Au revoir vs adieu: how to say goodbye in French

Au revoir is the normal, all-purpose “goodbye” in French — you can use it in almost any situation, from a shop to an office. It literally means “until we see each other again”, so it carries the idea that you expect to meet once more. Adieu also means “goodbye”, but it is a final farewell — “goodbye forever”. It is rare, dramatic, and sounds literary; in everyday life, the safe and correct choice is always au revoir.

The table is the quick rule. The list below gives you the spoken forms to recognize and pronounce, including the casual and time-based goodbyes you reach for most.

Au revoir: the everyday goodbye

Reach for au revoir by default. It works with strangers, in shops, at work, and with people you know — it is polite without being stiff. As with hello, French politeness expects you to say it on the way out.

Au revoir, madame. À demain !
Goodbye, madam. See you tomorrow!

In fast speech it can sound like “‘voir”, but the full form is what you learn and write.

Adieu: a farewell, not a goodbye

Adieu means you do not expect to see the person again — it suits a permanent goodbye or a heavy, emotional moment, and it shows up a lot in songs, films and old literature. Using it for an ordinary parting sounds melodramatic, as if you were saying farewell forever to someone you’ll see tomorrow.

Adieu, mon ami. Je ne reviendrai pas.
Farewell, my friend. I won’t come back.

Unless you truly mean “we’ll never meet again”, choose au revoir.

Casual and timed goodbyes

Most real goodbyes are softened with a casual or time-based phrase. These are the ones you’ll actually use day to day:

• salut — informal “bye” (and “hi”) with friends;
• à bientôt — “see you soon”;
• à plus tard (often just à plus) — “see you later”;
• à demain — “see you tomorrow”;
• bonne journée / bonne soirée — “have a good day / evening” as you leave.

Salut, à plus tard ! — Bonne journée !
Bye, see you later! — Have a good day!

Common mistakes

Using adieu as a normal goodbye

For an everyday parting, adieu is far too final. Use au revoir.

Adieu ! (leaving the bakery) → Au revoir !
Goodbye!

Using salut with strangers or at work

Salut is friends-only. In a shop or a formal setting, it can sound too familiar.

Salut ! (to a shopkeeper you don’t know) → Au revoir !
Goodbye!

Saying bonne nuit just to leave

Bonne nuit (“good night”) is only for parting to sleep, not a general goodbye. To leave in the evening, use au revoir or bonne soirée.

Bonne nuit ! (leaving a party at 9 pm) → Bonne soirée ! / Au revoir !
Have a good evening! / Goodbye!

Goodbyes are the mirror image of greetings, so this pairs naturally with bonjour vs bonsoir and with the casual salut vs bonjour split. In Fluera you practise these phrases by ear in short everyday scenes — arriving, chatting, leaving — so the right goodbye comes out automatically. Try it when you practice French.

Practice