إِلَى اللِّقَاء
ʔilā l-liqāʔ
In Arabic, the phrase for bye can be expressed in several ways. If unsure, use إِلَى اللِّقَاء (ʔilā l-liqāʔ). Wiktionary also lists مَعَ السَّلَامَة (maʕa s-salāma) and سَلَام (salām).
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| إِلَى اللِّقَاء | ʔilā l-liqāʔ |
| مَعَ السَّلَامَة | maʕa s-salāma |
| سَلَام | salām |
These terms are used to express a departure or to say goodbye.
What does it mean word for word?
The literal meanings of these forms are as follows: إِلَى اللِّقَاء means 'until the meeting', مَعَ السَّلَامَة means 'with safety' and سَلَام means 'peace'.
Which one should you use?
إِلَى اللِّقَاء implies a future meeting, whereas سَلَام is a more casual shorthand way to say goodbye.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
إِلَى اللِّقَاء is a formal way to say goodbye and is often seen in books, media or polite professional environments. مَعَ السَّلَامَة is a very common and polite way to say goodbye, often used specifically when someone is departing. سَلَام is an informal, shorthand way to say goodbye, similar to 'bye' or 'peace' in English.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔilā l-liqāʔ
Did you know?
- While إِلَى اللِّقَاء is formal, in spoken dialects people often replace it with the word باي which is a direct loanword from the English 'bye'.
- The root of سَلَام (s-l-m) is the same root found in the word 'Islam', which itself relates to submission and peace.
- Using سَلَام can sometimes feel slightly abrupt if used with an elder, as it lacks the formal honorifics typically expected in Arabic etiquette.
Examples in context
- إِلَى اللِّقَاء يَا صَدِيقِي.ila al-liqā' yā ṣadīqī.Bye, my friend.
- شُكْرًا جَزِيلًا، إِلَى اللِّقَاء.shukran jazīlan, ila al-liqā'.Thank you very much, bye.
Example conversation
Ahmed and Noor are finishing a brief meeting at a cafe.
- أحمد Ahmedالْآنَ يَجِبُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ. إِلَى اللِّقَاء يَا نُور.al-ān yajibu an adh-haba. ila al-liqā' yā Nūr.I have to go now. Bye, Noor.
- نور Nourحَسَنًا، إِلَى اللِّقَاء يَا أَحْمَد.hasanan, ila al-liqā' yā Ahmad.Okay, bye, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedيَوْمُكِ سَعِيدٌ.yawmuki sa'īd.Have a nice day.
- نور Nourوَأَنْتَ أَيْضًا.wa anta ayḍan.You too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
