The usual way to say see you later in French is À plus tard (ah plew TAR), shortened among friends to À plus ! (ah PLEWSS). If you will see the person again the same day, say À tout à l'heure (ah too-tah-LUHR). À bientôt means see you soon, with no time fixed. None changes with tu or vous.
- See you later
- À plus tard
- Casual
- À plus ! (A+ in texts)
- Later today
- À tout à l'heure
- See you soon
- À bientôt
- Level
- A1
À plus tard, à tout à l'heure or à bientôt?
French is more precise than English here: the phrase tells the other person roughly when you expect to see them. Pick by time, not by politeness. À (until) plus a time word gives you as many versions as you need.
| French | English | When you'll meet again |
|---|---|---|
| À tout de suite ! | See you in a minute! | Very soon; you're just stepping out |
| À tout à l'heure ! | See you later! | Later the same day |
| À plus tard ! | See you later! | Later, not fixed; neutral |
| À plus ! / A+ | See ya! / Later! | Casual, friends and texts |
| À ce soir ! | See you tonight! | This evening |
| À demain ! | See you tomorrow! | Tomorrow |
| À lundi ! | See you on Monday! | A named day |
| À bientôt ! | See you soon! | Some time soon; also polite in shops and on the phone |
| À la prochaine ! | Till next time! | No plan; friendly |
À bientôt is the one you hear when people end a phone call or leave a shop, even when they may never meet again. In a Contos B2 story, a mysterious bidder rings a small-town auctioneer and hangs up just as smoothly:
« Bien sûr, bien sûr, répondit la voix. Merci, à bientôt. »How do you pronounce à plus?
Sound the s: "ah PLEWSS". That is the casual, see-ya version. In à plus tard the s stays silent, "ah plew TAR". The written shortcut A+ in messages is read the same way as à plus.
À tout à l'heure is said fast, almost as one word: "ah-too-tah-LUHR". The t of tout links to the à that follows, and you will hear it shrink to à tout' among friends.
How do you say goodbye and see you later together?
Most goodbyes come in a pair: a parting word, then a when. Au revoir stays formal enough for anyone; salut and ciao are for friends (see how to say goodbye in French). Add a wish for the rest of the day and you sound fluent.
Au revoir, madame, à demain !
Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
Salut, à plus !
Bye, see ya!
Friends.
Bonne journée, à bientôt !
Have a good day, see you soon!
Allez, j'y vais. À tout à l'heure !
Right, I'm off. See you later!
On se voit ce week-end ?
Shall we see each other this weekend?
Do Belgians or Québécois say it differently?
Everything above works across the French-speaking world. Belgium and Québec add à tantôt for later, often later today; in France, tantôt sounds old-fashioned or regional. You will also hear bye and bye-bye in Québec and, increasingly, among young people in France.
Read A1 French chapters that end on a cliffhanger, so you'll want to see the characters again soon.
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Is à plus rude?
Not rude, just informal. It's perfect with friends, classmates and colleagues you know well. With a client, a shopkeeper or an older stranger, use au revoir or à bientôt instead.
What is the difference between à tout à l'heure and à plus tard?
À tout à l'heure means later today, when you know you will meet again soon. À plus tard is vaguer: later, at some point. If you won't see them today, avoid à tout à l'heure.
How do you say see you tomorrow in French?
À demain ! (ah duh-MAN). To be more exact: à demain matin (tomorrow morning) or à demain soir (tomorrow evening).
How do you reply to à bientôt?
Echo it back: Oui, à bientôt ! or À bientôt, bonne journée ! Most goodbye phrases in French are answered with the same phrase.