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PhrasesSaying GoodbyeCi rivediamo prima o poi!
B1informal

Ci rivediamo prima o poi!

We'll see each other sooner or later!

Pronunciation

'Prima o poi' — PRI-ma o POI. Stress on the first and last syllables. 'Prima' (before/sooner), 'poi' (then/later).

When to use it

Use with acceptance of uncertainty about the next meeting — you trust the relationship enough to know you'll meet again, even without planning when. Relaxed and confident.

What it means

'Prima o poi' (sooner or later) is a very Italian expression of patient certainty — something will happen, you're not sure exactly when, but you're sure it will. Applied to a reunion, it expresses both confidence in the relationship and acceptance of life's unpredictability.

Variations

Il mondo è piccolo, ci si incontra.

The world is small, you meet again.

Philosophical — 'il mondo è piccolo' (the world is small) = paths will cross again

Le strade si incrociano sempre.

Paths always cross.

Fatalistic Italian wisdom — 'incrociare' (to cross) suggests destiny brings people back together

La vita ci porterà di nuovo insieme.

Life will bring us together again.

Poetic — personifies life as an agent that reunites people

Mini Dialogue

— Non so quando ci rivedremo. — Ci rivediamo prima o poi! Il mondo è piccolo. — È vero. Speriamo presto. — Prima o poi, fidati.

— I don't know when we'll see each other again. — We'll see each other sooner or later! The world is small. — True. Hopefully soon. — Sooner or later, trust me.

Cultural Note

Italian social philosophy accepts that life separates people but also reconnects them. 'Il mondo è piccolo' (the world is small) — a sentiment Italians feel acutely in their densely networked social culture where social circles overlap across generations and regions.