tschüss
/t͡ʃʏs/
The English phrase "ciao" can be expressed in German as tschüss.
Meaning: transliteration of the Italian greeting or farewell (intj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
While tschüss is widely used, other regional informal greetings exist. In northern Germany, particularly around Hamburg, people often use the casual greeting Moin. In the Rheinland region, Tach is a friendly and informal way to say hello. In Bavaria and Austria, the informal term Servus is used for both hello and goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃʏs/
Did you know?
- Although it sounds like the Italian 'ciao', the German tschüss actually shares a distant family tree with the Spanish 'adiós' and French 'adieu'.
- In some regions, Germans say tschüss schön when leaving, which literally translates to 'goodbye beautifully'.
- While tschüss is the standard informal farewell, speakers may use the diminutive tschüssi to sound more affectionate or cute when talking to children and close friends.
Examples in context
- Tschüss, bis morgen!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Tschüss, alle zusammen!Bye, everyone!
- Mach's gut und tschüss!Take care and bye!
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are leaving a cafe after meeting for coffee.
- LauraEs war schön, Julian. Tschüss!It was nice, Julian. Bye!
- JulianJa, Laura. Tschüss und bis bald!Yes, Laura. Bye and see you soon!
- LauraBis bald!See you soon!
- JulianTschüss!Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tschüss, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tschüss, CC BY-SA 4.0.
