waving_hand How to say

How to say “see you tomorrow” and “see you soon” in Fon

Taking leave in Fon isn’t limited to E ɖabɔ. Depending on whether you’ll meet again tomorrow, soon or with no set date, the formula changes — and it says a lot about the relationship.

schedule 5 min
signal_cellular_alt Beginner
1
Tomorrow

Sɔ̀, and what attaches to it

Sɔ̀ means “tomorrow”. Used alone with the emphatic particle, it’s enough to take leave for the day.
Sɔ̀ wɛ !
See you tomorrow!
Sɔ̀tomorrow
Sɔ̀ tɔ̀nthe day after tomorrow
Un nà wǎ sɔI will come tomorrow
2
Seeing each other again

“We will see each other again”

The most common formula doesn’t say “goodbye” but “we will see each other” — parting is presented as an appointment, not an ending.
Sɔ̀, mǐ nà mɔ̀ mǐsee you tomorrow
Mǐ nà mɔ̀ mǐ ɖěsee you soon
Mì ɖíè !goodbye, see you soon

These words spoken by a native speaker: Parlons Fongbe Academy — 79 video lessons with a native speaker.Discover

3
No set date

The neutral goodbye

E ɖabɔ remains the all-purpose formula, usable with anyone at any time. It’s the one to learn first if you only learn one.
E ɖabɔgoodbye
Zǎn ganjigood night
schedule

Never leave abruptly

In Benin, leaving a conversation without a parting phrase is as frowned upon as arriving without greeting. The exit is part of the exchange.

4
Going further

Placing things in time

Saying “tomorrow” quickly means knowing how to say “next week”, “after the rains”, “at the next market day”. Fon organizes time differently from English — a whole chapter of the Parlons Fongbe Academy is devoted to it: the day, the hours, the five seasons, the moon, the future and the calendar.
Time markers in Fon

Leaving while announcing your return

Fon prefers “we will see each other again” to “goodbye”. It’s a small difference in language, and a big difference in culture.

à ≠ ǎ
One tone, and everything changes
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