Say goodbye in one word

В статье разберем 23 выражения, которыми можно заменить или дополнить привычные goodbye и bye.

Способов попрощаться в английском языке великое множество: сленговые и официальные, обыденные и экстравагантные, шутливые и драматичные. Сегодня научимся уходить по-английски грамотно. Кстати, фраза «уйти по-английски», то есть не попрощавшись, на английском звучит как to take French leave (уйти по-французски) или to make an Irish exit/goodbye (уйти по-ирландски).

1. Bye-bye! — Пока-пока!

Мы просто удвоили bye, и фраза от этого стала игривее, поэтому использовать ее лучше с членами семьи или близкими друзьями. Особенно часто bye-bye говорят на прощание детям.

2. (Good)bye for now! — До свидания! / До встречи!

For now в конце выражения подразумевает, что в скором времени вы надеетесь снова увидеться. По мнению некоторых носителей, goodbye for now звучит мягче и дружелюбнее, чем просто goodbye. Такое прощание можно услышать от теле- или радиоведущих в конце передачи.

Еще существует вариант (good)bye now, но в зависимости от интонации фраза может звучать резко и пренебрежительно.

3. Cheers!/Cheerio! — Пока!

В современном британском английском междометие cheers, которое обычно говорят, чокаясь бокалами, используется и как альтернатива bye. Слово относится к разговорному стилю и неуместно по отношению к малознакомым людям, а также в официальной обстановке.

4. Ta-ta! — Пока!

Необычное междометие полюбилось британцам в середине прошлого века благодаря популярному радиоспектаклю, где один из персонажей неизменно говорил на прощание ta-ta. Часто это слово можно услышать в детской речи или по отношению к детям.

5. Peace (out)! — Пока!

Еще один разговорный вариант, но на этот раз американский. Однако советуем им не злоупотреблять, чтобы не попасть в неловкую ситуацию. Со сленгом вообще стоит быть осторожными, так как он не универсален и изменчив.

6. Take it easy! — Держись!

Основное значение выражения — «не принимай все близко к сердцу». Обычно так говорят, когда хотят успокоить и поддержать человека. В американском английском take it easy можно услышать на прощание от друзей.

7. Take care (of yourself)! — Счастливо!

Take care используется по отношению к близким людям и помогает выразить заботу. Однако некоторые носители считают, что фраза практически ничем не отличается от bye и может употребляться как с членами семьи и друзьями, так и просто с хорошими знакомыми или коллегами.

8. Look after yourself! — Береги себя!

Еще одно выражение, которое можно использовать при расставании с близкими. Им вы покажете, что беспокоитесь о них и желаете всего наилучшего. Чаще встречается в британском английском.

9. I’ll miss you! — Я буду скучать!

Если разлука с любимыми предстоит долгая, то на прощание можно сказать I’ll miss you. Человеку всегда приятно услышать, что по нему будут скучать, так что советуем запомнить эту фразу и говорить ее тем, кто вам дорог.

10. So long! — Пока!

Одно из самых таинственных и немного устаревших выражений. Никто точно не знает, когда и почему so long, которое обычно значит «так долго», стали использовать как альтернативу bye. Есть версия, что это искаженное заимствование из другого языка: ирландского, немецкого, арабского или иврита. Однако это не более чем догадки. Сейчас междометие so long употребляется редко.

11. Until/Till next time! — До скорого!

Это выражение подходит, если вы уверены, что расстаетесь с человеком ненадолго или знаете дату следующей встречи. Next time можно заменить на конкретный день: until next Thursday (до следующего четверга), till tomorrow (до завтра), till the weekend (до выходных). В речи носителей также можно услышать until/till we meet again (до новых встреч).

12. Keep/Stay in touch! — Будь на связи! / Не теряйся!

Еще один способ попрощаться — сказать человеку, что вы не хотите терять с ним связь. Stay in touch звучит более искренне и выражает надежду видеться как можно чаще. Keep in touch может быть лишь проявлением вежливости.

13. (It was) nice meeting/seeing you! — Рад был познакомиться/повидаться!

Если вы не знаете, когда в следующий раз встретитесь с человеком и встретитесь ли вообще, то завершить разговор можно одной из этих фраз. Обратите внимание, что nice meeting you мы говорим тем, кого видели впервые, а nice seeing you — знакомым. Выражения nice to meet you и nice to see you (рад встрече) также говорят на прощание, но чаще используют как приветствия.

14. (I’ll) be seeing you! — Увидимся!

Еще один вариант на случай, если вы не уверены, когда встретитесь в следующий раз. Фразу используют в разговоре с хорошими знакомыми.

15. See you around! — (Как-нибудь) увидимся!

Это выражение похоже на предыдущее и уместно в неформальной обстановке по отношению к тем, с кем у вас нет запланированных встреч на ближайшее время.

16. See you (later)! — До скорого!

В отличие от (I’ll) be seeing you и see you around, фраза see you подразумевает, что вы знаете, когда встретитесь в следующий раз. После нее могут стоять слова later (позже), next time (в следующий раз), soon (скоро) или конкретное время: see you tonight (увидимся сегодня вечером), see you next Tuesday (увидимся в следующий вторник), see you at the weekend (увидимся на выходных).

17. Catch/Check you later! — До скорого!

Если see you later скорее нейтрально, хотя и носит разговорный оттенок, то выражения catch you later и check you later допустимы только в дружеской компании. В молодежном сленге в конце девяностых и начале двухтысячных была популярна фраза smell you later. Сейчас она почти не используется, но ее можно услышать в фильмах и сериалах тех лет.

18. Later(s)! — До скорого! / Пока!

Рекомендуют использовать эту сленговую фразу только в кругу друзей или семьи. Laters часто встречается в речи подростков.

19. (Good) night! — Спокойной ночи! / Хорошего вечера!

Это междометие используется в двух случаях: перед сном и когда вы прощаетесь с человеком поздно вечером. Фраза good night универсальна, а просто night можно употреблять в неформальной обстановке. Выражение night-night носители говорят детям, желая спокойной ночи.

20. Good evening! — Хорошего вечера!

Имейте в виду, что эта фраза уместна только в официальной речи и покажется нелепой в кругу друзей или знакомых. В старых фильмах вы можете услышать good morning (хорошего утра), good afternoon (хорошего дня), good evening (хорошего вечера), сказанные на прощание.

Также в английском есть междометие good day, которое считается устаревшим и используется крайне редко.

21. Have a good/nice day! — Хорошего дня!

Универсальное прощание, которое некоторые носители считают клишированным и безэмоциональным. Часто его говорят сотрудники магазинов, кафе, салонов красоты и других общественных учреждений.

Чтобы фраза звучала не так шаблонно, a day можно заменить другими словами: have a nice evening (хорошего вечера), have a good weekend (хороших выходных), have a nice vacation (хорошего отпуска). В американском английском популярен разговорный вариант — have a good/nice one.

22. Enjoy the rest of your day! — Хорошего дня!

Еще один вежливый способ попрощаться ближе к концу дня. The rest означает «остаток», поэтому фраза используется, когда что-то либо в самом разгаре, либо скоро закончится. Вместо day можно использовать другие слова: enjoy the rest of the party (хорошей вечеринки), enjoy the rest of your weekend (хороших выходных), enjoy the rest of your evening (хорошего вечера).

23. Farewell! — До свидания! / Прощай(те)!

Это прощание редко можно услышать в обычной речи, однако его любят использовать в фильмах и книгах, чтобы передать дух былых времен или добавить драматизма. Farewell может означать, что вы больше никогда не увидитесь.

Прислушивайтесь к тому, что говорят люди вокруг вас, в кино или по телевизору, в каких ситуациях они используют те или иные фразы, старайтесь повторять за ними, делая свою речь более разнообразной. А если хотите узнать, чем можно заменить hi и hello, читайте нашу статью «13 приветствий в английском языке».

Предлагаем пройти короткий тест, чтобы закрепить материал.

How To Say “Goodbye” Without Saying “Goodbye”

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“Goodbyes” don’t have to always be so heavy. They can be casual, fun, and friendly too! Below you’ll find 13 synonyms for “goodbye.”

It’s important to learn how to say goodbye in English because this is a crucial conversational skill to have as a new learner. In any language, saying goodbye at the end of a conversation or when leaving a group is polite. It lets the other party know that you respect them, and it makes your leave less abrupt.

In this article, we’ll go over a number of ways to say goodbye in English. We cover the most common words and phrases for a variety of situations, so you’ll never have to leave awkwardly again! 

→ Before you continue, we recommend that you read our articles on How to Say Hello in English and How to Confidently Introduce Yourself.

Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. The Two Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye in English
2. Goodbye Expressions in English for Any Situation
3. Goodbye in English Slang & Pop Culture
4. Final Thoughts

1. The Two Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye in English

In the United States, there are two goodbye words you’re going to hear often. These are:

“Goodbye“	This one is more formal, but it’s still casual enough to use with friends and family.
“Bye“	This means the exact same thing as “goodbye,” but is shorter and a little bit less formal.

If you only learn a couple ways to say goodbye in English today, it should be these. 

2. Goodbye Expressions in English for Any Situation

Now, let’s move on to more specific English phrases for goodbye. In the following sections, I’ll give you words and phrases to say goodbye based on the situation or context. I’ll also provide examples for each one, so you can see how to use them.

A- Formal

Here are some formal ways to say goodbye in English. These are fairly versatile, and you can use them in most situations that call for formal language.

“Thank you for your time.”

You can use this phrase in formal situations, after someone has offered you their time or helped you with something. This is also common after meetings or appointments. Keep in mind that you can use this phrase in both spoken and written communication. 

Example:

→ Here’s some Useful Vocabulary You Need at the Bank! 

“I enjoyed our talk.”

This is something someone would say after talking with a client, patient, or anyone else in a more formal environment. 

Example:

“It was a pleasure speaking with you.”

This is something a client may tell a customer, especially in more formal or regulated environments, such as a bank or other financial institution. 

Example:

“I look forward to our next meeting.”

People often use this phrase when they plan on seeing the other person (or people) again in a formal environment. 

Example:

“Thank you for scheduling your appointment. We’ll see you then.”

This is a common way of saying goodbye in formal situations, especially when a customer or client is leaving.

Example:

B- Making Arrangements for Another Meeting

We’ve covered how to say goodbye in formal situations, but what about when things are more laid-back? Here are some English goodbye phrases you can use to plan another meeting with a friend.

“See you later.”

This is a very common phrase to use when you’re about to part ways with a friend (or group of friends). It means that you plan on seeing them again, but you’re not sure exactly when. 

Example:

“Catch you later.”

This phrase has the exact same meaning as “see you later,” but is significantly more casual. 

Example:

“See you around.”

This one is very similar to the two phrases above. 

Example:

“See you tomorrow.”

When you say “See you tomorrow,” it means that you actually plan on seeing them tomorrow, usually because you set a date with that person. 

Example:

“See you at eight.”

In this phrase, you can replace “eight” with any other time. This is used in situations similar to the one above.

Example:

“See you in a couple weeks.”

This is something you would say to someone if you plan on meeting with them in a couple of weeks. You can replace “a couple weeks” with any other extended time period.

Example:

Additional Note

Most of the phrases in this section can also be used as a question. For example, if you want to confirm when you’ll be seeing someone next, you can say the relevant phrase as a question.

Example:

→ Want more useful phrases? Check out our list of the Top 10 Conversational Phrases! 

C. Seeing Someone Off

It can be painful to say goodbye to someone you care about, especially when you know they’ll be gone a long time, or are going somewhere far away. Here are some special goodbye phrases you can use for situations like this.

“Take care.”

Use this phrase to let someone know you want them to take care of themselves while they’re gone.

Example:

“Drive safe.”

Use this phrase to let someone know you want them to drive safely, especially if you know they’ll be driving a long distance or in dangerous driving conditions.

Example:

“Safe travels.”

This one is a more generic goodbye phrase for when someone will be traveling. It means you want them to be safe during their travels.

Example:

“Have a safe trip home.”

You can say this to someone when they’re about to leave for home.

Example:

“I’ll miss you.”

You can say this to someone you really care about before they leave. 

Example:

“Don’t be gone too long.”

If you’re really going to miss someone after they leave, you can say this to them. It shows the other person that you’ll miss them and look forward to the next time you can see them again.

Example:

“Call me when you get there.”

Say this to someone to let them know you care about their safety while traveling. It means that you expect a phone call (or text message) from them when they arrive, so you know they’re safe. This is especially common for a parent or grandparent to tell their child or grandchild.

Example:

“I love you.”

Many times, saying goodbye to someone we care about involves saying “I love you,” especially if it will be a while before you see them again.

Example:

“Farewell.”

This goodbye phrase may be a little bit outdated, but some people still say this. It’s basically a way of letting the other person know you want them to be safe while they’re away.

Example:

D. Leaving a Group or Party in a Hurry

It can be very awkward to leave a group of people without saying anything. If you need to quickly say goodbye in English conversations involving a lot of people, there are a few phrases you can use to let people know you’ll be leaving soon.

“I gotta run / fly / jet.”

This is a very informal way of letting people know you’re about to leave, and is fine for any kind of casual gathering. The words “run,” “fly,” and “jet” are pretty much interchangeable, as they all mean that you need to leave quickly. 

Example:

“I’ll need to get going soon.”

This is a slightly more formal and polite way of saying that you need to leave. It’s not really saying “goodbye,” but it’s a way of letting others know you’ll have to go. 

Example:

“I can’t stay much longer.”

This phrase is almost the same as the one above. 

Example:

“There’s someplace I need to be.”

You can use this phrase to let others know you need to leave in order to be somewhere else, especially if it’s another responsibility you have. ‘

Example:

“Sorry to leave so soon, but I have to ___.”

With this goodbye phrase, you can actually let others know the reason you need to leave. In some cases, this can make your leaving seem less rude or abrupt. 

Example:

“I’m off.”

This is another slightly informal way of letting others know you need to leave. It’s almost the same as “I gotta run.” 

Example:

E. Wishing Someone Well

When you’re about to part ways with someone, it’s considered very polite to wish them well, especially if you know the person. Here are some common ways people in the United States do this.

“Have a nice day.”

This is probably the most common way to wish someone well before saying goodbye. It’s just a simple wish for the other person to have a good day from that point on.

Example:

“Have a great rest of your ___.”

This phrase is almost the same as the one above. Here, you can fill in the blank with any amount of time.

Example:

“Take it easy.”

This one might sound strange, but it’s just a way to wish the other person a good day. More specifically, it means that you want them to enjoy themself and stay safe.

Example:

“Have a good one.”

In this phrase, “one” refers to a day. It’s exactly the same as telling someone to “Have a good day,” but it’s a little bit more casual.

Example:

“Well…”

The word “well” is very versatile in English, and in this case, it acts as a transition word. People use it often as a way of leading into a goodbye. Sometimes, the other person will understand the hint and say goodbye themselves.

Example:

“Well, I’d best get to it.”

This is a good way of politely ending a conversation, especially if you have something you need to do and the other person won’t stop talking.

Example:

“I won’t keep you any longer.”

If you’re lucky, this is what your neighbor will say to you afterward. It’s basically a roundabout way of saying goodbye.

Example:

F. Asking Someone to Keep in Touch

When you ask someone to “keep in touch,” you’re letting them know that you want to hear from, or spend time with, them again. Here are a few common parting phrases you can use to do this.

“Keep in touch.”

This is the most straightforward way to let someone know you want to talk again. 

Example:

“Call me later.” 

You can say this to someone if you want them to call you later.

Example:

“I’ll call you later.”

This is what you can say when the roles are reversed, or just if you want to call the person later.

Example:

“When can I call you?”

Either you or your friend can ask this, depending on the situation.

Example:

“When can I expect your call?”

Again, you can use this one when the roles are reversed.

Example:

“Talk to you later.”

This is very similar to “See you later,” but it actually has more to do with talking to the person.

Example:

“Don’t be a stranger.”

When you tell someone “Don’t be a stranger,” it’s a way of letting them know you want to see and talk with them often.

Example:

G. Letting Someone Know You Enjoyed Seeing Them

Imagine you’ve just spent the day with your best friend, whom you hadn’t seen in years. You’ll want to tell him or her how much you enjoyed seeing them and spending time together.

“It was nice seeing you / talking with you.”

This is a very common way to say goodbye in English, and you can use it in both formal and informal situations. 

Example:

“Always nice talking with you.”

This is almost the same as the phrase above, but this one is normally used with people you see from time to time.

Example:

“I’m so glad we had a chance to catch up.”

This is something you might say to a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, especially if you were able to learn new details about each other’s lives while talking.

Example:

“We’ll have to do this more often.”

This is something you might say to a friend you really enjoy spending time with, but haven’t been seeing as much lately.

Example:

“I hope we can do this again sometime soon.”

This one is very similar to the one above. 

Example:

H. Goodbye Phrases for Texting or Talking on the Phone

Today, so much of our communication is done over the phone. Here are a few ways you can say goodbye to someone via text or while talking on the phone.

Texting 

Phrase	Situation	Example
BRB (Be Right Back)	Use this when you need to stop texting for a little while, but plan on texting more in a few minutes.	You: “BRB. Dinner.”Friend: “Ok.”
G2g or Gtg (Got To Go)	Use this when you need to stop texting for a longer while, and probably won’t be able to talk anytime soon.	You: “G2g. Very busy.”Friend: “Ok.”
TTYL (Talk To You Later)	Use this when you need to stop texting, but want to text again sometime in the near future.	You: “G2g.”Friend: “TTYL.”
Bye	Use this when ending a text conversation.	You: “Bye.”Friend: “Ok, bye.”

→ For more words like these, check out our English Texting Slang vocabulary list!

Talking on the Phone

Phrase	Situation	Example
“Thanks again. Bye.”	You can use this to end a phone conversation where someone helped you or answered a question for you.	You: “Can you help me close my account?”Person on Phone: “Sure…” — You: “Thanks again. Bye.”
“Well, I should be going now. Nice talking to you.”	You can use this after talking with a friend or relative on the phone.	You: “Well, I should be going now. Nice talking to you.”Relative: “Thank you. Nice talking to you too.”
“I’ll see you/talk to you then. Bye.”	You can use this phrase after making an appointment with someone over the phone.	You: “Okay, eight o’clock. I’ll see you then. Bye.”Other Person: “Okay. Bye.”

→ See our vocabulary list Useful Phrases for a Phone Call for even more!

3. Goodbye in English Slang & Pop Culture

English has some creative ways of saying goodbye. Keep in mind that the phrases and words here are very informal, and should only be used with close friends or family. 

“Smell you later.”

This is a play on words associated with the phrase “See you later,” and it means the exact same thing. There’s a lot of debate about where the phrase actually came from, but this is the best source I could find. 

Example:

“See you later, alligator.”

This phrase has nothing to do with an actual alligator. This fun English slang for goodbye is another play on words, because “gator” rhymes with “later.” In response, many people will reply with “In a while, crocodile.” 

This phrase is thought to have originated from a 1950s song titled See You Later Alligator.

Example:

“TTFN” (“Ta-ta for now.”)

TTFN stands for “ta-ta for now.” This one is less common, originally used in the UK during WWII. Anyone who knows Disney should get it, though, as the Winnie the Pooh character Tigger says goodbye to his friends this way. (“TTFN! Ta-ta for now!”)

Example:

“Cheerio.”

“Cheerio” is a word that was first used in England to say goodbye. Sometimes, people in the U.S. like saying this as well.

Example:

“Adios.”

Adios is the Spanish word for “goodbye,” but it’s pretty common to use this in the United States when saying bye to friends. 

Example:

“Ciao.”

Ciao is the French word for “goodbye,” but like adios and cheerio, it’s sometimes used in the United States when saying bye to friends.

Example:

4. Final Thoughts

In this article, we showed you some English words to say goodbye, popular goodbye phrases for any situation, and more. We hope you feel more confident now to start excusing yourself from conversations or wishing your friend a good day. 

This is just the beginning of what EnglishClass101.com has to offer. To learn more words and phrases in English for day-to-day conversations, check out the following pages:

• English Travel Phrases
• Learn How to Confidently Introduce Yourself in English
• How to Make an Apology for Poor English, and More! 
• Top 15 Compliments You Always Want to Hear
• Top 10 English Phrases to Amaze Native Speakers

Remember: Keep practicing, and use English often. With enough practice and determination, you’re sure to get the hang of English conversations and eventually master the language! 

EnglishClass101 will be here with you every step of the way. Happy learning! 

Before you go, let us know in the comments how you say goodbye in your own language. We look forward to hearing from you.

Have a good day!

Wishing someone a good day, good evening, or good weekend is always a kind gesture. This expression is used both in spoken and in written form, which means you can use it to end a conversation face-to-face, on the telephone or at the end of an email.

It was wonderful to talk with you. I must be going. I’ve got to _____.

If you are chatting with someone or talking on the phone, this is a very polite way to end a conversation. Everyone is busy and there is always something else to do (another business meeting, a phone call, children to pick up from school, etc.), so, of course, you cannot talk all day.

“I’ve got to ___” is an easy way to give a reason for ending the conversation. For example:

“It was great to talk with you but I must be going. I’ve got to ___

• join a conference call in 5 minutes
• pick up the kids from school
• share this information with my boss
• get to a meeting
• finish running my errands*

You can use any reason you might have but make sure it’s true!

*To run errands = to make a short, quick trip to do something such as go to the post office, go grocery shopping, buy some milk, pick up the dry cleaning, etc.

It was great to talk with you. I look forward to seeing you again soon (or talking with you again soon).

Instead of simply saying “goodbye,” use this kind expression to end the conversation on a positive note.

You can use it for face-to-face conversations or for the telephone – just be careful about using “seeing you again soon” vs. “talking with you again soon.” We use “see” for face-to-face conversations and “talk” for the telephone.

It was great to see you again. Have a good day/weekend/evening.

Similar to the previous expression, this provides an alternative expression for saying goodbye in professional settings. And it’s particularly nice to hear because everyone is happy at the end of the work day or end of the work week.

You’re about to learn 20 new words for goodbye in English. Also check out 27 Different Ways to Say Thank You (And How to Reply).

What’s wrong with this conversation?

SONIA: Goodbye, Eric.
ERIC: Goodbye, Sonia.
SONIA: Goodbye, Yasemin.
YASEMIN: Goodbye, Sonia.
SONIA: Goodbye, Ranjit.
RANJIT: Goodbye, Sonia.

No one in this conversation seems to know that there are lots of different ways to say goodbye in English.

I mean LOTS of ways!

Well, at least 19.

But first …

How to end a conversation in English

OK. It’s very useful to know how to say goodbye in English.

But how do you fit it into a conversation?

I mean, can you just drop a “bye bomb” in the middle of a conversation?

I don’t think so. That would be pretty rude, right?

I’ve noticed that we usually have what I call “pre-byes” — phrases we use to show that we’re about to leave the conversation.

We use them just before saying goodbye.

Here’s how they look:

Signal word	Pre-bye
OK …	Nice talking with you.
Right …	I’ve gotta go / run / split!
So …	I’m off!
All right, then …	Great to see you.

Then we can say goodbye …

There are fun ways to say goodbye.

And there are more standard ways to say goodbye.

Just like dessert, I like to save the fun things for last.

So here are some standard ways to say goodbye in English.

Bye!

It’s like “goodbye” but shorter!

It’s efficient and sounds good.

Bye bye!

Is “bye” just too … short?

Well, why not just say it twice?

But three times?

No. That would be mad.

Be careful with this one!

It’s often used with kids if you pronounce both words equally.

If you use it with adults, remember to only stress the second “bye” so that it sounds more like “bu-BYE.”

Until tomorrow

OK. Obviously, you only say this if you’re going to see the other person tomorrow.

If you say this to someone you’re never going to see again, like an air stewardess or a taxi driver, then that might be a bit confusing.

If you say it to your favourite actor when you meet him at a book signing, then that would even be creepy.

The good news is that you can change “tomorrow” for whenever it is you’re going to see them again.

So you can say “until next week” or “until Friday” or even “until later.”

Take care

This one’s nice — it shows you care but isn’t too informal or close.

We also often mix this with one of the other words on this list.

So we might say something like, “Bye. Take care!”

Good night!

OK, a couple of things here.

This is, obviously, only used late in the evening. You know, at night.

It’s also the only “good” + time of day structure that also means “goodbye.”

“Good morning” and “good afternoon” just mean “hello.”

More creative and fun ways to say goodbye

OK. Time for dessert!

When you’re with your friends, you might want to use some of these more fun ways of saying goodbye.

See you later

I like this one.

It kind of means “Don’t worry — this isn’t the end! We’ll meet again!”

When I was a kid we would also say, “See you later, alligator.”

Sometimes, we’d even get the reply, “in a while, crocodile.”

Oh, how we laughed.

We can also say, “see you soon” or “see you tonight” or “see you on the 14th” or “see you after work” or … well, you get the idea.

See ya!

It’s short for “see you later.”

Sometimes we’d extend this with “See ya! Wouldn’t wanna be ya!”

Because people who like each other sometimes like showing that they like each other by saying bad things to each other.

Why?

I don’t know. Humans are weird.

Laters

This is very casual.

It’s got a friendly, light-hearted feeling to it.

Some people also like just saying “later.”

Catch ya later

OK — so “see you later” is getting boring?

Change the verb!

Take it easy!

And why not?

Easy is good, right?

Have a good one!

This one’s rather British and is one that I use quite a lot.

I like it because it sort of means “enjoy yourself.”

You can also say, “Have a good day,” “Have a good evening,” “Have a good flight,” “Have a good holiday,” “Have a good afternoon,” and so on.

Ciao (for now)

OK. Not technically English.

“Ciao” is Italian and can be used to mean either “hi” or “bye.”

It rhymes with “now.”

It’s quite funny to mix the Italian and the English like this, right?

So we do.

Adios

Yep — this one definitely isn’t English.

But it kind of is because more and more people are using it to mean “goodbye.”

Maybe one day all the languages in the world will come together and become one massive mega-language.

But probably not.

Cheerio

OK. This one is very, very British and a little old fashioned.

But because it’s quite old fashioned, when we use it, we lighten the mood.

It gives us a sense of nostalgia and feels quite ironic.

It’s fun!

---

OK. That’s it — 20 ways to say goodbye in English.

Which words for goodbye are your favourites?

Why?

Let me know in the comments.

But for now, I’m saying “cheerio.”

Cheerio.

Goodbyes can be complicated. They can be heartfelt, full of sorrow. They can be casual among friends, or formal among work colleagues. We can say goodbye knowing we’ll never see someone again, or we can say goodbye knowing we’ll see them again tomorrow.

With so many emotions and settings involved, it’s no wonder that the English language is so full of words that we can use to say goodbye. Different goodbye alternatives express different emotions and can be used in every setting. Here’s your chance to expand your repertoire of farewells with our pick of the most common ways to say goodbye in English.

Formal ways to say goodbye in English

Here are some examples that are fine for use in more formal settings, such as the workplace, or among people you do not know well. Goodbye itself is one of the most formal ways to say goodbye, whereas informally it is very commonly shortened to just bye.

Have a good day/have a nice day – This is a phrase that you’ll often hear in America, but is one of the most universal and respectful ways to say goodbye to another person. It’s a phrase that you would use with someone that you’re not very close to, such as when you’re saying goodbye to a co-worker, to an employee or a customer. You can amend the day part to fit your conversation, so you might also say Have a nice:

Weekend
Holiday
Meeting
Lunch

Take care – This one can be used informally among friends too, but is often heard between strangers. It’s quite a formal and polite form of goodbye that shows that you have positive emotions towards someone – you would never say this to someone you didn’t like!

Informal ways to say goodbye in English

In more informal settings, or when you’re trying to be friendly and express more emotion of affection, here are some great alternatives that you can use:

Bye! – By far and away the most common way to say goodbye is simply to shorten the word goodbye. The key to expressing yourself clearly with the word bye is to use your emotions to guide your pronunciation of it. You could shout I never want to see you again! Bye! As you slam the door on the boyfriend or girlfriend you have just split up with, or you could say Bye! With a light bounce in your voice to your best friend who you know you’ll see tomorrow. The key is in the expression, so practice saying it out loud with varying emotions.

See you later!/See you!/Later! – You see here just how fond English speakers are of shortening their language to make it less formal. All of these expressions are incredibly common ways to say goodbye, typically among friends and family, or you could say any of these to a stranger you have just met who you have got along well with and are likely to see again. The shorter you make this expression, the more informal it is.

It was nice to see you again/It was nice to see you/Nice to see you – Again a phrase that can be shortened down. This one is typically used by people who know each other, but don’t see each other that often. You wouldn’t say It was nice to see you again to your best friend who you see every day. You’re more likely to use it when you don’t expect to see the other person again for a while too.

Slang to say goodbye in English

And lastly, here are some slang words and phrases that you can use when you’re with your friends. These are the most colloquial and informal goodbyes on our list – so your boss at work might not appreciate you using any of these when you say goodbye to them, but your friends will!

Catch you later/check you later/smell you later – These mean the same as see you later, they’re just more playful versions of that expression. Smell you later is something you’ll hear kids say far more than adults! But grown-ups might occasionally be overheard saying this to a friend as a joke too.

Peace out! – Sometimes shortened to just Peace, this is sort of like saying peace be with you and goodbye at the same time. It means you wish the other person well, and it’s a phrase that you’ll find used a lot in street slang and in hip hop.

Take it easy – To take it easy means to relax, so really what you’re saying with this goodbye is that you’re wishing the other person well, and that they have a nice and easy time until you see them again. It may sound close to take care, but it’s far more informal than that. You can say Take care to your grandma, but you wouldn’t say Take it easy to your grandma – unless your grandma was very cool and laid back!

So now you no longer have to rely on just goodbye when you say goodbye in future. What other words and phrases have you read or heard English speakers using when they say bye to each other? Do you have any favourites? Let us know in the comments below. And now, we gotta go! (We’ve got to go – there’s another one to add to your collection!).

And now, learn 5 Ways to Say Thank You in English.