How to say goodbye in French

French gives you several ways to end an interaction. Au revoir works in many situations, while expressions such as à bientôt and à demain can tell someone when you expect to see them again. You can also end an interaction by wishing someone a good day or evening.

To start a conversation in French, see How to greet someone in French.

Start with au revoir

Au revoir is the standard French expression for "goodbye." You can use it with people you know and people you have just met.

Like bonjour, au revoir works across a wide range of everyday situations. You might use it when leaving a shop, finishing an appointment, or saying goodbye to someone you know.

With friends and other people you know well, salut can also mean "bye." The same informal expression can therefore open or end a conversation. See How to greet someone in French for salut as a greeting.

Say when you expect to meet again

French has several expressions built with à that refer to seeing someone again. The expression you choose can depend on when you expect that to happen.

À demain is specific: use it when you expect to see the person the next day. À bientôt does not give an exact time, while à plus tard points to later.

In casual conversation, you may also hear à plus ! as a shortened form of à plus tard. It is useful to recognize, especially among friends.

Bonjour or bonne journée?

Bonjour and bonne journée both contain jour, but they have different roles in an interaction. Bonjour greets someone, while bonne journée wishes them a good day as you leave.

You might say bonjour when you enter a shop and bonne journée when you leave. In the evening, the same pattern works with bonsoir and bonne soirée.

Bonne nuit is different. It is associated with going to bed or ending the night. It does not simply replace bonne soirée when you say goodbye in the evening.

Combining expressions

French speakers can combine a general goodbye with another expression that fits what happens next.

These combinations let you end the interaction while also referring to the next meeting or wishing the other person well.

From learning to practice

In everyday conversation, the way you leave depends on what happens next. As these expressions become familiar, ending an interaction can become as natural as starting one.