Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| до свида́ния | do svidánija | ||
| до встре́чи | do vstréči | ||
| счастли́во | sčastlívo | formal | |
| пока́ | poká | ||
| ча́о | čáo | ||
| с бо́гом | s bógom | ||
| уви́димся | uvídimsja | ||
| всего́ до́брого | vsevó dóbrovo | ||
| бай-ба́й | baj-báj | ||
| адьё | adʹjó | [ɐˈdʲjɵ] (narrow) | dated |
| проща́й | proščáj | addressee singular, informal, singular | |
| проща́йте | proščájte | formal, plural |
до свида́ния works in almost every situation, with strangers, colleagues, teachers and shop staff.
What does it mean word for word?
до свида́ния literally means until the meeting, much like until we meet again.
Which one should you use?
пока́ (poká) is the casual bye used with friends and family. до встре́чи (do vstréči) means until we meet and уви́димся (uvídimsja) means see you. всего́ до́брого (vsevó dóbrovo) wishes someone all the best when parting. проща́й and проща́йте mean farewell and suggest you may not see the person again for a long time or ever.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
проща́й is informal and said to one person, while проща́йте is the formal or plural form.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as do svidánija. The stress falls on the syllable marked with the accent.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use проща́й for an everyday goodbye. It sounds final and dramatic, so use до свида́ния or пока́ instead.
Did you know?
- The phrase проща́й comes from the verb проща́ть, which means both 'to forgive' and 'to let go'. When you say this final farewell, you are essentially asking for forgiveness or granting it as you part forever.
- The preposition до in до свида́ния is an ancient relative of the English word 'to'. Both originate from the Proto-Indo-European root *de, which indicates direction or limit.
- The word счастли́во ('schastlivo'), often used as a quick 'goodbye', is actually an adverb meaning 'happily'. It functions as a shorthand for wishing someone a 'happy departure' or 'a happy way'.
Example sentences for Russian are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goodbye” translations and entries адьё, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries до, CC BY-SA 4.0.
