adiós, chico
/aˈdjos ˈt͡ʃiko/word by word
The English phrase "boy bye" can be translated into Spanish as adiós, chico.
This phrase is used as a dismissive way to tell someone to leave or to signal the end of a conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, the word pibe is used to refer to a boy or young man. In Argentina, you may also encounter the phrase Chau, boludo to say "Bye, idiot."
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈdjos ˈtʃiko/
Did you know?
- If you use adiós in certain Spanish-speaking contexts, it can sound much more permanent than the English 'bye', sometimes implying you will never see the person again.
- The word chico has a strange history, as it may be an expressive creation linked to the Latin 'ciccum', which refers to an 'insignificant thing' or a 'trifle'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, using the word chico to address someone can actually feel patronizing or overly childish rather than just friendly.
Example conversation
Javier is making excuses for being late again.
- LucíaOtra vez lo mismo, Javier.The same thing again, Javier.
- JavierEs que había mucho tráfico.It's just that there was a lot of traffic.
- LucíaNo me interesa tu historia. ¡Adiós, chico!I'm not interested in your story. Boy bye!
- Javier¿En serio me estás echando?Are you seriously kicking me out?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (adiós, chico) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adiós, chico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
