tchau
/ˈt͡ʃaw/
The English phrase "ciao" can be expressed in Portuguese using tchau.
Tchau is the standard, widely used Portuguese word for goodbye. tchau is used exclusively as a farewell and cannot be used to say "hello".
Meaning: transliteration of the Italian greeting or farewell (intj)
Which one should you use?
While 'ciao' is a loanword from Italian, tchau is the standard, widely used Portuguese word for goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃaw/
Did you know?
- The word tchau originates from the Venetian word for 'slave', which evolved into a friendly greeting over centuries.
- In Brazil, it is common to say tchau multiple times in a row as a way of slowly ending a conversation.
- Although tchau is the standard farewell, Brazilians often pair it with tchau, tchau or tchauzinho to sound more affectionate.
Examples in context
- Muito obrigado! Até logo!Thank you very much! Goodbye!
- Às três horas. Tchauzinho!At three o'clock. Bye!
- Beleza! Tchauzinho!Sounds good! Bye!
- Tchau, até amanhã!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Ele disse tchau para a mãe.He said goodbye to his mother.
- Apenas um tchau rápido.Just a quick goodbye.
Example conversation
Felipe and Mariana are leaving a coffee shop.
- FelipeMariana, eu preciso ir agora.Mariana, I need to go now.
- MarianaTudo bem, Felipe. Tchau!That's fine, Felipe. Bye!
- FelipeTchau! A gente se fala.Bye! We will talk later.
- MarianaCombinado. Até logo!Agreed. See you later!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ciao” translations and entries tchau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tchau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
