adiós
/aˈdjos/
The English phrase 'bye to a friend' is translated into Spanish as adiós.
adiós is the most common way to say goodbye in Spanish. Other natural alternatives for saying goodbye to a friend include nos vemos, which translates to 'see you later' and hasta pronto, meaning 'see you soon'.
Which one should you use?
While adiós can imply a more permanent or long-term departure, hasta luego is more common for casual, temporary goodbyes between friends. hasta luego literally means 'until later'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a very common, informal way to say goodbye to friends in many Spanish-speaking countries, you can use chao.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to say hasta luego, majete to mean 'See you later, buddy'. In Mexico, you may hear cuídate mucho to mean 'Take care a lot' when saying goodbye to friends informally.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈdjos/
Did you know?
- The common goodbye chao is not actually Spanish in origin, but comes from the Italian word ciao.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying goodbye is often accompanied by a single cheek kiss or a hug, even among friends. A verbal adiós alone might feel incomplete in certain social contexts.
- The word adiós is actually a contraction of the phrase 'to God'.
Examples in context
- Adiós, nos vemos mañana.Bye, see you tomorrow.
- ¡Adiós, que te vaya bien!Bye, I hope everything goes well for you!
- Bueno, adiós a todos.Well, goodbye to everyone.
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are leaving a coffee shop.
- SofíaMe tengo que ir ya, Javier.I have to go now, Javier.
- JavierEstá bien, Sofía. Adiós.Alright, Sofía. Bye.
- Sofía¡Adiós! Hablamos luego.Bye! We'll talk later.
- JavierVale, hasta pronto.Okay, see you soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry adiós, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adiós, CC BY-SA 4.0.
