nos vemos
Lemma Details
Translation: see you; see you later; goodbye; bye
Part of Speech: phrase
Etymology: This common Spanish farewell phrase combines 'nos' (the reflexive pronoun 'us/ourselves') with 'vemos' (first-person plural present tense of 'ver', meaning 'to see'). Literally translated as 'we see each other', it functions similarly to the English 'see you' or 'see you later'. The verb 'ver' comes from Latin 'videre' (to see), which is related to English words like 'video', 'vision', and 'visible'.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'nos' as 'us' and 'vemos' as 'we see' - literally 'we see us' or 'we see each other'
- Remember it's like saying 'see you' in English, but with the word order reversed ('us see' instead of 'see you')
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This is one of the most common informal ways to say goodbye in Spanish-speaking countries. It's friendly and implies that you expect to see the person again. It's used among friends, family, colleagues, and even with acquaintances. In some Latin American countries, it might be shortened to just 'nos vemos' while in Spain you might hear 'nos vemos luego' more frequently.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Nos vemos' is present tense ('we see each other'), while 'nos veremos' is future tense ('we will see each other'). Both are used as farewells, but 'nos veremos' emphasizes a future meeting more explicitly.
Confused word:
Nos veremos el próximo año en la reunión.
We will see each other next year at the meeting.
Notes: Both phrases are correct and commonly used as goodbyes, with slightly different time implications.
Mnemonic: The '-emos' ending in 'veremos' indicates future tense, like 'we WILL see'
Explanation: While 'nos vemos' literally means 'we see each other', 'hasta la vista' means 'until the seeing' or 'until we see each other again'. 'Hasta la vista' is slightly more formal and less commonly used in everyday speech.
Notes: 'Nos vemos' is much more common in everyday conversation.
Mnemonic: 'Hasta la vista' was popularized by the Terminator movies, while 'nos vemos' is what real Spanish speakers use daily.