ביי
báy
ביי (báy) is the Hebrew way to say "bye".
ביי is a shortened way to say goodbye.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Which one should you use?
While ביי is used specifically for departures, שלום (shalom) can mean both hello and goodbye and is more formal or traditional.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ביי is an informal loanword from English used in casual Hebrew conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
báy
When do people say it?
In specific contexts, other phrases are more appropriate: use לַיְלָה טוֹב (laila tov) specifically to wish someone a good night and note that שָׁלוֹם (shalom) means peace and can be used to bid farewell.
Did you know?
- Hebrew speakers often use the phrase להתראות (lehitraot) for 'goodbye', which literally means 'until we see each other again'.
- Because ביי is a direct loanword from English, using it in a very religious or traditional Jewish setting might be seen as a sign of being 'secular' or 'Westernized' rather than just casual.
- Israeli speakers may use ביי even when speaking with someone who does not know English, as the word has become fully integrated into the modern secular lexicon.
Examples in context
- ביי.Bye!This sentence shows the use of ביי as a simple parting exclamation.Tatoeba #1399689 by MrShoval, translation #647456 by Hans07
- ביי, נשתמע!bay, nishtame'a!Bye, we'll talk soon!
- היה נחמד, ביי.haya nekhmad, bay.It was nice, bye.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Iti and Agur are finishing a brief phone call.
- איתי Itayאוקיי, אני חייב ללכת עכשיו.okay, ani khayav lalekhet akhshav.Okay, I have to go now.
- עגור Adiבסדר, ביי איתי.beseder, bay Iti.Alright, bye Iti.
- איתי Itayביי עגור, שיהיה לך יום טוב.bay Agur, she'yihiye lakh yom tov.Bye Agur, have a good day.
- עגור Adiתודה, ביי!toda, bay!Thanks, bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries ביי, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
