tsau
/ˈtʃɑu̯/
The Estonian word for bye is tsau.
tsau is an informal way to say bye, similar to how an English speaker might say 'bye' or 'ciao'.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Which one should you use?
While tsau is used for a quick, informal goodbye, you may encounter other terms like Nägemist for a more neutral or formal farewell or Kohtume when you mean 'see you' or 'let's meet again'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tsau is an informal term. For formal or neutral situations, use Nägemist. For an informal way to say 'see you' or 'let's meet again', use Kohtume.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃɑu̯/
Did you know?
- The word tsau is an adaptation of the Italian 'ciao', which originally comes from a Venetian phrase meaning 'I am your slave'.
- In Estonia, you might hear someone say tsau both when arriving and when leaving, much like the Italian original.
- In Estonia, using tsau with a teacher or a boss could be seen as overly familiar or slightly disrespectful, as the culture maintains a clearer line between formal and informal address than some other European languages.
Examples in context
- Tänan konstruktiivse kohtumise eest. Nägemist!Thank you for the productive meeting. Goodbye!
- Oli meeldiv Sinuga rääkida. Head aega!It was a pleasure talking with you. Goodbye!
- Oli väga tore aega veeta! Nägemist!Had a great time hanging out! Goodbye!
- Tsau, näeme siis!Bye, see you then!
- Tsau, mu sõber.Bye, my friend.
- Oli tore kohtumine, tsau!It was a nice meeting, bye!
Example conversation
Toomas and Kadi are leaving a cafe.
- ToomasSee oli tore kohvik.That was a nice cafe.
- KadiJah, tõesti väga meeldiv.Yes, really pleasant.
- ToomasHead päeva, tsau!Have a nice day, bye!
- KadiTsau, Toomas!Bye, Toomas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries tsau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tsau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
