How to Say Goodbye in French Beyond Au Revoir

Most English speakers learn au revoir first, use it everywhere, and then wonder why every goodbye in French starts sounding like they’re leaving a dentist’s office.

The good news: French has plenty of ways to say goodbye, and they change depending on whether you’re talking to a friend, a cashier, a coworker, or someone you’d rather keep at least three polite meters away.

In this guide, you’ll learn the most useful French goodbye phrases, how to pronounce them, when to use them, and when not to use them. If you also want to nail the beginning of the conversation, see how to say hello in French and these useful French greetings. For the bigger picture, you can also browse French lessons here.

Table of Contents

The Main Ways To Say Goodbye In French

Here are the goodbye expressions you’ll hear all the time in France French, from very standard to very casual.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
au revoir	oh ruh-VWAR	goodbye	Merci beaucoup, au revoir !	Thank you very much, goodbye!	Standard, polite, safe almost everywhere.
salut	sah-LU	bye / hi	Bon, je dois y aller. Salut !	Well, I have to go. Bye!	Casual. Also means “hi.” Use with friends, not in formal situations.
à bientôt	ah byan-TO	see you soon	À bientôt, j’espère.	See you soon, I hope.	Friendly and common when you expect to meet again.
à demain	ah duh-MAN	see you tomorrow	On se voit au bureau demain ? À demain !	We’ll see each other at the office tomorrow? See you tomorrow!	Use only if tomorrow is actually the next meeting. Radical concept, I know.
à plus tard	ah plu TAR	see you later	Je finis à cinq heures. À plus tard !	I finish at five o’clock. See you later!	Neutral to casual.
à plus	ah PLUS	see ya / later	Salut, à plus !	Bye, see ya!	Very common in speech. Casual.
à tout à l’heure	ah toot ah lurr	see you in a bit	Je vais chercher du pain. À tout à l’heure.	I’m going to get some bread. See you in a bit.	Usually means you’ll see the person the same day, fairly soon.
à tout de suite	ah too duh sweet	see you right away / in a moment	Je t’attends devant. À tout de suite.	I’m waiting for you outside. See you in a moment.	Even sooner than à tout à l’heure.
bonne journée	bun zhoor-NAY	have a nice day	Merci, bonne journée !	Thanks, have a nice day!	Common with shop staff, receptionists, strangers.
bonne soirée	bun swah-RAY	have a nice evening	Bonne soirée, madame.	Have a nice evening, ma’am.	Use in the late afternoon or evening when parting.
bonne nuit	bun nwee	good night	Il est tard. Bonne nuit !	It’s late. Good night!	Say it when someone is going to bed or ending the night, not as a daytime goodbye.
adieu	ah-DYUH	farewell	Dans cette lettre, il écrit : “Adieu.”	In that letter, he writes: “Farewell.”	Dramatic, literary, or final. Do not toss it around casually unless you are starring in a tragic period film.

When To Use Au Revoir

Au revoir is the classic all-purpose goodbye. It is polite, neutral, and works with strangers, coworkers, teachers, neighbors, shop staff, and basically anyone you’re not texting memes at midnight.

It literally means something like “until seeing again,” which helps explain why it feels warm but still formal enough for everyday public life.

Example: Au revoir, monsieur. Merci pour votre aide.
Goodbye, sir. Thank you for your help.

Learner note: In fast speech, French speakers may soften or blur parts of the phrase, but as a learner, saying it clearly is completely fine.

When To Use Salut

Salut is wonderfully useful because it means both hi and bye. Context does the work.

Use it with friends, siblings, classmates, close coworkers, and people your own age in relaxed situations. Do not use it with your bank manager unless your bank manager is also your cousin and the whole thing is very informal.

Example: Salut, on se parle ce soir.
Bye, we’ll talk tonight.

Learner note: Because salut can also mean “hi,” the tone and timing matter. At the end of a conversation, it clearly means “bye.”

If au revoir is the safe default, salut is the friendly default.

Useful Goodbye Phrases For Real Life

These are the phrases you’ll actually need in shops, at work, with friends, and in ordinary French conversations.

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
on se voit bientôt	on suh vwah byan-TO	see you soon	Merci pour le café, on se voit bientôt.	Thanks for the coffee, see you soon.	Very natural spoken French.
on se voit demain	on suh vwah duh-MAN	see you tomorrow	D’accord, on se voit demain à neuf heures.	Okay, see you tomorrow at nine.	Common and conversational.
à la prochaine	ah lah pro-SHEN	until next time	Merci encore, à la prochaine !	Thanks again, until next time!	Friendly and natural.
prends soin de toi	pron swan duh twah	take care	Bon voyage, prends soin de toi.	Have a good trip, take care.	Use prenez soin de vous for polite or plural.
bon courage	bon koo-RAZH	good luck / hang in there	Tu as un examen demain ? Bon courage !	You have an exam tomorrow? Good luck!	Very French. Used when someone has something difficult ahead.
bonne continuation	bun kon-tee-nwa-SYON	all the best / enjoy the rest / keep going	Je dois partir, bonne continuation.	I have to leave, all the best.	Useful when you may not see the person soon.
à lundi	ah lun-DEE	see you Monday	Le rendez-vous est confirmé. À lundi.	The appointment is confirmed. See you Monday.	Works with any day: à mardi, à vendredi, etc.
à ce soir	ah suh swar	see you tonight	Je rentre vers huit heures. À ce soir.	I’m coming home around eight. See you tonight.	Same pattern as à demain.
à bientôt, j’espère	ah byan-TO zhes-PAIR	see you soon, I hope	Vous repartez déjà ? À bientôt, j’espère.	You’re leaving already? See you soon, I hope.	A little warmer and more personal.
je te laisse	zhuh tuh less	I’ll let you go	Je te laisse, j’ai un train à prendre.	I’ll let you go, I have a train to catch.	Very useful for ending calls politely.
je vous laisse	zhuh voo less	I’ll let you go	Je vous laisse, merci pour votre temps.	I’ll let you go, thank you for your time.	Polite version.
à plus tard, peut-être	ah plu TAR put-ETR	see you later, maybe	Je passe au centre-ville. À plus tard, peut-être.	I’m going downtown. See you later, maybe.	Casual and flexible.

Goodbye In Shops, Hotels, And Public Places

In France, you usually don’t just walk out in silence. That can feel abrupt. A quick goodbye is normal and polite, especially in small shops, bakeries, hotels, doctor’s offices, or anywhere someone has just helped you.

Au revoir = the safest choice
Bonne journée = great in daytime
Bonne soirée = great in the evening
Merci, au revoir = excellent and very natural

Example: Merci, bonne journée, au revoir.
Thank you, have a nice day, goodbye.

Yes, French goodbyes can stack. It is not unusual to hear a small pile of politeness on the way out.

Goodbye With Friends And Family

With people you know well, French gets looser and warmer. You’ll hear salut, à plus, à tout à l’heure, and prends soin de toi a lot more than au revoir.

Situation	Natural French Goodbye	English Meaning	Learner Note
Leaving a friend’s apartment	Salut, à plus !	Bye, see ya!	Very casual and common.
Seeing someone later the same day	À tout à l’heure !	See you in a bit!	Same-day reunion.
Ending a phone call with a friend	Bon, je te laisse. Salut !	Well, I’ll let you go. Bye!	Natural spoken ending.
Saying goodbye warmly	Prends soin de toi.	Take care.	Kind and personal.
Expecting to meet soon	À bientôt !	See you soon!	Friendly and flexible.

Polite Vs Casual Goodbye In French

French often changes with tu and vous. That means the level of formality can show up not only in the goodbye phrase itself, but also in the rest of the sentence around it.

Casual	Polite / Formal	Meaning	Learner Note
Salut	Au revoir	Bye / Goodbye	Salut is not for formal situations.
Prends soin de toi	Prenez soin de vous	Take care	prends for one person you know well; prenez for polite or plural.
Je te laisse	Je vous laisse	I’ll let you go	Very useful on calls and in meetings.
À plus	À bientôt	See ya / See you soon	À plus is more relaxed.

Learner note: If you’re unsure, choose the polite option. Sounding slightly too polite in French is much safer than sounding accidentally casual.

Pronunciation Tips That Actually Help

You do not need a PhD in nasal vowels to say goodbye properly, but a few small pronunciation notes will make you sound more natural.

Au revoir: the final r is pronounced in French, not like an English “r,” but don’t overdo it.
À bientôt: the bien part has a nasal sound, roughly “byan.”
À plus: in everyday speech, many speakers pronounce it like “ah plus,” not “ah ploo.”
Bonne nuit: the final t in nuit is silent.
Je vous laisse: the s in vous can link with the next word in fluent speech, but saying each word clearly is fine for learners.

French pronunciation matters, but polite timing matters too. A well-timed au revoir beats a perfect accent and awkward silence.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Mistake	Better French	Why	Quick Fix
Using adieu for normal goodbyes	au revoir / salut	Adieu sounds final, dramatic, or literary.	Save it for novels, jokes, or emotional endings.
Saying bonne nuit when leaving a shop at 6 p.m.	bonne soirée	Bonne nuit is “good night,” usually when going to bed.	Use bonne soirée in the evening.
Using salut with everyone	au revoir in formal contexts	Salut is casual.	Use au revoir with strangers and professionals.
Saying à demain when you are not seeing the person tomorrow	à bientôt	The phrase is specific.	Choose a flexible goodbye if you’re unsure.
Leaving without saying anything	merci, au revoir	In many situations, a spoken goodbye is expected.	Add a quick farewell before you go.

Mini Practice: Choose The Right Goodbye

Try these quick situations.

You are leaving a bakery at 10 a.m. → Merci, bonne journée, au revoir.
You are texting a close friend. → Salut, à plus.
You will see your coworker tomorrow morning. → À demain.
You are ending a polite phone call with a client. → Je vous laisse, au revoir.
You are leaving your sibling for two hours and coming back later today. → À tout à l’heure.
You are saying good night to someone heading to bed. → Bonne nuit.

If these feel easy, nice. If not, also nice. That just means your brain is doing language-learning push-ups.

A Quick Note On Regional And Style Differences

This guide uses standard France French by default. In Quebec French and other varieties, many of these expressions are still understood and widely used, especially au revoir, salut, à bientôt, and bonne journée. The exact frequency and local favorites can vary, but the core phrases in this article are safe and useful across most French-speaking contexts.

If your goal is everyday conversation, focus first on the standard set. Once those are automatic, regional flavor becomes much easier to notice and enjoy.

Quick Reference Summary

Au revoir = standard, polite, safe
Salut = casual bye with friends
À bientôt = see you soon
À demain = see you tomorrow
À plus tard / À plus = see you later / see ya
À tout à l’heure = see you in a bit
Bonne journée = have a nice day
Bonne soirée = have a nice evening
Bonne nuit = good night
Adieu = farewell, dramatic or final

Keep Practicing Your French Goodbyes

If you want to build your French faster, try the French placement test to see your level, or check your word power with the French vocabulary test. You can also revisit this topic here: goodbye in French.

Yak takeaway: au revoir will get you far, but knowing when to say salut, à bientôt, or bonne soirée makes your French sound much more real. Goodbye in French is not one phrase. It’s a whole social toolkit. A surprisingly polite, slightly fussy, very useful toolkit.