ћао
ćȃo/t͡ɕâːo/
The Serbian word for 'bye' is ћао (ćȃo).
ћао is a short form of goodbye. It is also used to say 'hi' when greeting someone in informal settings.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Which one should you use?
You may also use Видимо се to mean 'See you' or Чујемо се to mean 'We'll be in touch' in informal contexts. For a more formal goodbye, use Довиђења.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ћао is an informal expression. For formal situations, the standard way to say goodbye is Довиђења.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ćȃo.
Did you know?
- The word ћао is a loanword from the Italian ciao.
- In many Serbian households, a departure might be accompanied by the phrase Бог вам/ти да благо which means 'May God grant you well'. This is a much more traditional and weightier way to say goodbye than the casual ћао.
- While ћао is used for both hello and goodbye, the formal Довиђења is strictly for departures. If you used Довиђења upon arriving at a business meeting, it would sound like you were leaving before you even started.
Examples in context
- Ћао, Томе.Bye, Tom.This is useful for practicing a simple greeting with a name using ћао.Tatoeba #466204 by FeuDRenais, translation #6665116 by CK
- Заиста је било задовољство радити са вама. Довиђења.It has been a pleasure working with you. Goodbye.
- До скорог. Хвала вам.Until soon. Thank you.
- Да, било је сјајно. Видимо се ускоро.Yes, it was awesome. See you soon.
- Ћао, vidimo se kasnije!Bye, see you later!
- Samo ћао i odlazi.He just says bye and leaves.
Example conversation
Two friends are finishing their walk.
- NikolaБило ми је драго што смо се видели.It was nice seeing you.
- MarijaИ мени, Никола.Me too, Nikola.
- NikolaУгодимо се брзо. Ћао!Let's meet soon. Bye!
- MarijaВажи, ћао!Alright, bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ћао, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ћао, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
