How To Say Goodbye In Spanish

• Adiós is the standard, slightly more formal goodbye, often used when you won’t see someone soon; it’s safe in uncertain contexts.

• Casual, everyday options include hasta luego (most common, esp. in Spain), hasta pronto (implies genuinely soon), hasta mañana, and more.

• Chao/chau comes from Italian ciao and is common across the Spanish-speaking world, frequently used on phone calls with friends.

• You can tailor farewells with polite add-ons and context: Gracias, hasta luego y que tenga un buen día, ¡Buen viaje! ¡Chao!

We love the optimism associated with "hello," but most conversations require an exit strategy of some kind, or at least a polite and appropriate means of signing off. Besides, most goodbyes aren't forever — in many situations, you'll want to say goodbye in Spanish in a way that suggests you'll be seeing someone again soon. You'll also want to tailor your message for formal and informal contexts, or perhaps in a way that's specific to the time of day.

Ready to level up in your conversational basics? Here are the most common ways to say goodbye in Spanish. To hear how they're pronounced, click the words highlighted in gray.

How To Say Goodbye In Spanish

When In Doubt: Adiós

The textbook version of goodbye in Spanish is adiós.

Though adiós is a bit more formal-sounding than some of the other options below, it can also fit in an informal context, and it's a good one to have in your back pocket for when you're not entirely sure where you stand with the people you're talking to.

Adiós is also more appropriate in situations where you likely won't see the other person again very soon (the next day, for instance). Like the English word "goodbye," it has a certain finality to it.

Keeping It Casual

When you're an informal context, you'll probably opt for one of the following:

• Hasta luego — see you later

• Chao — bye

• ¡Hasta pronto! — see you soon

• Hasta mañana — see you tomorrow

• ¡Nos vemos! — see you (lit. "we'll see each other")

• Me voy — I'm going now

• Buenas noches — goodnight

Of the "hasta" terms, hasta luego is probably the most common, especially in Spain. If you say hasta pronto, it's implied that soon is actually soon — not some vague promise of hanging out again that you may not follow up on.

Chao is, you guessed it, derived from the Italian ciao. It's fairly ubiquitous in the Spanish-speaking world, though you might encounter the alternate spelling of chau in places like Argentina and Peru. It's a common way to sign off if you're talking on the phone with friends.

Buenas noches is both a greeting and a goodbye, and it's appropriate to use in the evening as well — not just before bed.

Some Specific Goodbyes

Now that you've got the basics down, try throwing these slightly more complex or context-specific goodbyes into your vocabulary.

• Gracias, hasta luego y que tenga un buen día — Thank you, goodbye and have a nice day

• ¡Buen viaje! ¡Chao! – Have a good trip! Bye!

• Chao, hasta luego — Bye, see you later