French - Farewells

Lesson 143 of 159

Learner practicing French farewells: À bientôt, Bonne soirée, Bon week-end.

Goal: Common French goodbyes for everyday life

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Quick and friendly — let's practice short French goodbyes you can use every day. Repeat after the audio, try the mini-dialogue, then speak the phrases aloud.

Level A1: In Lesson 143 you will learn six common French farewells used in France (À tout à l'heure, À bientôt, Bon week-end, Bonne soirée, À la prochaine, Je te laisse). This CEFR-aligned mini-lesson focuses on hearing each phrase in context, repeating it, and choosing the right phrase for simple situations.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and use six common French farewell phrases
  • Understand when to use each farewell (same day, evening, weekend, casual goodbyes)
  • Practice speaking each phrase aloud in short conversations (A1 level)
Two friends saying goodbye in French on a Friday evening; examples include Bonne soirée and Bon week-end.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

À tout à l'heure.

See you later today.

Meaning: See you later today.

When to use: Use when you expect to see the person again later the same day.

Tip: Don't use this if you won't see the person again the same day; learners sometimes confuse it with À bientôt.

Je dois partir au travail, à tout à l'heure !
I have to go to work, see you later today!
On se retrouve à tout à l'heure au café.
We'll meet later today at the café.

À bientôt.

See you soon.

Meaning: See you soon.

When to use: Useful when you do not know exactly when you will meet again.

Merci pour ton aide, à bientôt !
Thanks for your help, see you soon!
On se reparle la semaine prochaine, à bientôt.
We'll talk next week, see you soon.

Bon week-end.

Have a good weekend.

Meaning: Have a good weekend.

When to use: Common on Fridays or before the weekend.

C'est vendredi — bon week-end à tous !
It's Friday — have a good weekend everyone!
Bon week-end, repose-toi bien.
Have a good weekend, rest well.

Bonne soirée.

Have a good evening.

Meaning: Have a good evening.

When to use: Use when leaving someone in the evening; not usually used when arriving.

Tip: Don’t use this when you are arriving at an evening event — it’s for leaving.

Je vous souhaite une bonne soirée, à demain.
I wish you a good evening, see you tomorrow.
Je te laisse — bonne soirée !
I have to go — have a good evening!

À la prochaine.

See you next time.

Meaning: See you next time.

When to use: Casual and friendly; often used at the end of a meeting or class.

Cours fini — à la prochaine !
Class is over — see you next time!
Merci pour aujourd'hui, à la prochaine.
Thanks for today, see you next time.

Je te laisse.

I'll let you go. / I have to go now.

Meaning: I'll let you go. / I have to go now.

When to use: Common polite way to end a phone call or conversation. For vous: Je vous laisse.

Tip: Remember to use Je vous laisse in formal situations; learners sometimes forget the polite form.

Désolé, je te laisse, j'ai une réunion.
Sorry, I have to go, I have a meeting.
Je te laisse — on se rappelle demain.
I'll let you go — we'll call each other tomorrow.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna and David say goodbyes after a late afternoon meetup on Friday.

Short dialogue between Anna and David using casual farewells like À la prochaine and Je te laisse.

What farewell does David use to wish Anna a good weekend?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Je dois y aller, je te laisse.

I have to go, I'll let you go.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

D'accord. À tout à l'heure ?

Okay. See you later today?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Non, pas aujourd'hui. À bientôt !

No, not today. See you soon!

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Bon week-end, Anna !

Have a good weekend, Anna!

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Merci — bonne soirée !

Thanks — have a good evening!

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

À la prochaine !

See you next time!

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase means 'Have a good evening'?

Which phrase would you say when you expect to see someone again later the same day?

Which phrase is best for a casual 'See you next time' at the end of a class?

Which phrase would you use to end a phone call politely because you must go?

It's Friday afternoon and you are leaving the office: Bon week-end.

It's Friday afternoon and you are leaving the office: __

After a short meeting you expect to meet the person again in an hour: À tout à l'heure.

After a short meeting you expect to meet the person again in an hour: __

You're ending a friendly phone call: Je te laisse.

You're ending a friendly phone call: __

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

À tout à l'heure.

See you later today.

Say this phrase out loud:

À bientôt.

See you soon.

Say this phrase out loud:

Bon week-end.

Have a good weekend.

Say this phrase out loud:

Bonne soirée.

Have a good evening.

Say this phrase out loud:

À la prochaine.

See you next time.

Say this phrase out loud:

Je te laisse.

I'll let you go.