Phrases |
'Useful' phrases |
Idioms |
Tongue twisters |
Language-related proverbs
These are phrases you use when parting from others. In some languages those leaving and those staying each use different phrases. The English word goodbye comes from the Old English God þē mid sīe, which means "God be with you".
Glossary of abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person), >m = said to men, >f = said to women.
| Language | Phrase |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | Totsiens |
| Albanian | Pacim, Mirupafshim |
| Arabic (Egyptian) | (bai) باي (ma'is salāma) مع السّلامة |
| Arabic (Modern Standard) | (ilā al-liqā') إلى اللقاء (ma'a as-salāmah) مع السلامة |
| Arapaho | Heetce'noohobe3en |
| Armenian (Eastern) | Ց'տեսություն (Ts.tesutyun) Հաջողությո'ւն: (Hajoghutyun) |
| Azerbaijani | Sağol, Xudahafiz (inf) Sağolun, Salamat qalın, Görüşənədək (frm) |
| Basque | Agur |
| Belarusian | Да пабачэньня (Da pabachen'nya) Убачымся (Ubachymsia) |
| Bengali | আসি? (ashi?) lit. 'may I come?' = 'may I leave?' ভালো থাকবেন। (bhalo thakben) lit. 'stay well' - frm ভালো থেকো। (bhalo theko) - inf বিদায় নিচ্ছি। (bidae nicchhi) lit. 'I am bidding farewell' খোদা হাফেজ। (khoda hafez) lit. 'the lord is the keeper' - used by Muslims |
| Bosnian | Alahimanet / Zbogom / Do viđenja / Ćao / Zdravo |
| Breton | Kenavo, Ken ar wech all, Ken a vo gwelet |
| Bulgarian | Довиждане (Doviždane) frm Чао (Čao) inf Всичко хубаво (Vsičko hubavo) Сбогом (Sbogom) |
| Catalan | Adéu (goodbye),
A reveure (see you), Que vagi bé (take care), Fins ara (see you soon), Fins després (see you later), Ja ens veurem (we'll be in touch), Fins demà (see you tomorrow) |
| Chamorro | Ådios Esta / Åsta (inf) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 再見 (joigin) 拜拜 (baaibaai) |
| Chinese (Hakka) | Chài fùi |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 再見 [再见] (zàijiàn) 拜拜 (bàibài) |
| Chinese (Shanghainese) | 再会 (tsewe/tzeiwei) |
| Chinese (Teochow) | 请 (chia2) |
| Cornish | Dyw genes (sg), Dyw genowgh (pl) Dha weles (see you) Dha weles skon (See you soon) Dha weles diwettha (See you later) Dha weles a-vorow (See you tomorrow) Benetugana, Dew boz geno, Tereba nessa |
| Croatian | Zbogom, Doviđenja! |
| Czech | Nashledanou Čau |
| Danish | Farvel |
| Dutch | Tot ziens,
Tot straks (see you later) Tot gauw (see you soon), Dag, Doeg, Doei |
| Esperanto | Ĝis poste, Ĝis (la) revido, Ĝis la, Ĝis, Adiaŭ |
| Estonian | Nägemiseni (head aega) |
| Faroese | Farvæl, Bei, Vit síggjast |
| Fijian | Ni sa moce |
| Finnish | Näkemiin |
| French | Au revoir / À bientôt |
| Frisian (North) | Adjiis |
| Frisian (West) | Oant sjen |
| Friulian | A riviodisi / A bon riviodisi |
| Galician | Adeus |
| Georgian | ნახვამდის (nakhvamdis) |
| German | Auf wiedersehen (formal) Tschüss, Tschüs, Tschö, Tschau, Ciao, Servus (informal) Bis dann, Bis bald, Bis später |
| Greek | Γειά σας (ya sas) - frm,
Γειά σου (ya su) - inf Αντίο (adio) |
| Greenlandic | Takuss (short parting) Ajunnginniarnat / Inuulluarit (long parting) |
| Hawaiian | A hui hou, Aloha |
| Hebrew | (lehitraot) להתראות |
| Hindi | नमस्ते (Namaste) फिर मिलेंगे (Phir milenge) |
| Hungarian | Szia / Viszlát (inf) Viszontlátásra (frm) |
| Icelandic | Vertu blessaður (>m) Vertu blessuð (>f) Bless á meðan, Bless bless (inf) Við sjáumst, Sjáumst síðar (see you later) |
| Ilocano | Agpakadaakon, Kastan/Kasta pay, Sige, Innakon |
| Indonesian | Selamat tinggal (you're leaving) Selamat jalan (you're staying) Sampai jumpa lagi |
| Inuktitut | ᐃᓛᓂᓗ Ilaanilu ᑕᓪᕙᐅᔪᑎᑦ Talvauyutin/Tagvauyutit ᑕᕝᕙᐅᔪᑎᑦ (Tavvaujutit) - to one person ᑕᕝᕙᐅᔪᓯ (Tavvaujusi) - to many people ᐊᑦᓱᓇᐃ Atsunai |
| Iñupiaq | Tautugniaqmiġikpiñ / Qiñiġisilgitkikpiñ |
| Irish (Gaelic) | Slán, Slán go fóill |
| Italian | Ciao / Ci vediamo / Arrivederla / Arrivederci |
| Italian (Roman dialect) | Arrivedece (informal), ArrivedeLa (formal) |
| Japanese | さようなら (sayōnara) 行って来ます (ittekimasu) - I'll be back - you are leaving 行ってらっしゃい (itterasshai) - come back soon - you are staying じゃあまたね (jā mata ne) - see you later |
| Jèrriais | À bétôt, À bi, À la préchaine, À tantôt |
| Kazakh | Сау болыңыз (Saw bolıñız) |
| Khmer | លាហើយ (lea hey) |
| Klallam | húy’ |
| Korean | 안녕 (annyeong) 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo) - you are leaving 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) - you are staying |
| Ladino | (Adío) אדיו |
| Latin | Vale / Aveto (sg) Valete / Avetote (pl) |
| Latvian | Uz redzēšanos |
| Lithuanian | Viso gero |
| Low German (Plautdietsch) | Au'dee |
| Luxembourgish | Äddi / Awar |
| Macedonian | Довидување (Doviduvanye), Догледање (Dogledanye) |
| Manx | Slane lhiat Bannaght lhiat/lhiu, Hee'm oo/shiu |
| Māori | E noho rā (said by person leaving) E haere rā (said by person staying) Hei kona rā (inf) |
| Malay | Selamat tinggal (you're leaving) Selamat jalan (you're staying) Sampai jumpa lagi |
| Maltese | Ċaw / Saħħa / Saħħiet (pl) |
| Mauritian Creole | Orewar |
| Mongolian | Баяртай (Bayartai) Дараа уулзая (Daraa uulzii!) see you later Маргааш уулзая (Margaash uulzii) see you tomorrow |
| Nepali | नमस्ते (namaste) |
| Norwegian | Ha det bra / Hade (inf) / Adjø / Farvel |
| Occitan | A lèu! Adieu! Adieussiatz! |
| Okinawan | Njichaabira |
| Old English | God þē mid sīe (lit. "God be with you) |
| Persian | (bedrood) بدرود (khoda hafez) خداحافظ |
| Polish | Do widzenia (frm) Do zobaczenia Narazie! Cześć! (inf) |
| Portuguese | Adeus, Tchau (Brazil) |
| Romanian | La revedere |
| Russian | До свидания (Do svidanija) - frm, Пока (Poka) - inf |
| Samoan | Tofa soifua |
| Sardinian | Adiosu |
| Scottish Gaelic | Beannachd leat/leibh, Mar sin leat, Cheery |
| Serbian | Довиђења (Doviđenja) |
| Sesotho | Sala hantle (to person staying) Tsamaya hantle (to person leaving) |
| Shona | Sara Zvakanaka (sg) Sariayi Zvakanaka (pl) |
| Slovak | Dovidenia, Zbohom (frm) Čau, Ahoj (inf) |
| Slovenian | Na svidenje, Zbogom, Zdravo, Živijo, Adijo |
| Spanish | Adiós, Hasta luego, Hasta la vista, Hasta mañana |
| Swahili | Kwaheri |
| Swedish | Hej då |
| Tagalog | Paálam, Síge |
| Telugu | శుభంగా వెళ్లిరండి (shubhaṅgaa velliraṅdi) |
| Thai | ลาก่อนนะ (lah gòrn ná) |
| Tongan | Nofo a / 'Alu a |
| Turkish | Hoşça kal |
| Ukrainian | До побачення (Do pobačennja) |
| Urdu | (khuda hafiz) خدا حافظ |
| Uzbek | Hayirli tun |
| Venda | Sala kahle |
| Vietnamese | Chào anh (>m) Chào chị (>f) Tạm biệt |
| Welsh | Hwyl, Hwyl fawr, Hwyl nawr, Hwyl am y tro, Tara, Da boch chi |
| Xhosa | Hamba kakuhle (go well) Sala kakuhle (stay well) |
| Yiddish | (Biz shpeter) שפּעטער ביז (Adie) אַדיע |
| Yappese | Kafel/Kefel |
| Yorùbá | O da abọ |
| Zulu | Sala kahle (sg) Salani kahle (pl) >people staying Hamba kahle (sg) Hambani kahle (pl) >people leaving |
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, please
contact me. If you can provide audio recordings
of any of these phrases, please send them to
You can send me audio files in any format. If you don't know how to make recordings on a computer, you can send me recordings on audio cassette. Let me know if you want to do this and I'll send you my snailmail address. Or you can call me on Skype (omniglot) and I'll do the recording.
Goodbye in many languages
http://www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/goodbye.htm
Useful phrases in various European languages
http://www.geocities.com/mailjohan/
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