Servus
casual, Austria
In Austria a friendly way to say "bye" is Servus, and Baba is also very common. In a formal setting you say Auf Wiederschauen. It is also called Pfiat di.
Meaning: goodbye (interjection)
Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Servus | casual, Austria |
| Baba | casual, Austria |
| Pfiat di | casual, Bavarian Austrian |
| Auf Wiederschauen | formal, Austria |
Servus works both for hello and for goodbye among friends. Baba is warm and often used with children.
Which one should you use?
Standard German has Tschüss and Auf Wiedersehen. In Austria Auf Wiederschauen is the more typical formal form, and Pfiat di comes from the older Behüt dich Gott.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Pfiat di is typical of Austria and Bavaria and less used in the east of the country around Vienna.
Did you know?
- Servus was originally Latin for "your servant" and spread through Austria as a greeting.
Examples in context
- Servus, bis morgen!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Baba, bis später!Bye, see you later!
- Auf Wiederschauen, Frau Huber.Goodbye, Mrs. Huber.
Example conversation
Lena leaves a bakery in Vienna and says goodbye to the baker.
- LenaDanke schön, das war alles.Thank you, that was everything.
- BäckerGern geschehen. Auf Wiederschauen!You are welcome. Goodbye!
- LenaAuf Wiederschauen!Goodbye!
