How to say goodbye in French: 39 ways to bid farewell

Au revoir is the most common way to say “goodbye” in French, but it isn’t the only one. Learn to go beyond “goodbye” in French in 30+ different ways.

Mar. 2025 Update: now with even more goodbyes.

By now, you have probably mastered all the different ways of saying “hello” in French, along with some of the other greetings, but you still want to know how to say “goodbye” at the end of a good conversation. Au revoir, one of the basic French words, is the classical and standard way of saying goodbye, but it isn’t the only way.

Curious, you find a nice café, sit down and open your Frantastique app to learn the many different ways to say “goodbye” in French.

A fun little fact: the French word for “bye” is actually bye. Read on to learn the other ways to say “goodbye” in French.

Saying “goodbye” in French

When learning French greetings, the first way you will be taught to say “goodbye” is au revoir.

Pay careful attention to its pronunciation, as most native speakers say it as one word, sounding like [orvwar].

Just like “hello”, saying “goodbye” is often accompanied by la bise, the French greeting kisses, or a handshake. For some, giving la bise might feel awkward at the end of a conversation, but for the French it is very natural… although we hear the trend has died down since COVID.

A handshake is fine too, but if you’re more conscious about hygiene or simply building streetcred, you could even fistbump. Or just smile. Smile and wave.

32 different ways to say “goodbye” in French

If you are a beginner in French and want to stick with one way to say “goodbye”, most people would recommend using au revoir. It can be used in both formal and informal situations, which isn’t always the case for some of the other ways to say farewell. The table below lists the many other ways to say “goodbye” in French and when to use them.  

#	Expression	Meaning	Explanation
1	Au revoir	Goodbye, literally “until we see each other again”	Formal/informal
2	Salut !	Bye	Less formal
3	Bye / Bye-bye	Bye	Informal
4	Adieu	Goodbye / Farewell	Formal; only used for a forever goodbye
5	Bonne journée/bonne soirée	“Have a good day”/ “Have a good evening”	Formal/informal; common when leaving a shop or restaurant
6	Bonne nuit	Goodnight	Formal/informal; used right before going to bed
7	À plus tard	See you later	Informal
8	À plus	Later!	Informal; abbreviated form of à plus tard
9	À+	Later!	Informal; written form of à plus
10	À tout à l’heure	See you soon	Formal/informal; used only when seeing someone later in the same day
11	À tout de suite	See you in a bit	Formal/informal; used only when seeing someone directly after the conversation
12	À bientôt	See you soon	Formal/informal
13	À demain	See you tomorrow	Formal/informal
14	À la prochaine	See you next time; literally “until next time”	Formal/informal
15	Ciao / Tchao	Bye	Informal
16	Au plaisir	Until we meet again	Informal

What does “au revoir” mean?

“Au revoir” literally means “to the seeing-again” (“re-” in revoir means “back” / “again”, and “-voir” means “to see”).

Origins are unclear, but it supposedly comes from “adieu jusqu’au revoir” (“farewell until we meet again”).

Refining your goodbyes in French

Bidding someone farewell in French can often be a long process with native speakers and can sometimes feel like a game of ping pong as you volley back and forth the expressions listed below. A quick “see you later” in French doesn’t always do the trick. Incorporating these phrases will increase your vocabulary and help you become more fluent. The table below lists many different ways to part ways, from “let’s keep in touch” to “good night” in French. They can be used in combination with au revoir or sometimes on their own.

#	Expression	Meaning	Explanation
17	À lundi	See you on Monday	Formal/informal; can be used with any day of the week
18	Bonne nuit	Good night	Formal/informal; used before going to sleep
19	Fais attention à toi / Prends soin de toi	Take care	Informal
20	Bonne journée	(Have a) nice day	Formal/informal; often used in combination with au revoir
21	Bonsoir	(Have a) nice evening	Formal; also often used to say “good evening”
22	Bonne soirée	(Have a) nice evening	Formal/informal; often used in combination with au revoir
23	Bon après-midi	(Have a) nice afternoon	Formal/informal
24	Passe le bonjour [à ton papa]	Say hi [to your dad] for me	Informal
25	Au plaisir (de vous revoir)	Looking forward to seeing you again	Formal
26	Je t’aime	I love you	Informal
27	Bisous/Bises	(Sending you) kisses	Informal
28	On s’appelle	Let’s keep in touch	Informal
29	On se tient au courant	Let’s keep in touch	Informal
30	Ravi d’avoir fait votre connaissance	Nice to have met you	Formal
31	Je t’embrasse	(Sending you) hugs and kisses	Informal
32	Bonne continuation	All the best	Formal
33	Bonne chance	Good luck	Formal/informal
34	Bon courage	Good luck	Formal/informal; used when the outcome depends more on the person than on luck
35	Je m’en vais	I’m leaving	Informal
36	Bon vent	Have a nice trip	Formal/Informal; literally “fair wind”; can also be used to shoo someone away
37	À un de ces quatre	See you soon	Informal; from “à un de ces quatre matins” (“see you one of these four mornings”), origins are unclear
38	Je me barre	I’m leaving	Very informal
39	Je me casse	I’m leaving	Very informal

Don’t say au revoir just yet…

Keep your language learning momentum going and check out our articles on how to say “sorry” or “thank you” in French.

Or if you’re thinking on leaving on bad terms, perhaps a list of insults in French might suit your needs better. We’re not judging, and we never will.

Want to take your French to the next level? Try our online French course Frantastique for free for 7 days!