Sayonara Meaning + 50 Ways to Say Goodbye in Japanese (2024)

Many imagine that the main way to say goodbye in Japanese is sayonara. This is a big mistake! Japanese people do not use sayonara on a daily basis! In this article, we will understand the true meaning of sayonara and another 50 ways to say goodbye in Japanese.

Sayounara [さよなら] literally means goodbye, but we only usually say goodbye when we are going to go a long time without seeing the person. So, it's not common for Japanese people to be saying sayounara everywhere when you say goodbye.

Let's suppose you are at work and say sayounara to your boss, he will think you are quitting your job. There are thousands of ways that Japanese people use to say goodbye appropriately, and in this article, we will examine them.

Before, let's study in detail the meaning of sayonara and its origin. If you want to jump to the ways to say goodbye in Japanese, let's leave a summary of the article below:

Goodbye x Goodbye

Before we delve into the deep meaning and usage of sayonara, we must address a question that may confuse Japanese learners. What is the correct way to write it? Sayonara [さよなら] or Sayounara [さようなら]?

If you've been studying Japanese for a long time, you might be thinking that the correct form is sayounara [さようなら] and Brazilians write sayonara mistaken due to a type of romanization that represents the hiragana "OU" [おう], which is an ō accentuated [sayōnara].

This happens mainly because in words with "OU"[おう] the sound of "U" [う] is often hidden. However, in Japanese, both forms, sayonara and sayounara, are correct!

These two words are used in the Japanese language, both mean goodbye, but have slight differences. In the next topic, we will explain the origin and meaning of sayonara, so you will be able to understand the differences between sayounara and sayonara.

The meaning of the word Sayonara

The word sayonara [さよなら] originated from the expression Sayounaraba [左様ならば] where:

• saidou [左様] means: "in this way"; "therefore"; "everything was discussed" and "done";
• Naraba [ならば] - Auxiliary that conveys the idea of "then; being the case; if circumstances permit; if; in case; if it is" and such things.
• Sayounara [左様なら] - Well, if it's like this... If things are going to be like this...

Thus we conclude that sayounara [左様なら] is the correct way to write it. However, things have changed and now the Japanese people often write sayonara [さよなら], which can even be used as a suru verb and noun.

Although some say that sayonara [さよなら] just means goodbye, it can indicate a farewell and many other things in the Japanese language. See some words below to understand their meanings:

• Sayonara Party [さよならパーティー] - Goodbye Party;
• Say goodbye to youth [青春にさよならする] - Say goodbye to youth;

The first sentence shows that sayonara can be used to express farewell or the end of something. Meanwhile, the following sentence shows that sayonara can be used as a suru verb.

Although some imagine that sayonara is rarely used, students from elementary school are encouraged to use this word to say goodbye to the teacher. In many regions, sayonara is still used without a long period of absence.

Jyaa ne e Mata ne - See you later in Japanese

The main alternative and the best way to say goodbye in Japanese is the words jyaa ne [じゃね], mata ne [またね] and their numerous variations. These words are equivalent to the traditional bye, see ya or later in Portuguese.

See below a large number of variations derived from mata and jyaa that will expand your vocabulary:

• Jyaa [じゃあ] - Até;
• Jyaa ne [じゃあね] - See you later;
• Mata ne [またね] - See you later;
• Jyaa mata[じゃあまた] - See you later;
• Mata act of [また後で] - See you later;
• Mata kondo [また今度] - See you soon;
• Mata ashita [また明日] - See you tomorrow;
• Mata raishu [また来週] - See you next week;
• Mata Raigetsu [また来月] - See you next month;
• Mara rainen [また来年] - See you next year;
• Dewa kills [ではまた] - See you later;
• Mata aou [また会おう] - Until we meet again;
• Sorejyaa, mata ne [それじゃ] - So, see you soon!

The ways to say goodbye listed above are a bit informal. Notice how there are many variations of see you later in Japanese. The word jyaa [じゃあ] literally means next, thus, then; While mata [また] means again, besides, and still;

Young people often use this way of saying goodbye in Japanese a lot. These are undoubtedly the best ways, but there are many others that we are going to see, some specific to each occasion. You can also create your own variations with the words we saw in the list above.

Ittekimasu and itterashai - farewell when leaving home

When you are leaving your house, you can say ittekimasu [行ってきます], when someone from your house is about to leave and says ittekimasu, you can say itterashai [行ってらしゃい].

Ittekimasu and Itterashai are used indoors when someone leaves or returns, is like saying: I'm leaving, and the person of the house replies: Go in peace / Go your way well, be careful, come back soon...

Just as we say "cuide-se" in Portuguese as a form of farewell, you can also say ki wo tsukete [気をつけて] in Japanese. You can say this to someone who is leaving their home or going to a nearby place.

It has no relation to the article, but it's worth remembering that when someone arrives home they say tadaima [ただいま] which means I have arrived, while the person who is in the house says okaeri [おかえり] which means welcome back.

SAYING GOODBYE AT WORK IN JAPANESE

In Japan, many tend to work overtime, so when you are leaving work, some will always continue working. Politely, you should say goodbye by saying: Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu [お先に失礼します], which means "excuse me for leaving first/earlier."

You can also say in a shortened form osakini [お先に] to your colleagues, but you cannot use this informality with your boss. You can also use alone shitsurei shimasu [失礼します], which also means excuse me.

When someone is leaving work and says o saki ni shitsureishimasu [お先に失礼します], you can respond otsukaresama deshita [お疲れ様でした], which translates to something like "Thank you for your hard work."

Another similar phrase you might hear is: gokurousama deshita [御苦労様でした]. Its meaning is similar to otsukaresama deshita, but it is said to people of a lower status. For example, a boss can say this to their team.

Other Ways to Say Goodbye in Japanese

genki of [元気で] - If someone is going on a long trip or is moving to a different place and you won't see them for a long time, you can tell genki de [元気で] which is like saying "take care of yourself","be alright" or " all the best."

Odaiji ni [お大事に] - If you are saying goodbye to someone who is sick, you can say odaiji ni [お大事に], which means "get well soon".

Saraba da [さらばだ] - A very old expression (used by samurais) to say goodbye. Perhaps the closest equivalent to "adios!" Therefore, it cannot be used formally, only with your close friends or in a playful way.

Oyasuminasai [おやすみなさい] - It means "good night," but it can be used to say goodbye to someone who is going to sleep or if you are leaving the person's house at night.

Gochisou sama deshita [ご馳走様でした] - "It is used to thank the food in restaurants, but it can also be a farewell from a restaurant when paying at the cashier, for example."

• Mata miruyo [また見るよ] - See you soon;
• Mata oaishimashou [またお会いしましょう] - Let's meet again;
• Mata renraku shimasu [また連絡します] - I will get in touch with you;

Foreign ways to say goodbye in Japanese

One of the most popular and used foreign forms in Japan comes from the English Bye Bye. Many young Japanese people often use baibai [バイバイ] to say goodbye informally to friends and other people. Sometimes this expression can sound a little feminine.

The Japanese also know the traditional adios from Spanish and Castilian. In Japanese, this expression is written adiosu [アディオス]. There is also a variation from the French written adieu [アデュー].

Ways to say goodbye in different dialects of Japan

To conclude the farewells in Japanese, let's share how to say "sayonara", "jyane" or other words that we saw throughout the article in different regions of Japan.

There are still thousands of other ways to say goodbye in Japanese, in addition to regional variations of sayonara, if you remember any you can leave them in the comments. I hope you enjoyed the article, if you did, share it with your friends and leave your comments.