Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[learner1]

Hello,

What is the difference among these expressions: 'see you', 'see you later', 'see you around' and 'good-bye'?

Thanks a lot.

[CP]

"Good-bye," short for "God be with ye / you," is the polite way to signal to someone that the meeting or conversation is over and you are now leaving. People often shorten it to "Bye" or "Bye-bye," which is baby talk that most people actually use at the end of a telephone conversation.

The other three expressions in your question are variations on the same thing, a less formal way to say "Good-bye" and "I [hope I] will see you again."

"See you later, alligator" requires the other person to answer, "In a while, crocodile."
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[learner1]

Hello CP,

Thank you very much for your reply. And your answer is very informative.