How to Say See You Later in Spanish (+ Variations You'll Hear)

The most common way to say “see you later” in Spanish is hasta luego — but in Mexico, the goodbye you’ll hear most between friends is nos vemos (“we’ll see each other”). Spanish has a whole family of goodbyes graded by how soon you expect to meet again, and Mexicans have added a few of their own that no textbook teaches. Here’s the full map.

The main way to say it

Hasta luego — pronounced AHS-tah LWEH-goh.

Literally “until later,” this is the universal, always-safe goodbye. It works with your taxi driver, your teacher, the lady at the tortillería, and your friends. Note the silent h — it’s AHS-tah, never HAS-tah.

• Gracias por todo, ¡hasta luego! — Thanks for everything, see you later!
• Hasta luego, que le vaya bien. — See you later, take care. (A very Mexican send-off from shopkeepers.)

Between friends, nos vemos (nohs VEH-mohs) is even more common: short, warm, and it doesn’t commit you to a specific time.

Variations

Spanish	Pronunciation	Register	When to use it
Hasta luego	AHS-tah LWEH-goh	Universal	Safe everywhere, with everyone
Nos vemos	nohs VEH-mohs	Casual	Friends and peers — “see ya”
Ahí nos vemos	ah-EE nohs VEH-mohs	Very Mexican	”See you around” — relaxed, super common
Al rato / Nos vemos al rato	ahl RAH-toh	Very Mexican	”See you in a bit” — later the same day
Hasta mañana	AHS-tah mah-NYAH-nah	Universal	”See you tomorrow”
Hasta pronto	AHS-tah PROHN-toh	Neutral	”See you soon” — warm, slightly formal
Cuídate	KWEE-dah-teh	Casual	”Take care” — affectionate closer
Ahí nos vidrios	ah-EE nohs VEE-dryohs	Slang	Playful Mexican pun on nos vemos

Two of these deserve a closer look:

Al rato is pure Mexican timekeeping. Un rato is “a while,” so nos vemos al rato means “see you in a bit” — usually later the same day. Don’t confuse it with un ratito (“a little while”), which shrinks the wait even further, at least in theory.

Ahí nos vidrios is a classic Mexican albur-style pun — vidrios (window panes/glass) stands in for vemos just because it sounds similar. It’s jokey and generational; use it with friends who’ll appreciate the wordplay, not in a business meeting.

Hear it in context

Dialog 1 — Leaving a taquería

— Ya me voy, gracias. ¿Cuánto le debo? — Son ochenta pesos. ¡Hasta luego, que le vaya bien! — Igualmente, ¡hasta luego!

— I’m off, thanks. How much do I owe you? — Eighty pesos. See you later, have a good one! — Likewise, see you later!

Dialog 2 — Two friends parting after lunch

— Bueno, tengo que regresar a la oficina. — Va. Nos vemos al rato, ¿no? ¿Sigues yendo al gym? — Sí, a las siete. Ahí nos vemos, ¡cuídate!

— Well, I have to get back to the office. — Cool. See you in a bit, right? Still going to the gym? — Yeah, at seven. See you there, take care!

That little va is Mexican shorthand for “okay/deal” — one more marker of everyday CDMX speech.

Common mistakes

1. Using “adiós” for every goodbye. Adiós is correct but carries finality — it can feel like you don’t expect to see the person again soon. Among friends, nos vemos or hasta luego is warmer.

2. Pronouncing the “h” in hasta. Spanish h is always silent. AHS-tah, not HAS-tah. This one mistake instantly flags a beginner.

3. Translating “see you later” literally. Te veo más tarde is grammatical but stiff. Native speakers reach for the fixed phrases: nos vemos, al rato, hasta luego.

4. Confusing “hasta luego” with “hasta ahora.” Hasta luego = see you later (unspecified). If you genuinely mean minutes from now, Mexicans say al rato or ahorita vengo (“I’ll be right back”).

5. Treating “al rato” as a precise promise. Like ahorita, al rato is famously elastic in Mexico. It expresses intention, not a timestamp. Don’t set your watch by it.

Related phrases

Goodbyes bookend conversations — here’s what goes on either side:

• How to say “Nice to meet you” in Spanish — the other end of the encounter
• How to say “Excuse me” in Spanish — for slipping out of a group politely before the goodbye
• How to say “I’m sorry” in Spanish — when you’re leaving earlier than you should

For the full arrival-to-departure toolkit, check our guides to Spanish greetings and Spanish for travel.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “hasta luego” and “nos vemos”? Register, mostly. Hasta luego works everywhere; nos vemos is the friendlier, more casual choice between people who know each other. Meaning-wise they’re interchangeable.

Does “adiós” sound too dramatic? Not dramatic, just more final. It’s perfectly normal when leaving a shop or ending a phone call, but with friends you’ll see soon, nos vemos feels more natural.

What does “que te vaya bien” mean? Literally “may it go well for you” — the Mexican way to say “take care / have a good one” as someone leaves. Formal version: que le vaya bien. Reply with igualmente (“likewise”).

How do I say “see you tomorrow” or “see you Monday”? Hasta mañana and hasta el lunes. The hasta + time pattern works for any day: hasta el sábado, hasta la próxima (“until next time”).

---

The trick with goodbyes is that they fly by fast in real speech — quetevayabien comes out as one word. Practicing with Sofia, an AI Spanish tutor with a natural Mexican accent, lets you hear these send-offs at full speed and answer back until nos vemos is your reflex, not a translation.