"A bien tot"

[nq:1]Can someone please tell me what "a bien tot" means literally?[/nq]
Until soon, i.e., see ya soon

Alan Crozier
Lund
Sweden

Dena Jo wrote on 03 Jun 2004:
[nq:1]Can someone please tell me what "a bien tot" means literally?[/nq]
Misusing my French dictionary, you probably don't want to know that in this case,
a = in
bien = good
tot = soon
That's really literal (but without all the diacritics) and a good demonstration of the need to understand everyday idioms.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical

[nq:1]Can someone please tell me what "a bien tot" means literally?[/nq]
"à bientôt" = "see you soon"
"à" is wide-ranging preposition, perhaps best considered equivalent to "to" or "for" here.
"bientôt" = "soon" (adverb)

[nq:2]Can someone please tell me what "a bien tot" means literally?[/nq]
[nq:1]Until soon, i.e., see ya soon[/nq]
But what does it mean literally? What does tot mean?

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain. Have I confused you? Go here:
http://myweb.cab

[nq:1]"à bientôt" = "see you soon" "à" is wide-ranging preposition, perhaps best considered equivalent to "to" or "for" here. "bientôt" = "soon" (adverb)[/nq]
That's where I was ******** up. I thought it was three words.

Thank you, Martin, and thanks to everyone else who helped.

Dena Jo
Email goes to denajo2 at the dot com variation of the Yahoo domain. Have I confused yo

Dena Jo typed thus:
[nq:2]"=E0 bient=F4t" =3D "see you soon" "=E0" is wide-ranging preposition, perhaps best considered equivalent to=20 "to" or "for" here. "bient=F4t" =3D "soon" (adverb)[/nq]
[nq:1]That's where I was ******** up. I thought it was three words. Thank you, Martin, and thanks to everyone else who helped.[/nq]
I've missed the discussion, but it's worth adding that althoug

[nq:1]But what does it mean literally? What does tot mean?[/nq]
Bientot is all one word and it means "soon". "Tot" means "early".

Katy

[nq:2]But what does it mean literally? What does tot mean?[/nq]
[nq:1]Bientot is all one word and it means "soon". "Tot" means "early".[/nq]
And 'tot' also means 'soon'. So 'bientot' is 'well soon', innit? Used where we might use 'See you soon'.

John Dean
Oxford

[nq:2]Bientot is all one word and it means "soon". "Tot" means "early".[/nq]
[nq:1]And 'tot' also means 'soon'. So 'bientot' is 'well soon', innit? Used where we might use 'See you soon'.[/nq]
You might say 'right soon' in English,
to get as close as possible,
Jan

[nq:2]Bientot is all one word and it means "soon". "Tot" means "early".[/nq]
[nq:1]And 'tot' also means 'soon'. So 'bientot' is 'well soon', innit? Used where we might use 'See you soon'.[/nq]
I can't offhand think of an English sentence using "soon" which I would render in French using "tot". But I expect you can provide me with one.

And "bientot", of course, turns up in many con