How to Say Goodbye in French

The default answer is au revoir - "goodbye." It is universal, polite, and works in any context. But the French departure register is broader than the single word: time-bounded "see you soon" phrases dominate everyday departures, the casual salut doubles as both hello and goodbye, and the French goodbye is typically paired with a "have a good time of day" closer that English does not have a clean parallel for. This article covers the standard goodbyes, the casual variants, the closing well-wish formulas, and the regional differences.

The basic goodbye

Au revoir - "goodbye" (literally "until the seeing again").

Pronunciation: oh ruh-VWAR. The "au" is the open "oh" sound; the "voir" rhymes with English "war."

Use au revoir for:

• Any neutral or formal goodbye.
• Leaving a shop, restaurant, taxi, or service interaction.
• Saying goodbye to anyone you have just met or are addressing formally.
• The universal safe default in any context.

Unlike Spanish adios, French au revoir does not carry heavy finality. It is the everyday standard.

Time-bounded goodbyes

The everyday French goodbye is often phrased around when you expect to see the person again:

A bientot

The default "see you soon." Universally used. Slightly warmer than au revoir.

A tout a l'heure

Literally "until a bit later." Used specifically when you will see the person later the same day. Critical distinction from "a plus tard" which can mean a vaguer "later" or "another time."

A plus tard / A plus

"See you later." A plus tard is the full form; a plus is the everyday shortened version. A plus is genuinely casual - reserve it for friends and informal contexts.

A demain

"See you tomorrow." Use specifically when the next meeting is tomorrow.

Casual goodbyes

French has a rich casual goodbye register:

Salut

The casual all-purpose greeting AND goodbye in French. Same word, same pronunciation, different placement. Use only in informal contexts - between friends, peers, family. Do not use salut to say goodbye to your boss, a shop assistant, or any formal contact.

Ciao / Tchao

Italian-borrowed casual goodbye used widely in French. Universally understood across French-speaking regions.

Bisous

"Kisses" - genuinely warm and personal. Used between family, close friends, and intimate relationships. Appears in written sign-offs (text messages, casual emails) more often than in spoken goodbyes.

The "bonne X" departure formula

A distinctively French goodbye convention: closing the parting with a wish for the appropriate time of day or activity. English has a parallel ("have a good day") but French uses it more systematically:

The convention: French goodbye exchanges typically end with au revoir + bonne X ("Au revoir, bonne soiree"). Skipping the bonne X portion is technically correct but reads as less polite. This is the single biggest social-register difference between English and French departures: French expects the closing well-wish.

Formal versus informal goodbyes

The strict French formal-informal distinction (vous vs tu) affects the verb forms in compound goodbyes but the basic goodbye phrases themselves work across both registers.

Special situations

Saying goodbye at the end of the day (work)

• Au revoir, bonne soiree - the universal end-of-workday goodbye.
• A demain - if you will see them tomorrow.
• Bon week-end - if it is Friday.

Saying goodbye at a meal

• Au revoir, merci pour le diner - thanks for the dinner.
• Bonne soiree - have a good evening.

Saying goodbye on the phone

• Au revoir - universal.
• A bientot - if you expect to talk again soon.
• Je vous embrasse - "I embrace you" - warm personal sign-off, particularly common in family phone calls.
• Bises - "kisses" - informal warm.
• Je t'embrasse - personal "I kiss you" - intimate.

Saying goodbye on a journey

• Bon voyage - have a good trip.
• Faites bon voyage - have a good trip (formal vous).
• Bonne route - have a good road (for drivers).

Regional variations

France

• Au revoir, salut, a bientot, a plus are universal.
• The bonne soiree / bonne journee closer is observed strictly in service contexts.
• The kiss-on-cheek (bise) at casual parting is the standard among friends.

Quebec

• Au revoir, salut, a bientot are universal.
• Bye! is widely used casually (more so than in France).
• A la prochaine is common.
• Quebec French goodbye register is slightly less formal than France French in commercial contexts.

Belgium

• Standard French goodbyes dominate.
• The phrase a tantot ("until later") is distinctively used in Belgian French, particularly in Brussels and Wallonia.

Switzerland (French-speaking)

• Standard French goodbyes dominate.
• Slightly more formal register than France French in commercial contexts.

Goodbye in writing

Email and message sign-off conventions:

French written sign-offs are more formal than English equivalents in business contexts; cordialement is the everyday business default. Casual personal contexts use much warmer sign-offs ("Je t'embrasse") than English business equivalents would suggest.

The bise (cheek-kiss) at parting

In French-speaking culture, the cheek-kiss is the standard casual parting between friends, mirroring the greeting convention:

• Paris: two kisses (one on each cheek).
• Southern France: three kisses.
• Brittany, Vendee: four kisses.
• Quebec: two kisses.
• Belgium: one or three depending on region.

The bise at parting is not for formal contexts; business and stranger contexts default to handshake at goodbye.

A few useful related phrases

How to actually internalise these

Three practical recommendations:

1. Pair au revoir with bonne X. The closing well-wish is the polite norm. "Au revoir, bonne soiree" is the right register for service interactions; skipping the bonne X reads as slightly cold.
2. Use the time-specific goodbye when you can. "A demain" when you will see them tomorrow; "a ce soir" when you will see them this evening; "a la semaine prochaine" when next week. The specificity makes the goodbye warmer.
3. Reserve salut for true informal contexts. Salut as goodbye is for friends, family, peers - not for shopkeepers, colleagues you have just met, or any business context. Au revoir is the safe default.

Cross-references

• The French for adult learners pillar covers the wider French learning approach.
• The how to say hello in French article covers the greeting register that pairs with goodbyes.
• The how to say thank you in French article covers the gratitude vocabulary that often appears in departure phrases.
• The how to say sorry in French article covers the apology register.
• The French accents guide covers the regional variety choice in detail.