das Adieu
farewell
A farewell or a parting greeting.
EXAMPLE
Nach einem kurzen Adieu verließ sie das Haus.
After a brief farewell, she left the house.
das Adieu
farewell
das Adieu, die Adieus
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Meanings
Adieu sagen
to say farewell
To say goodbye to someone.
EXAMPLE
Wir sagten unseren Freunden Adieu und gingen zum Bahnhof.
We said farewell to our friends and went to the train station.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Adieu, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Adieus |
| genitive | des Adieus |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Adieu | die Adieus |
| accusative | das Adieu | die Adieus |
| dative | dem Adieu | den Adieus |
| genitive | des Adieus | der Adieus |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Register and style
'Adieu' (farewell) generally sounds elevated, literary, or humorous in German and is less common in neutral everyday speech. Its stylistic tone depends heavily on the context.
EXAMPLE
Mit einem feierlichen Adieu verließ der Schauspieler die Bühne.
With a solemn farewell, the actor left the stage.
Typical collocations
As a noun, 'Adieu' (farewell) is often used with an indefinite article and a descriptive adjective, for example 'ein kurzes Adieu' (a brief farewell) or 'ein herzliches Adieu' (a heartfelt farewell).
EXAMPLE
Zum Abschluss des Festes rief die Gastgeberin allen ein herzliches Adieu zu.
At the end of the celebration, the host called out a heartfelt farewell to everyone.
Dative construction
In the fixed expression 'jemandem Adieu sagen' (to say farewell to someone), the person being said goodbye to is in the dative. The construction can also be used without naming the person being addressed.
EXAMPLE
Bevor er nach Kanada auswanderte, sagte er seinen Nachbarn Adieu.
Before emigrating to Canada, he said farewell to his neighbors.
In real life
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