French Phrase
À tout à l'heure.
Meaning
Literally “to all to the hour,” this French idiom means “see you later” or “in a little while.” It implies that you expect to meet again within the same day, often within a few hours or minutes.
When to use
Use it when you are parting temporarily and plan to see the person again soon—after a coffee break, before a meeting resumes, or when you’ll return home later that day. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in both spoken and written casual contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Àtoutàl'heure
À (preposition)
The preposition à indicates a point in time; here it introduces the future moment when you’ll meet again.
tout (adverbial use)
In this idiom tout does not mean “all”; it works with à to form a fixed expression meaning “in a short while.”
l'heure (noun)
Literally “the hour,” it refers to the upcoming moment; the article l’ contracts with the vowel of heure.
🗨In Conversation
Je dois filer au travail, à tout à l'heure !
I have to head to work, see you later!
D'accord, à tout à l'heure !
Okay, see you in a bit!
✕Common Mistakes
À tout à l'heures.
Do not add an extra “s” (à tout à l'heures) – the expression is singular.
Je pars à l'étranger, à tout à l'heure.
Avoid using it for long‑term farewells; for that use “Au revoir” or “À bientôt.”
A tout a l'heure.
The accent on “à” is mandatory; omitting it changes the meaning.
↔Alternatives
À plus tard.
See you later.
À bientôt.
See you soon.
À tout de suite.
Right away / See you in a moment.
À plus.
Later (very informal).
Cultural Tip
The phrase is common across all French‑speaking regions, but in Quebec you’ll also hear “À tantôt,” which carries the same meaning. It’s polite to use the full form “À tout à l'heure” in professional settings, while friends may shorten it to “À tout” or “À plus.” Remember that it refers to a relatively short interval; using it for a meeting weeks away would sound odd.