How to say “goodbye” in French in 32 different ways

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 32 different ways.

You’ve spent the last couple of days exploring the streets of Paris, popping into Ladurée on the Champs-Élysées for some tasty macarons, meandering through the cobblestone streets of Amelie’s Montmartre and buying souvenirs at the bouquinistes along the Seine. In the shops, cafés and restaurants, you notice that the word you learned for “goodbye”, au revoir, isn’t always used. Curious, you find a nice café, sit down and open your Gymglish app to learn the many different ways to say “goodbye” in French.

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. 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, more like [orvoir]. 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.

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

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
À lundi	See you on Monday	Formal/informal; can be used with any day of the week
Bonne nuit	Good night	Formal/informal; used before going to sleep
Fais attention à toi / Prends soin de toi	Take care	Informal
Bonne journée	(Have a) nice day	Formal/informal; often used in combination with au revoir
Bonsoir	(Have a) nice evening	Formal
Bonne soirée	(Have a) nice evening	Formal/informal; often used in combination with au revoir
Bon après-midi	(Have a) nice afternoon	Formal/informal
Passe le bonjour à ton papa	Say hi to your dad for me	Informal
Au plaisir de vous revoir	Looking forward to seeing you again	Formal
Je t’aime	I love you	Informal
Bisous/Bises	(Sending you) kisses	Informal
On s’appelle	Let’s keep in touch	Informal
On se tient au courant	Let’s keep in touch	Informal
Ravi d’avoir fait votre connaissance	Nice to have met you	Formal
Je t’embrasse	(Sending you) hugs and kisses	Informal
Bonne continuation	All the best	Formal
Bonne chance	Good luck	Formal/informal
Bon courage	Good luck	Formal/informal; used when the outcome depends more on the person than on luck
Je m’en vais	I’m leaving	Informal

Don’t say au revoir to Frantastique yet…

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

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