чао
čao[ˈt͡ʃaɔ]
чао (čao) is the Macedonian way to say bye.
чао is a casual and friendly way to say goodbye. It is a term commonly used among friends and in casual social settings.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Which one should you use?
Довидување is the standard and most common way to say goodbye in Macedonian.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
чао is an informal way to say goodbye. For formal situations, you might use phrases such as Благодарам за вашето време to express gratitude while saying goodbye formally or the phrase Благодарам и довидување to say thank you and goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
čao
Did you know?
- The word чао entered the Macedonian language via Italian, but its ultimate root is the Venetian phrase 's'ciavo', meaning 'I am your slave'.
- Macedonians often pair чао with a kiss on both cheeks when saying goodbye to close friends or family, following a common Balkan social gesture.
- While 'чао' is used for saying goodbye, it is also a common way to say 'hello' among younger generations in Macedonia.
Examples in context
- Чао, се гледаме утре!Chao, se gledame utre!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Чао, уживај во одмор!Chao, uzhivaj vo odmor!Bye, enjoy your vacation!
Example conversation
Philip and Marija are leaving a coffee shop.
- Филип FilipЧао, Марија!Chao, Marija!Bye, Marija!
- Марија MarijaЧао, Филип, се гледаме!Chao, Filip, se gledame!Bye, Philip, see you!
- Филип FilipДа, се слушаме наскоро.Da, se slushame naskoro.Yes, we'll talk soon.
- Марија MarijaЧао!Chao!Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry чао, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries чао, CC BY-SA 4.0.
