someone you actually hope you never see again, delivered with a specific sarcastic tone.
- French speakers often pair à la prochaine with a 'bise', a social kiss on the cheeks, which is a customary gesture of friendship that differs significantly from the English handshake.
- The word prochaine comes from the Latin 'proximus', which is a distant relative of the English word 'proximate'.
Examples in context
- À la prochaine.Until next time.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase à la prochaine.Tatoeba #7939155 by Micsmithel, translation #32673 by MTC
- J'ai vraiment apprécié cette réunion. Au revoir et à bientôt!I really enjoyed this meeting. Goodbye and see you soon!
- C'était super de te revoir. À plus tard!It was great seeing you again. See you later!
- Bon, je dois y aller. Salut, on se revoit!Well, I have to go. Bye, see you next time!
- C'était agréable de te voir. À la prochaine!It was nice seeing you. Until next time!
- Allez, je pars, à la prochaine.Anyway, I'm leaving, until next time.
Example conversation
Two friends are leaving a coffee shop after a chat.
- ChloéC'était super de te voir, Gabriel.It was great seeing you, Gabriel.
- GabrielMoi aussi, Chloé. À la prochaine !Me too, Chloé. Until next time!
- ChloéOui, à la prochaine !Yes, until next time!
- GabrielSalut !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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
