Learn Dutch: Bedankt, tot ziens!

Bedankt is a general word for "thanks" that you can use with anyone, whether the situation is formal or informal. Dank je (informal) and dank u (formal) specifically mean "thank you" and change depending on who you are talking to.

What does tot literally mean in this sentence?

The word tot means "until." The phrase tot ziens literally translates to "until seeing," which is the Dutch equivalent of saying "see you later!"

Why does the word ziens end with an "s"?

The standard verb for "to see" is zien. The extra "s" at the end of ziens is a leftover from older Dutch grammar that we do not use in modern everyday sentences. Today, you just need to memorize tot ziens as a fixed phrase for "goodbye."