Ways to say it
| Serbian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| довиђења | doviđénja | /doʋid͡ʑěːɲa/ | Cyrillic |
| до виђења | do viđenja | Cyrillic, alternative form | |
| збогом | zbȍgom | /zbôɡom/ | Cyrillic |
| do viđenja | Latin, alternative form | ||
| doviđenja | /doʋid͡ʑěːɲa/ | Latin | |
| zbogom | /zbôɡom/ | Latin |
The most common way to say goodbye is through the forms doviđenja or до виђења. While these are standard, you might also encounter zbogom, which is used for much more significant, permanent or heavy departures.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase до виђења is literally composed of do (until) and виђења (a seeing or meeting).
Which one should you use?
Use doviđenja (or its alternative spelling до виђења) for standard, polite departures. In contrast, zbogom is used for a final farewell, such as when someone is leaving forever or dying and carries a much heavier, more dramatic tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Doviđenja is the standard, polite way to say goodbye when you are in shops, restaurants or speaking to people you are not close with. For much more casual settings among friends, Serbians frequently use the borrowed word Ćao to mean both 'hi' and 'bye'.
How do you pronounce it?
doviđénja (/doʋidʑěːɲa/)
Did you know?
- While довиђења is the standard polite farewell, the casual Ćao is a direct loanword from the Italian Ciao.
- The dramatic farewell zbogom literally translates to 'with God'.
- Using збогом in a casual setting can be perceived as an omen or an accidental declaration that you will never see the other person again.
Examples in context
- Не заборави да кажеш збогом.Don't forget to say goodbye.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of збогом.Tatoeba #11069872 by Inego, translation #11069715 by CK
- Збогом, Томе.Goodbye, Tom.This sentence shows how to address someone while using збогом.Tatoeba #8852621 by Lebad, translation #6665105 by CK
- Реци "збогом".Say goodbye.This sentence is a simple command to use the word збогом.Tatoeba #8835678 by Lebad, translation #2111564 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are leaving the office for the day.
- MarijaДовиђења, Стефане!Goodbye, Stefan!
- StefanДовиђења, Марија!Goodbye, Marija!
- MarijaВидимо се сутра.See you tomorrow.
- StefanДа, видимо се.Yes, see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goodbye” translations and entries довиђења, до виђења, збогом, do viđenja, doviđenja, zbogom, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries do, до, збогом, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
