adieu
/a.djø/interjection★Intermediate💡 goodbye
“Il m'a dit adieu avant de partir.”
He said goodbye to me before leaving.
formalliterary
A formal or poetic way to say goodbye, often implying a final or emotional farewell.
Elle lui a lancé un dernier adieu avant de disparaître dans la foule.
She gave him a final goodbye before vanishing into the crowd.
💡
Often used in literature or formal contexts to convey a sense of finality or deep emotion.
Collocations
lancer un adieuto give a farewellun dernier adieua final goodbye
💡Pro Tip
Formal vs. Informal
Use 'adieu' for formal or emotional goodbyes, while 'au revoir' is more casual.
📖Word Origin
From Old French 'a Dieu' (to God), a shortened form of 'je vous recommande à Dieu' (I commend you to God).
📝Usage Notes
While 'au revoir' is more common in everyday French, 'adieu' is used for more formal or emotional farewells.
Word Breakdown
à
to
prepositionDieu
God
nounDictionnaire Français-Anglais