Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| doei | /dui̯/ | |
| dag | /dɑx/ | |
| doeg | /dux/ | |
| tot ziens | /tɔtˈsins/ | |
| tot weerziens | dated | |
| tot kijk | /tɔt kɛi̯k/ (word by word) | |
| tot gauw | /tɔt ɣɑu̯/ (word by word) | |
| laters | informal | |
| toedels | informal | |
| toedeltjes | informal | |
| toedelpip | informal | |
| toedeloe | /ˌtu.dəˈlu/ | informal |
| toedeledokie | /ˌtu.də.ləˈdoː.ki/ | informal |
| tabee | /taːˈbeː/ | informal |
| adieu | /aːˈdjøː/ /aː.diˈøː/ (uncommon) |
|
| aju | /aːˈjy/ | informal |
| ajuus | /aːˈjys/ | informal, alternative form |
| joe | /ju/ | informal |
| jo | informal | |
| ciao | informal | |
| hoie | Limburgish | |
| houdoe | [ˈɦɑu.du] (Brabantian, East, narrow) [ˈɑu.du] (Brabantian, West, narrow) |
Brabantian |
| moi | /mɔi̯/ /mʋɑ/ |
also, informal |
Dutch offers many ways to say goodbye depending on how soon you expect to see the person again and the level of formality required. While doei is a standard informal way to say bye, phrases like tot gauw (see you soon) or tot straks (see you later) are used when a meeting is expected shortly. For a general 'until we see each other again', you can use tot ziens or the dated tot weerziens.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tot ziens literally means until seeing (each other).
Which one should you use?
Doei is the standard informal way to say bye, whereas tot ziens is more formal. The word dag is more formal than doei and is versatile, as it can mean both 'hello/good day' and 'goodbye'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, the most common phrase is tot ziens. A more formal and somewhat old-fashioned option is vaarwel. In informal settings, doei is very popular. Many other informal options exist, such as the Italian loanword ciao or various playful forms like toedels, toedeltjes, toedelpip, toedeloe and toedeledokie. Other informal slang includes aju (or its alternative spelling ajuus), joe, jo, tabee, laters and the shortened doeg.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the North Brabant province, people use the characteristic regional form houdoe. In the Limburgish dialect, hoie is used. In Suriname, people may use the informal aju. In the Flemish region of Belgium, salut is often used as an informal goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
/dui̯/
Did you know?
- The common informal goodbye doei is actually a variation of doeg, which itself evolved from the 'Zaans' dialect's version of the word dag.
- While salut is a French word, it is commonly used as an informal goodbye in the Flemish region of Belgium rather than in the Netherlands.
- Dutch has an extensive range of playful, nonsensical variations of 'bye' such as toedelpip and toedeledokie that are used in very casual settings.
Examples in context
- Ik moet nu gaan. Doei!I have to go now. Bye!This sentence shows a practical use of the informal doei.Tatoeba #3175637 by PaulP, translation #2093311 by gleki
- Tot kijk! Hou je goed!Bye! Take care!This sentence uses tot kijk to say goodbye.Tatoeba #3849425 by PaulP, translation #3847237 by Luciosp
- Doei.Good-bye!This sentence provides a simple example of using doei.Tatoeba #7786495 by Micsmithel, translation #64336 by Zifre
- Bedankt voor uw hulp. Tot ziens!Thank you for your help. Goodbye!
- Ik ga nu terug naar mijn land. Vaarwel!I'm going back to my country now. Goodbye!
- Leuk je te zien vandaag! Doei!Nice seeing you today! Bye!
- Ik ben straks terug. Tot straks!I'll be back soon. See you later!
- Bedankt voor de gezelligheid! Aju!Thanks for the company! Goodbye!
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sophie and Lucas are leaving a cafe.
- SophieIk ga naar huis. Doei, Lucas!I'm going home. Bye, Lucas!
- LucasDoei, Sophie! Fijne avond nog.Bye, Sophie! Have a nice evening.
- SophieDank je, jij ook!Thank you, you too!
- LucasDoei!Bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries doei, dag, doeg, tot ziens, tot kijk, toedeloe, toedeledokie, tabee, adieu, aju, ajuus, joe, jo, houdoe, moi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (tot, kijk, gauw) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dag, doeg, doei, tot, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
