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adieu
/a.djø/
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