tchau tchau
/ˈt͡ʃaw ˈt͡ʃaw/word by word
tchau tchau is the Portuguese way to say "bye bye".
tchau tchau is an informal way to say goodbye to someone.
Which one should you use?
While tchau is the most commonly used way to say 'bye bye' in Portuguese, repeating the word as tchau tchau makes the farewell sound more informal, casual or even affectionate compared to a single tchau.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tchau tchau is an informal expression. In Brazil, you may also encounter the colloquial expression falou to say goodbye.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, falou is used as a colloquial way to say goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃaw ˈtʃaw/
Did you know?
- The word tchau actually has its roots in the word for 'slave', descending from the Italian word 'ciao' which originally meant 'your servant'.
- Depending on the region of Brazil, a person might replace 'tchau' with 'valeu' to say goodbye, which is a slang term originally meaning 'it was worth it'.
- In Brazil, you can use the word falou to mean 'goodbye', even though the word literally means 'he/she/it spoke'.
Examples in context
- Espero te ver em breve. Adeus!I hope to see you soon. Goodbye!
- Obrigado pela visita. Até logo!Thanks for the visit. See you soon!
- Até breve, meu caro amigo.See you soon, my dear friend.
- Tchau! Tenha um bom dia!Bye! Have a good day!
- Falou, galera! Até amanhã!See ya, guys! See you tomorrow!
- Tchau tchau, até amanhã!Bye bye, see you tomorrow!
- Ela disse tchau tchau para o bebê.She said bye bye to the baby.
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe are leaving a small social gathering.
- BeatrizTchau tchau, Felipe! Foi muito bom te ver.Bye bye, Felipe! It was great seeing you.
- FelipeTchau tchau, Beatriz! Nos vemos em breve.Bye bye, Beatriz! See you soon.
- BeatrizTenha uma boa noite!Have a good night!
- FelipeVocê também!You too!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (tchau) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tchau, tchau tchau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
