Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| またね | mata ne | [ma̠ta̠ ne̞] (narrow) |
| さようなら | sayounara | [sa̠jo̞ːna̠ɾa̠] (narrow) |
| じゃ | ja | [d͡ʑa̠] (narrow) |
| じゃ、また | ja, mata | |
| バイバイ | baibai | [ba̠iba̠i] (narrow) |
The phrase またね is an informal way to say "see you later" among friends. You can also use じゃあね as an informal phrase meaning "see you" or "goodbye for now."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase またね literally means "again, right?" or "see you again."
Which one should you use?
While さようなら is the standard dictionary translation for "goodbye," it often carries a sense of finality or a long-term separation. This makes it less suitable for daily casual use with friends than またね.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal goodbye, use さようなら. The word バイバイ is a loanword from English and is used in a very casual, often cute or childish way. じゃ is a very casual contraction of dewa and functions similarly to the English "Well, [I'm off]!" or "Later!"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase じゃ、また combines the casual "well/then" with "again" to create a natural, common way to say "See you later."
How do you pronounce it?
mata ne
Did you know?
- Instead of saying 'bye' when leaving a workplace, Japanese employees often say お疲れ様でした which means 'you are tired'.
- The phrase さようなら originally began as a conjunction meaning 'if it is like that' rather than a greeting. It only transitioned into a way to say 'goodbye' in the late 18th century.
- The word バイバイ is often associated with 'kawaii' culture and is frequently used by women and children to sound cute.
Examples in context
- さようなら。Good-bye!This example shows the use of さようなら.Tatoeba #640569 by arihato, translation #64336 by Zifre
- バイバイ。また遊ぼうね！Bye! Let's do this again!This example shows the use of バイバイ.Tatoeba #2980845 by tommy_san, translation #2982209 by Chromatic
- ドイツ語で「さようなら」を何と言いますか。How do you say "good bye" in German?Tatoeba #8533953 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #464137 by maolek
- 「お世話になりました。さようなら。」Thank you for your help. Goodbye.
- 「今日はありがとうございました。失礼します。」Thank you for today. Excuse me for leaving.
- 「お買い物に行くよ。またね！」I'm going shopping. See you later!
- 「今度映画を見に行こうね！じゃあね！」Let's go watch a movie next time! Goodbye for now!
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are leaving a cafe after hanging out.
- 結衣 Yui今日は楽しかったよ。Kyou wa tanoshikatta yo.I had fun today.
- 健太 Kenta僕も。またね。Boku mo. Mata ne.Me too. Bye.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、またね！Un, mata ne!Yeah, bye!
- 健太 Kenta気をつけて帰ってね。Ki wo tsukete kaette ne.Get home safely.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries またね, さようなら, じゃ, バイバイ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries さようなら, じゃ, またね, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
