Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| adiós | /aˈdjos/ | |
| chau | /ˈt͡ʃau/ | alternative form |
| chao | /ˈt͡ʃaw/ | |
| agur | /aˈɡuɾ/ | |
| abur | /aˈbuɾ/ | alternative form |
| bay | /ˈbai/ | Latin America |
Adiós is the most common and straightforward way to say goodbye. For more casual departures, you can use chao or its variants. If you want to say 'until next time', you can use hasta la próxima or if you mean 'we'll see each other', you can use nos vemos.
Which one should you use?
While adiós is more formal or permanent than chao, chao is an informal way to say bye, similar to the English 'bye-bye' or 'ciao'. The spelling chau is an alternative to chao.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Adiós is more formal or neutral. In contrast, chao is an informal way to say bye.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The spelling chao is prevalent in other Latin American countries. In the Southern Cone, specifically in Argentina and Uruguay, the spelling chau is frequently used. The spelling bay is also used in Latin America. The forms agur and its alternative spelling abur are also present in the language.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈdjos/
Did you know?
- The word chao is a linguistic doublet of esclavo, meaning 'slave'.
- The word agur is not originally Spanish but is a loan from Basque, a language unrelated to any other known living language.
- While chao is used as a farewell in Spanish, its ancestor in Italian can be used as both a 'hello' and a 'goodbye'.
Examples in context
- Se fue sin decir adiós.He went off without saying good-bye.This sentence shows how to use adiós in a sentence.Tatoeba #2160479 by Shishir, translation #290039 by CM
- ¡Hola y chao! Soy Nonong.Hello and bye! I'm Nonong.This sentence uses chao in a friendly greeting.Tatoeba #1393557 by marcelostockle, translation #1502382 by gleki
- Ya me tengo que ir. ¡Chao!I have to go now. Bye!This sentence demonstrates using chao when leaving.Tatoeba #3182257 by marcelostockle, translation #2093311 by gleki
- Gracias por la reunión. Adiós.Thank you for the meeting. Goodbye.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are leaving a coffee shop.
- Lucía¡Adiós, Daniel!Bye, Daniel!
- Daniel¡Adiós, Lucía! Nos vemos luego.Bye, Lucía! See you later.
- LucíaSí, hasta mañana.Yes, see you tomorrow.
- Daniel¡Adiós!Bye!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bye” translations and entries adiós, chau, 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.
