Wiedersehen

Wiedersehen is a German noun meaning a reunion or the act of seeing someone again. It derives from wieder (again) and sehen (to see). In ordinary German, the phrase Auf Wiedersehen is the standard farewell, literally “until we see (each other) again,” used in formal and informal contexts alike. The noun das Wiedersehen refers to the act of meeting someone again after a period of separation; it is typically used in the singular.

A related expression is Auf Wiederhören, used at the end of a telephone conversation and translating roughly as “until we hear (each other) again.” While Wiedersehen emphasizes visual contact, Wiederhören emphasizes auditory contact.

Beyond everyday speech, the term appears in titles and motifs in German-language literature, film, and music, where it signals themes of reunion, enduring connection, or farewell. In English-language contexts, Wiedersehen is sometimes used to convey the German concept of a future meeting without translation.

In usage notes, Wiedersehen focuses on the anticipated future encounter rather than the place or occasion of the meeting; terms like Begegnung describe the encounter itself. The word is widely recognized in German and is part of polite, culturally specific speech.