“Au revoir” is the most common way to say “goodbye” in French, and it’s acceptable for both formal and informal situations. “Salut” means “bye” in French. These are common greeting word you may come across when you are seeking how to learn French, There are more ways to say goodbye, such as using the phrase ”À plus tard” to tell someone that you will see them later or saying ”bonne journée” to wish them a good day. Finding the right words or gestures to express your emotions might make the transition smoother and more memorable, while you’re learning French, you might also want to use some French to English apps to assist you.
Table of Contents
How do you say Goodbye in French – Most Common Phrases
English | French | Context |
---|---|---|
Goodbye | Au revoir | All |
Bye | Salut | Informal |
Until next time | À la prochaine | All |
See you later | À plus tard | All |
Later | À plus | Informal |
See you soon | À bientôt | All |
Good luck | Bon courage | All |
Hugs and kisses | Je t’embrasse | Informal |
Let’s keep in touch | On se tient au courant | All |
Take care | Prends soin de toi or Fais attention à toi | Informal |
See you tomorrow | À demain | All |
See you in a bit | À tout de suite or À tout à l’heure. | All |
Have a nice day | Bonne journée | All |
Learning greetings in French is one of the best ways to learn French, you might also come across the French expression Ça Va. With the proper greeting, you will have the chance to open up a conversation with someone, and you can also make yourself seem friendly.
How to say goodbye in French – Formal
English | French |
---|---|
Goodbye | Au revoir |
Let’s keep in touch | On se tient au courant |
Looking forward to seeing you again | Au plaisir de vous revoir |
Farewell | Adieu |
All the best | Bonne continuation |
Until we meet again | Jusqu’à ce que nous nous revoyions |
Have a nice day | Bonne journée |
1. “Jusqu’à ce que nous nous revoyions” – Until we Meet Again
This is a common phrase used for long goodbyes, particularly in formal settings. The expression is used when two people hope to see each other in the nearest future, although not certain. “Jusqu’à ce que nous nous revoyions” gives people the impression that there will be a next time and even spice up the way in which you end the conversation. You might say it to your loved one if you are moving far away, or to your principal or headmaster at the end of the school year.
Je t’aime maman, jusqu’à ce qu’on se retrouve
I love you mom, until we meet again
2. “Adieu” – Farewell
The phrase “Adieu” is a form of long-time greeting in French that should never be taken lightly, as it is a way of saying goodbye to someone and that you may never see them again maybe until the hereafter. The expression is highly formal and has a high sense of finality, the reason why it is the last on the list. Only use this expression when you never plan on seeing the person again or they are on their death bed. “Adieu” simply means goodbye forever.
Le patient fait ses adieux à sa famille.
The patient bids farewell to his family
3. “Bonne journée” – Have a nice day
“Bonne journée” is a form of expression used to end a conversation in French. It is always said in the morning to part ways with our friends, family and loved ones, in the hope to see them later in the evening.
J’espère que vous avez apprécié votre repas. Merci et bonne journée
I hope you enjoyed your meal. Thank you and have a nice day
How to say goodbye in French – Informal
English | French |
---|---|
Keep in touch | Rester en contact |
I’m out of here | Je me casse or Je me tire |
See you | À la revoyure |
See ya | À tout’ |
See you again | À un de ces quatre |
See you soon | À bientôt |
See you later | À plus tard |
Take care | Prends soin |
Peace out | La paix |
1. “À bientôt” – See you soon in French
“À bientôt” is a French phrase used to express a brief goodbye. This expression is used when you know you will see the other person soon albeit you don’t know the time, it may be later in the same day, next day in the morning or evening, but you are sure, it won’t be long.
J’ai apprécié mon séjour avec vous, à bientôt ma chère
I enjoyed my stay with you, see you soon my dear
2. “À plus tard” – See you later
“À plus tard” in French means “see you later”. It can be used when someone is saying goodbye and will return shortly, most likely the same day but not at the same location. You can expect to see the person anywhere. The term can even be used when you say goodbye to someone now and you expect them to see them at a pre-set venue.
Nous avons un week-end de quatre jours, à plus tard.
We have a four-day weekend, see you later
3. “À dans une heure” – See you in an hour
In French, we can decide to be more exact on the duration we will be away, telling our partner the exact time they should expect us to be back. With this expression, the person means that they will be gone for an hour. This kind of expression is commonly used when you need to just get something in another city, and you will be back soon.
Je dois faire du shopping à Marseille, à dans une heure
I have to go shopping in Marseille, see you in an hour
4. “À demain” – See you tomorrow
This is straightforward; you are hoping to see them tomorrow. This expression is very common among students and the working class, as they regularly say this to their colleagues at work, marketplace, or school. Whenever you want to see someone the next day, simply say, “À demain” i.e. “See you tomorrow”.
Au plaisir de vous voir demain à la conférence
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at the conference
5. “A dans un mois” – See you in a month
Sometimes, we need to be more specific about the duration of time we will be away. With this expression, we can exactly state when our loved ones, friends, and colleagues can expect us to be back. This statement can be used to tell someone specifically that you will see them in a month, year, 2 years time, etc. This phrase is useful because you keep their mind at rest by telling them the exact time they should be looking forward to your arrival.
Je te verrai dans un mois
I will see you in a month
6. “Hâte de vous voir” – Can’t wait to see you
“Hâte de vous voir” is a nice way to say goodbye. The expression is mostly used for someone who is about to leave and very eager to see their loved ones, friends, and co-workers soon.
Je pars bientôt, j’ai hâte de vous revoir
I’m leaving soon, can’t wait to see you again
7. “Rester en contact” – Keep in touch
This expression is commonly used in gatherings such as reunions, get togethers, and other similar occasions. You are trying to let the other person know that you would like to stay updated about their whereabouts, but not necessarily all the time.
Merci de rester en contact avec moi
Thanks for keeping in touch with me
8. “On se parle plus tard” – Talk to you later
This expression is as simple as it sound. You can use the phrase “on se parle plus tard” to express a short goodbye to someone. It’s a subtle way to imply that you will speak to them in the near future.
Je te parlerai plus tard mon amour
I will talk to you later my love
9. “Prends soin” – Take care
This way of saying goodbye means that you’re wishing the other person well, and that they have a nice and easy time until you see them again, especially used with your loved ones.
Prends soin de toi maman
Take care, mum
10. “La paix” – Peace out
Sometimes shortened to just “peace”. This expression is sort of like saying “peace be with you” and “goodbye” at the same time. It means you wish the other person well, and it’s a phrase that you will find being used a lot in street slang and French hip hop
la paix frère
Peace out, bro
French Email Sign Offs
Besides learning how to say goodbye in french in conversations, using the correct term to “say goodbye” in emails is also essential and useful. When signing off emails in French, you would need to pay extra attention to personalization, and choosing the right term for each context requires an understanding of the language and culture.
English | French | Context |
---|---|---|
Kind regards | Bien cordialement | Formal |
Best regards | Cordialement | Formal |
Affectionately | Affectueusement | Informal |
Sincere regards | Amitiés sincères | Informal |
Yours | Bien à vous | Formal |
I look forward to hearing from you | Dans l’attente de votre réponse | Formal |
Yours Faithfully | Veuillez agréer l’expression de mes sentiments respectueux | All |
Respectfully | Respectueusement | Formal |
Kindly / Best wishes | Amicalement | Informal |
all the best / best wishes | Amitiés | Informal |
Warmly | Chaleureusement | Informal |
Saying “Goodbye” in French With No Words: “La Bise”
You might have probably seen movies where, as someone is leaving or saying goodbye, they kiss their loved ones, friends, or family on the cheek before leaving without saying a word. This is known as “la bise” (the kiss), a traditional cheek kissing way of greeting other people in France. This form of greeting is ingrained in French culture.
La bise is commonly done when you meet a close friend you haven’t seen for ages, or a relative, loved one, newly introduced friend, or even at a meet-and-greet gathering. La bise is both used as a greetings and when you’re about to part ways with someone.
You might wonder, how many kisses should be done exactly? Which cheek first? This varies by social class, and by locations in France. The western and northern part of France usually starts with the right cheek while the left is offered first in the South and South-eastern region. Another important note is that, the number of kisses is averagely two, and while the upper classes tend to restrict themselves to two, working classes are likely to go up to four.
It’s Time to Say “Au revior”
Congratulations! You have mastered the art of saying goodbye in French. Which of those goodbyes is your favorite? Now that you know how to close conversations in French, wouldn’t it be nice to say goodbye to your friends, colleagues or classmates as well as your close relatives in other languages? You can also learn how to say goodbye in Chinese or goodbye in Japanese. Well, I guess the time has come for us to say goodbye, for now. À bientôt! See you soon!