Telling someone you’ll see them later is a great way to make goodbyes feel warmer and less final. That is why learning to say “see you later” in Italian is a great way to diversify your Italian greetings. As always happens with the Italian language, however, there’s no single way to say it!
The more Italian words and expressions you learn, the easier it will be to speak confidently and build real connections. So, non perdiamo altro tempo (let’s not waste any more time): dive into all the Italian ways to say “see you later” and when to use each one.
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How do you say ‘see you later’ In Italian?
Before going deeper into each expression, there’s one crucial cultural difference to know. In English, you can say “see you later” even if you don’t know when (or if) you’ll see the person again. However, when Italians say it, they mean it and expect to see you again that same day.
Here are the most common ways to say it and when to use each so you don’t accidentally ghost your Italian friends.
Ci vediamo dopo
If you want to say “see you later,” the most common way is ci vediamo dopo. It’s an almost exact translation of the English, even though the structure is a bit different:
- ci = each other
- vediamo = see
- dopo = after/later
You can use this phrase every time you plan to see someone later on the same day, and you both know about it:
- Ci vediamo dopo. = See you later.
- Sì, passa a prendermi alle cinque. = Yes, pick me up at five o’clock.
You can also formulate it like a question to confirm your meetup:
- Ci vediamo dopo? = See you later?
- Certo, mi troverai qui. = Sure, I’ll be here.
Ci vediamo più tardi
Another straightforward translation of “see you later” is ci vediamo più tardi (dopo and più tardi are both Italian adverbs meaning “later”).
- Adesso vado, ci vediamo più tardi. = I’m heading out now. See you later.
You’ll also often hear Italians saying, ci si vede più tardi, usually addressing a group of friends instead of just one person:
- Ok ragazzi, ci si vede più tardi! = Alright guys, see you later!
A dopo
If conjugating Italian verbs feels intimidating, skip them and keep your sentence short and sweet by saying a dopo.
- Rientro nel pomeriggio. = I’ll be back in the afternoon.
- Okay. A dopo. = Okay. See you later.
This expression sounds natural as a quick reply, so it will do the trick even if you’re starting to learn Italian and are not yet confident.
Note: Italian speakers use the structure a (to/until) + adverb/time all the time for their farewells. Keep reading, and you’ll see how many expressions you can build this way.
A più tardi
Short like a dopo, a più tardi also works perfectly in casual interactions, and the two expressions are basically interchangeable in everyday Italian.
A tra poco/fra poco
At this point, you have learned four expressions to use when seeing someone later that day. But if you are stepping away only for a few minutes, you can use a tra poco or ci vediamo tra poco (see you in a bit).
- Finisco una chiamata e torno. A tra poco. = I’ll make a call and come back. See you in a little while.
A domani
Like in English, you can tie your “see you later” in Italian to the exact time you’ll reconnect—in this case, “tomorrow.” However, you can insert any other day or moment after a.
- A domani. = See you tomorrow.
- A stasera. = See you tonight.
This is also perfect to say to a client you have regular meetings with or to your gym buddy you see every week. And you can build these expressions with every time frame, so knowing the days of the week in Italian comes in handy, too:
- A lunedì. = See you Monday.
- A domenica. = See you Sunday.
- A settimana prossima. = See you next week.
Saying ‘see you later’ when you don’t know when that’ll be
Sometimes, you don’t know when you’ll see someone again. Or, maybe you just want to be polite, even if you won’t meet again. The Italian expressions in the chart depart slightly from the literal meaning of “see you later” but are the perfect substitute in these situations.
| Italian | English |
| A presto. | See you soon |
| Alla prossima. | Until next time. |
| Arrivederci. | Goodbye (formal greeting, lit. Until we meet again.) |
| Ci becchiamo./Ci si becca. | Catch you later (Italian slang) |
| Ci sentiamo. | I’ll be in touch. |
| Ci si vede in giro. | See you around. (very informal) |
| Ci vediamo. | See you. |
Communication goes beyond memorization; even a simple greeting can shift with context and gestures in Italian (yep, Italians speak more with their hands than any other nationality).
So, choose an immersive method that always puts language in context. Discover more cultural insights, bite-size lessons, and online tutoring at Rosetta Stone.
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