The first time I left a café in Paris, I did what any nervous yak with a coffee addiction would do: I escaped. I stood up, muttered merci /mɛʁ.si/ — thank you to the air, and bolted for the door in total silence. The waiter called after me Au revoir ! /o ʁə.vwaʁ/ — goodbye!, and I realized I’d basically ghosted him in real life.
Later, I overcorrected. I tried to say au revoir /o ʁə.vwaʁ/ — goodbye to everyone and everything: the cashier, the bus driver, random doors, possibly a ficus. French people were polite about it, but I could tell I was using formal goodbyes in places where a simple salut /sa.ly/ — hi, bye would have felt friendlier.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know when to use au revoir /o ʁə.vwaʁ/, when to switch to salut /sa.ly/, how to wish people a bonne journée /bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/ — have a good day, and how not to accidentally say “good night” to a barista at 2 p.m. (yes, I did that too).
Quick Primer: Goodbye In French = Choice Of Tone
In English, “bye” is pretty flexible. In French, the goodbye you choose sends a clear signal about:
- Formality: polite vs casual
- Relationship: stranger vs friend
- Time of day / next contact: leaving for the day vs “see you in an hour”
The core pieces:
- au revoir /o ʁə.vwaʁ/ — goodbye (neutral–polite, works almost everywhere)
- salut /sa.ly/ — hi, bye (informal)
- bonne journée /bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/ — have a good day
- bonne soirée /bɔn swa.ʁe/ — have a good evening
- bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ — good night (when going to sleep)
- à bientôt /a bjɛ̃.to/ — see you soon
- à plus /a ply(s)/ — see you later
- à demain /a də.mɛ̃/ — see you tomorrow
The basic pattern in France:
- At the end of an interaction: say au revoir and/or a “have a nice X” phrase.
- With friends: switch to salut, à plus, etc.
- At night, when people are going to bed: bonne nuit (not during the evening while you’re still out in the world).
Once this little map is clear, the rest is just pronunciation and picking your favorite combos.
Core Goodbye Phrases You’ll Hear Everywhere
Let’s start with the workhorses.
Au Revoir: The Default Safe Goodbye
On first mention we already saw:
- au revoir /o ʁə.vwaʁ/ — goodbye
This is polite, neutral, and works almost anywhere: shops, offices, phone calls, with strangers, with people you don’t know well.
| French | IPA | English |
| Au revoir. | o ʁə.vwaʁ | Goodbye. |
| Au revoir, bonne journée. | o ʁə.vwaʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne | Goodbye, have a good day. |
| Au revoir, à demain. | o ʁə.vwaʁ a də.mɛ̃ | Goodbye, see you tomorrow. |
Pronunciation tip: don’t pronounce the “re” like English rev; it’s more like a tiny rə and the “oi” in voir /vwaʁ/ is like “wah.”
Salut: Friendly Hi And Bye
On first mention:
- salut /sa.ly/ — hi, bye
You use salut only with people you would also call tu /ty/ — you (informal): friends, classmates, maybe friendly colleagues your age if you’re already on a casual footing.
| French | IPA | English |
| Salut ! | sa.ly | Hi! / Bye! |
| Salut, à demain. | sa.ly a də.mɛ̃ | Bye, see you tomorrow. |
Never use salut to a doctor, a bank clerk, your boss you barely know, or an angry French administration person. They might not explode, but they won’t love it.
Bonjour And Bonsoir As You Leave
We met bonjour /bɔ̃.ʒuʁ/ — hello, good morning, good afternoon and bonsoir /bɔ̃.swaʁ/ — good evening (greeting) in the previous article, but you’ll sometimes hear them used as people step away, especially in quick shop interactions.
Still, for learners, it’s clearer to think:
- Bonjour / Bonsoir → greeting when you arrive
- Au revoir + “have a nice X” → when you leave
Polite And Professional Goodbyes
Here’s what I wish someone had given me before my first doctor’s appointment in France: a mini menu of polite endings that sound native.
Goodbye + Have A Good Day / Evening
On first mention:
- bonne journée /bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/ — have a good day
- bonne soirée /bɔn swa.ʁe/ — have a good evening
You’ll hear them constantly at the end of interactions.
| French | IPA | English |
| Au revoir, bonne journée. | o ʁə.vwaʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne | Goodbye, have a good day. |
| Au revoir, bonne soirée. | o ʁə.vwaʁ bɔn swa.ʁe | Goodbye, have a good evening. |
| Bonne journée, au revoir. | bɔn ʒuʁ.ne o ʁə.vwaʁ | Have a good day, goodbye. |
Use bonne journée during the daytime, usually until late afternoon. Switch to bonne soirée when it feels like “evening mode” (people going home, lights on, dinner time).
On The Phone Or In Formal Contexts
A few extra polite options:
- Je vous souhaite une bonne journée. /ʒə vu swɛt yn bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/ — I wish you a good day.
- Merci, au revoir. /mɛʁ.si o ʁə.vwaʁ/ — Thank you, goodbye.
Example phone ending:
Merci pour votre appel, au revoir, bonne journée. /mɛʁ.si puʁ vɔ.tʁa.ʁa.pɛl o ʁə.vwaʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/
Thank you for your call, goodbye, have a good day.
Usage Notes & Common Mistakes
Many beginners stop at merci and forget any goodbye at all. In France, adding au revoir and/or bonne journée makes you sound much more polite and complete.
Another common mistake: saying bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ — good night when leaving a restaurant at 8 p.m. while everyone is still awake and social. French people save bonne nuit for when someone is literally going to bed or clearly calling it a night.
Casual And Friendly Goodbyes
With friends, classmates, and people you “tutoyer” (use tu /ty/ with), you can relax.
Salut, À Plus, À Plus Tard
We already saw salut /sa.ly/ — hi, bye. Here are a few more:
- à plus /a ply(s)/ — see you, see you later (often pronounced like a plu)
- à plus tard /a ply taʁ/ — see you later
| French | IPA | English |
| Salut, à plus ! | sa.ly a ply | Bye, see you! |
| À plus tard, merci. | a ply taʁ mɛʁ.si | See you later, thanks. |
À plus doesn’t guarantee when you’ll see them again; it’s relaxed and open-ended.
À Toute, À Tout À L’Heure, À Tout De Suite
On first mentions:
- à toute /a tut/ — see you later (short, informal)
- à tout à l’heure /a tu.ta.lœʁ/ — see you later (same day, usually fairly soon)
- à tout de suite /a tu də sɥit/ — see you in a moment
| French | IPA | English |
| À toute ! | a tut | See you later! (soon, informal) |
| À tout à l’heure. | a tu.ta.lœʁ | See you later (in a while, same day). |
| À tout de suite. | a tu də sɥit | See you in a moment. |
These are great for saying goodbye to someone you’ll see again in a few hours or minutes: another meeting, coming back from a break, etc.
Borrowed And Huggy: Ciao, Bisous
On first mentions:
- ciao /tʃao/ — bye, ciao (borrowed from Italian)
- bisous /bi.zu/ — kisses (used like “hugs and kisses” in casual closings)
More common in texts or between people who already know each other:
- Ciao, à demain ! /tʃao a də.mɛ̃/ — Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Bisous, bonne soirée. /bi.zu bɔn swa.ʁe/ — Kisses, have a good evening.
Use bisous only with friends, family, or very close colleagues. Not with your bank manager (unless you’re on truly special terms).
Usage Notes & Common Mistakes
English speakers often want to use à plus or ciao with everyone because they feel fun. In French, they’re firmly on the casual side. If you wouldn’t use tu with someone, stick to au revoir and bonne journée / bonne soirée.
Time-Specific “See You” Goodbyes
French loves those little à + time phrase structures.
On first mentions:
- à bientôt /a bjɛ̃.to/ — see you soon
- à demain /a də.mɛ̃/ — see you tomorrow
- à lundi /a lœ̃.di/ — see you Monday
- à ce soir /a sə swaʁ/ — see you this evening
- à la prochaine /a la pʁɔ.ʃɛn/ — see you next time
| French | IPA | English |
| À bientôt. | a bjɛ̃.to | See you soon. |
| À demain. | a də.mɛ̃ | See you tomorrow. |
| À lundi. | a lœ̃.di | See you Monday. |
| À ce soir. | a sə swaʁ | See you tonight / this evening. |
| À la prochaine. | a la pʁɔ.ʃɛn | See you next time. |
You can combine them with other goodbyes:
- Au revoir, à bientôt. /o ʁə.vwaʁ a bjɛ̃.to/ — Goodbye, see you soon.
- Salut, à demain ! /sa.ly a də.mɛ̃/ — Bye, see you tomorrow!
Usage Notes & Common Mistakes
Be careful with à bientôt. French people say it even if “soon” is vague; it’s more about friendly tone than a strict time promise. Don’t stress if you won’t literally see them within 48 hours.
Common Goodbye Mistakes (And How To Fix Them)
Let’s quickly clean up the most frequent goodbye bloopers I made so you don’t have to.
- Using salut with everyone
If you wouldn’t say tu to them, don’t say salut. Use bonjour or au revoir instead. - Saying bonne nuit too early
On first mention we saw:
- bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ — good night (when going to bed)
- bonne nuit /bɔn nɥi/ — good night (when going to bed)
- Use bonne nuit when people are actually going to sleep or clearly ending the night. Leaving a bar at 10 p.m.? Bonne soirée is your friend.
- No goodbye at all
Just saying merci and walking away can sound abrupt. In shops, cafés, and offices, aim for tiny combos like:
- Merci, au revoir. /mɛʁ.si o ʁə.vwaʁ/
- Merci, bonne journée. /mɛʁ.si bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/
- Merci, au revoir. /mɛʁ.si o ʁə.vwaʁ/
- Overusing à plus as if it were “see you literally later today”
À plus is vague and friendly. If you really will see them tomorrow, à demain is clearer, and for tonight, à ce soir sounds more natural.
Region Notes
We’re focusing on France French, but here’s what might shift elsewhere.
In France:
- Au revoir, bonne journée / bonne soirée is the polite backbone.
- Salut, à plus, à toute, à tout à l’heure are common among friends and colleagues who use tu.
In Québec:
- You’ll also hear bye /baj/ mixed in, influenced by English.
- Some expressions might sound more American or local, but au revoir, salut, bonne journée, bonne soirée are still standard.
In other francophone regions (Belgium, Switzerland, some African countries), you’ll encounter slight differences in frequency and tone, but if you stick to:
- Au revoir
- Salut (with people you tutoyer)
- Bonne journée / Bonne soirée / Bonne nuit
- À bientôt / À demain
you’ll be fully understandable.
Mini Dialogues
Three little goodbye scenes you can reuse.
1. At The Supermarket Checkout
Merci, ça fera 23 euros.
/mɛʁ.si sa fə.ʁa vɛ̃.tʁwa ø.ʁo/
Thank you, that’ll be 23 euros.
Voilà. Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
/vwa.la mɛʁ.si o ʁə.vwaʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne/
Here you go. Thanks, goodbye, have a good day.
Au revoir, bonne journée à vous aussi.
/o ʁə.vwaʁ bɔn ʒuʁ.ne a vu o.si/
Goodbye, have a good day to you too.
2. Leaving Work With A Colleague You Tutoyer
Bon, je rentre. Salut, à demain !
/bɔ̃ ʒə ʁɑ̃tʁ sa.ly a də.mɛ̃/
Right, I’m heading home. Bye, see you tomorrow!
Salut, bonne soirée !
/sa.ly bɔn swa.ʁe/
Bye, have a good evening!
Toi aussi, bonne soirée.
/twa o.si bɔn swa.ʁe/
You too, have a good evening.
3. After A Coffee With A New Acquaintance
Merci pour le café, c’était très sympa.
/mɛʁ.si puʁ lə ka.fe se.tɛ tʁɛ sɛ̃.pa/
Thanks for the coffee, it was really nice.
Avec plaisir. À bientôt !
/a.vɛk ple.ziʁ a bjɛ̃.to/
My pleasure. See you soon!
Oui, à bientôt, au revoir.
/wi a bjɛ̃.to o ʁə.vwaʁ/
Yes, see you soon, goodbye.
Quick Reference
A compact list you can screenshot.
| French | IPA | English |
| Au revoir. | o ʁə.vwaʁ | Goodbye. |
| Salut ! | sa.ly | Hi! / Bye! (informal) |
| Bonne journée. | bɔn ʒuʁ.ne | Have a good day. |
| Bonne soirée. | bɔn swa.ʁe | Have a good evening. |
| Bonne nuit. | bɔn nɥi | Good night (going to sleep). |
| À bientôt. | a bjɛ̃.to | See you soon. |
| À plus. | a ply(s) | See you, see you later. |
| À plus tard. | a ply taʁ | See you later. |
| À toute. | a tut | See you later (soon, informal). |
| À tout à l’heure. | a tu.ta.lœʁ | See you later (same day). |
| À tout de suite. | a tu də sɥit | See you in a moment. |
| À demain. | a də.mɛ̃ | See you tomorrow. |
| À lundi. | a lœ̃.di | See you Monday. |
| À ce soir. | a sə swaʁ | See you tonight / this evening. |
| À la prochaine. | a la pʁɔ.ʃɛn | See you next time. |
| Ciao ! | tʃao | Bye! (informal). |
| Bisous. | bi.zu | Kisses. (very informal, affectionate). |
| Merci, au revoir. | mɛʁ.si o ʁə.vwaʁ | Thank you, goodbye. |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Core Trio Loop (1 minute)
Say these three on repeat, slowly and clearly:
Au revoir.
Bonne journée.
Bonne soirée.
Focus on the difference between jourée /ʒuʁ.ne/ and soirée /swa.ʁe/. - Polite Combo Drill (1 minute)
Build three polite endings out loud:
- Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
- Merci, au revoir, bonne soirée.
- Au revoir, à demain.
- Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
- Casual Switch (1 minute)
Now do three informal ones for friends:
- Salut, à plus.
- Salut, à demain.
- À tout à l’heure.
- Salut, à plus.
- Time-Of-Day Scenarios (1 minute)
Imagine: leaving a café at 11 a.m., at 3 p.m., and at 9 p.m.
Say what you would use each time. For example:
- 11 a.m.: Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
- 3 p.m.: Merci, au revoir, bonne après-midi / bonne journée.
- 9 p.m.: Merci, bonne soirée, au revoir.
- 11 a.m.: Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
- Mini-Dialogue Shadowing (1 minute)
Pick one Mini Dialogue and read both roles three times, copying the rhythm. Then try once with your eyes closed to see how much you remember. - Real-Life Test Mission
Next time you leave a shop, café, or class, use a full French goodbye:
Merci, au revoir, bonne journée.
That tiny sentence will probably get you a nicer smile than anything you say in English.
One Last Au Revoir From The Yak
Goodbyes in French aren’t just polite noise; they’re little social rituals that tell people how you see them: formal guest, future friend, or “see you every morning at the bakery” human. Once au revoir, salut, and their friends feel natural in your mouth, that awkward exit moment stops being scary — and starts feeling like the part where you get to leave a good last impression, hoof wave included.