Updated on October 8, 2024
5 ways to say goodbye in Spanish
Whether you’re a beginner or advanced speaker, knowing how to say goodbye in Spanish is essential. There are many ways to say it. Contrary to popular belief, hasta la vista is not typical.
The different ways to say goodbye in Spanish vary from formal to casual settings. It’s important to choose the appropriate one. For example, if you’re having a conversation with someone from work, you want to be more formal.
To help you out, here are five different ways of saying goodbye in Spanish:
Adiós is the simplest way of saying goodbye in Spanish. It literally means “goodbye”. Pay attention to your tone of voice. Since it’s short, it can sound either friendly or come off impersonal. Spanish speakers avoid adiós in texts or emails. Reserve this one for in-person goodbyes. Maybe throw in a little hand wave.
Formality scale: 2/5 This goodbye in Spanish is pretty casual. Don’t use this the first time you meet your boss.
Here are examples of how adiós fits into a conversation:
No, not hasta la vista baby. Sorry Arnold, nobody uses this Spanish phrase made famous by an Austrian actor in a Hollywood movie from 1991. It is grammatically correct though. Hasta means ‘until’. It implies the phrase ‘until I see you…’. To use it, add a time phrase ending. This clarifies when you may be in contact again.
Formality scale: 4/5 This kind of “goodbye” can be used on the phone, in a text or in person. It can be formal or casual. You want to use it with your grandma? Go ahead. Your boss? Sure.
As mentioned, the hasta… combinations are appropriate for all kinds of settings. Including the workplace and business emails:
Another way to say a formal goodbye in Spanish at the end of a work email is saludos (greetings):
Nos vemos literally translates to “see you”. As opposed to hasta…, nos vemos doesn’t require a reference to when you’ll see this person again. But it can be referred to, if preferred:
Formality scale: 3/5 This can also be used in formal or informal settings.
Just like in many languages, Spanish speakers borrow words from others. Ciao or chao comes from European usage in Italy, Spain, and even non-Spanish speaking countries. In Chile the short ‘bye’ of chao is the most common. In Mexico, it’s completely normal to say the English word ‘bye’.
Formality scale: 1/5 Both ciao/chao and “bye” are okay to use with family, friends, and close coworkers.
If you want to be extra nice, you can use que tenga buen… and combine it with a reference to time. Like a day of the week or time of the day:
Formality scale 4/5 Remember to address someone in a position of authority, remove the ‘s’ at the end of the verb. Say tenga (formal you have) instead of tengas (casual you have). In Latin America, talking to your boss is considered a formal setting. This is likely different if you come from a casual work environment like Silicon Valley, for example.
Alright, now you’re ready to say your goodbyes in Spanish. Always practice your conversation skills! Grab that phone or send that email. From your next door neighbor to that Spanish-speaking colleague you want to impress, you can find the perfect goodbye in Spanish in this list. Let us know how it goes! ¡Hasta pronto!
