Saying goodbye in French is about more than just a simple Au revoir. Just like in English, there are many ways to say “see you” depending on when you plan to meet again. Knowing the right phrase can make a big difference in how natural you sound. This guide will walk you through the most common phrases to say “see you” in French, from the basic ones to the more specific expressions.
The Most Common Phrases to Say “See You”
If you only remember two ways to say “see you,” these are the ones to know. They are both very common and you can use them in almost any situation.
See You Soon: À bientôt
This phrase literally means “until soon.” It is the most common way to say “see you soon.” You can use it when you know you will see the person again, but you are not sure when. It is a very safe and friendly phrase to use, without being too casual.
Click here to hear how to pronounce à bientôt.
See You Next Time: À la prochaine
This phrase literally means “until the next.” It is a short version of the phrase “à la prochaine fois qu’on se verra” (that no one uses today) which means “until the next time we’ll see each other”. It is a great alternative to à bientôt and would be the equivalent of “see you next time” in English.
Click here to hear how to pronounce à la prochaine.
Saying “See You” at a Specific Time
When you know exactly when you will see someone again, you can use these more specific phrases.
See You Tomorrow: À demain
This phrase literally means “until tomorrow.” You use it when you know you will see the person the next day. It is a common and friendly way to say “see you tomorrow.”
Click here to hear how to pronounce à demain.
See You Next Week: À la semaine prochaine
This phrase literally means “until next week” and we use it to say “see you next week.”
See You Next Year: À l’année prochaine
This phrase literally means “until next year” and we use it to say “see you next year.”
“See You Later” and “See You in a Bit”
We use these phrases when we’ll see someone again very soon, typically on the same day.
À plus tard
The phrase à plus tard means “until later” and is used to say “see you later.” The word plus means “more,” and tard means “late,” so the literal translation is “until more late.”
À plus !
The short phrase à plus would then be the equivalent of “see you.” It is a very casual and friendly way to say bye, often used with friends, even when you don’t know when you’ll see the other person again.
À tout à l’heure
The phrase à tout à l’heure is a synonym of à plus tard. This one would be difficult to literally translate. À l’heure means “on time.” But it’s not where the expression came from. It’s actually the contraction of tout à cette heure which meant “right away” or “immediately” back in the 17th century.
À toute !
À tout de suite is used when the meeting is imminent and would be the equivalent of “see you in a bit” or “see you in a sec” in English.
Juste like à plus tard with à plus, in a casual context, you’ll hear à toute ! Here toute is written in the feminine form (with a final e at the end). Just to make sure you pronounce the final t, /a tut/ as tout, is usually pronounced /tu/, at least in France as opposed to Canada.
Putting It All Together: Naturally Say “See You”
Something you can add at the beginning of the phrase is “allez.” It literally means “go” but it’s also sometimes used to say “come on” when you’re supporting your sports team. You might hear Allez, les bleus ! That means “Come on, the blues” and it’s what French supporters would chant during a football game.
But in this context, “allez” could be used as “alright.”
Allez, à plus ! Alright, see ya!
Allez, à toute ! Alright, see you later!
Ready for the next lesson?
Let’s study how to say please in French!
Still an Absolute Beginner in French? First, let’s start with the alphabet!