Ways to Say “Goodbye” in English
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Around the world, many people know the expression “goodbye” in English. People also learn to say, “bye-bye!”
These are good expressions to know, but there are many other ways to say goodbye. Let’s look at some common ways to say it.
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Formal Goodbyes
In formal situations, you can say “goodbye” (or “good-bye”) but there are some other ways to say it.
Formal ways to say goodbye
Saying goodbye to someone you know
- Goodbye.
- Have a good day.
- Have a nice day.
- Have a great day.
- Good night. (In the evening)
- (It was) nice seeing you again.
- Until (Monday, Tuesday, next week, etcetera)
- See you (Monday, Tuesday, next week, etcetera)
- Take care.
Saying goodbye to someone you met for the first time
(It was) nice meeting you.
(It was) a pleasure meeting you.
Combining goodbyes
We often use some of these expressions together.
- Goodbye. Have a nice day.
- Goodbye. It was nice meeting you.
- It was good seeing you. Take care.
- It was nice seeing you again. Have a great day.
Informal Goodbyes
Informal ways to say goodbye
Informal
- Bye!
- Bye-bye. (Note 1)
- See you later.
- Have a good one. (Note 2)
- See you soon.
- I hope to see you soon.
- Hope to see you soon.
Note 1. We often say “bye-bye” when talking to children or when we want to be silly or “cute” with close friends.
Note 2. “Have a good one," is a short way of saying “have a good day,” “have a good afternoon,” … “have a good one.”
Very informal
- Bye now!
- Bye-bye now.
- Take it easy.
- Catch you later.
On the Telephone
When you finish a phone conversation, you typically just say “bye” or “goodbye.” You can also use most of the expressions above.
Of course, you do not say, “It was nice seeing you,” because you are on the phone. There are other expressions you can use.
Saying goodbye on the phone
- Goodbye.
- It was nice talking to you.
- Nice chatting with you.
- Talk to you later.
- Talk soon. Bye!
Closing an Email
When closing an email or letter you can use any of the expressions above, but there are specific expressions you can use, especially in a formal, professional setting.
For example, you can write “Sincerely," or “Regards,” and then write your name.
Closing an email
Traditional, formal
- Sincerely,
- Sincerely yours,
- Yours truly,
- Yours faithfully,
- Regards,
A little more friendly but still formal
- Best regards,
- Kind regards,
- Best,
- All the best,
- Best wishes,
Friendly but polite
- Thank you,
- I hope to speak to you soon,
- I hope to hear from you soon,
Very friendly, informal
- Thanks,
- Cheers, (Note)
- Talk soon,
- See you soon,
Note “Cheers” is more common in British English, but sometimes people use it in American English, too.
Etymology
For most people, “goodbye” is only an expression and it does not mean anything. However, a long time ago, “goodbye” was a contraction of God be with you.
When people said “God be with you” in the 1500s, it sounded like godbwye. People thought it was similar to “good day,” “good evening,” or “good night,” so they started saying “good… bye.”
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