Meaning & use
au revoir
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Meanings
interjection
A farewell said when you expect to see the other person again; borrowed from French.
Grammar: Stands alone as a complete remark; it takes no object and is not used before a name.
Patterns
- say au revoir to someone
- wave au revoir
She waved and called 'Au revoir!' as the train pulled out.
Au revoir, everyone — see you next term.
He said a cheerful au revoir at the door and promised to call.
nouncountable
An instance of saying this French farewell, or the word itself used as a countable noun.
Grammar: Countable, so it can take 'a' or a plural: a quick au revoir, several au revoirs.
Patterns
- say a quick au revoir
- exchange au revoirs
We said a quick au revoir and hurried to the gate.
Their au revoir was brief but warm.
He gave a little au revoir before closing the door.
Word forms
| plural | au revoirs |
|---|
Common combinations
- say au revoir
- Say au revoir to your host before you leave.
- wave au revoir
- The children waved au revoir from the window.
- a fond au revoir
- It was a fond au revoir rather than a sad one.
- bid someone au revoir
- She bid her colleagues au revoir at the end of the project.
- au revoir for now
- Au revoir for now — I'll email you next week.
- a quick au revoir
- He popped in for a quick au revoir on his way to the airport.
Synonyms and how they differ
- goodbye
- The ordinary English word; use it in almost any situation, while 'au revoir' sounds deliberately French or slightly playful.
- farewell
- Much more formal and often suggests a long or permanent parting, unlike 'au revoir'.
- see you
- Very informal and common in speech; it carries the same idea of meeting again but is not foreign.
- ciao
- An Italian borrowing used in a similar casual way, though it can also mean 'hello'.
Opposites
Word family
- adieu interjection
- A French farewell used when you do not expect to meet again.
Commonly confused: au revoir or adieu? au revoir or bon voyage?
au revoir vs adieu
Both are French farewells, but 'adieu' suggests a final parting, while 'au revoir' looks forward to another meeting.
au revoir vs bon voyage
This is said to someone who is about to travel, not as a general goodbye.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'au revoir' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Au revoir' fits a parting where another meeting is expected, as in the first option. The second suggests a permanent break, where 'adieu' or 'farewell' would be better; the third confuses it with 's'il vous plaît'; and the fourth wrongly uses it as a greeting on arrival.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “au revoir”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.