chau
/ˈt͡ʃau/alternative form
In Spanish, 'bye' can be expressed as chau. It is also spelled abur. Wiktionary also lists adiós and chao.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chau | /ˈt͡ʃau/ | alternative form |
| adiós | /aˈdjos/ | |
| chao | /ˈt͡ʃaw/ | |
| agur | /aˈɡuɾ/ | |
| abur | /aˈbuɾ/ | alternative form |
| bay | /ˈbai/ | Latin America |
These terms are used to say goodbye. Hasta luego translates to "see you later" and is appropriate for formal situations when you expect to see the person again. Hasta pronto means "see you soon." Hasta la próxima means "until next time." You may also use Nos vemos, which literally means "we'll see each other".
Which one should you use?
chau is an alternative spelling of chao. abur is an alternative spelling of agur.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
chao is a very common, informal way to say bye, similar to the English 'bye' or 'ciao'. For formal situations where you expect to see the person again, it is more appropriate to use Hasta luego.
Is it said differently in some regions?
bay is a form used in Latin-America.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃau/
Did you know?
- The informal chao is a linguistic doublet of the Spanish word esclavo, meaning 'slave', because both trace back to the same root phrase about being a servant.
- While adiós is common, using it in some contexts can sound more final or permanent than the English 'bye', almost like saying 'farewell' for the last time.
- The word adiós has a religious origin, literally meaning 'to God'. It evolved from the Medieval Latin phrase 'ad Deum'.
Examples in context
- Se fue sin decir adiós.He went off without saying good-bye.This sentence shows the use of the form adiós.Tatoeba #2160479 by Shishir, translation #290039 by CM
- ¡Hola y chao! Soy Nonong.Hello and bye! I'm Nonong.This sentence shows the use of the form chao.Tatoeba #1393557 by marcelostockle, translation #1502382 by gleki
- Ya me tengo que ir. ¡Chao!I have to go now. Bye!Tatoeba #3182257 by marcelostockle, translation #2093311 by gleki
- Adiós, señor García. Ha sido un placer conocerlo.Goodbye, Mr. García. It has been a pleasure meeting you.
- Hasta luego, compañeros de trabajo.Goodbye, colleagues.
- Hasta pronto, señora Gómez.Goodbye, Mrs. Gómez. See you soon.
- Hasta la próxima reunión, señores.Goodbye until our next meeting, gentlemen.
- Nos vemos en la fiesta de cumpleaños de Marta.See you at Marta's birthday party.
- Hasta luego, tío. ¡Cuídate!Goodbye, dude. Take care!
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are finishing a phone call.
- SofíaHablamos más tarde, chau.We'll talk later, bye.
- AlejandroSí, que te vaya bien, Sofía.Yes, take care, Sofía.
- SofíaGracias, chau.Thanks, bye.
- AlejandroChau, nos vemos.Bye, see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries chau, adiós, chao, agur, abur, bay, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adiós, bay, chao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
