左様なら
sayounarakanji, rare spelling
The word for "goodbye" has a kanji spelling, 左様なら (sayounara). In real life it is almost always written in hiragana as さようなら (sayounara). It is also called 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu).
Meaning: farewell (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 左様なら | sayounara | kanji, rare spelling |
| 失礼します | shitsurei shimasu | polite, leaving |
| さようなら | sayounara | hiragana, standard spelling |
さようなら (sayounara) sounds final, so people use it for longer partings or in school and ceremonies. When leaving an office or a room politely, people usually say 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu), which is written in kanji.
Which one should you use?
Friends rarely say さようなら (sayounara) to each other. They say またね (mata ne), "see you", which has no common kanji spelling.
Did you know?
- The spelling 左様なら (sayounara) comes from a phrase that roughly means "if that is so", which is why the word started as a way to close a conversation.
Examples in context
- 先生、さようなら。Sensei, sayounara.Goodbye, teacher.
- では、失礼します。Dewa, shitsurei shimasu.Well then, I will be leaving.
Example conversation
Mika finishes work and says goodbye to her colleague Sato at the office door.
- Mikaお先に失礼します。Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.I will leave before you.
- Satoお疲れ様でした。Otsukaresama deshita.Thank you for your work.
- Mikaまた明日。Mata ashita.See you tomorrow.
