do videnia
/dɔviɟeɲɪ̯a/
In Slovak, goodbye can be expressed as do videnia or zbohom.
Meaning: farewell (intj)
Ways to say it
| Slovak | IPA |
|---|---|
| do videnia | /dɔviɟeɲɪ̯a/ |
| zbohom | /ˈzbɔɦɔm/ |
These terms are used to express farewell.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase do videnia literally means 'until seeing', where do means 'until' or 'to' and videnia means 'seeing' or 'a meeting'.
Which one should you use?
Do videnia is the standard way to say goodbye when you expect to see the person again, similar to 'see you'. In contrast, zbohom is much more formal and carries a heavier weight, often used when you do not expect to see the person again or in very solemn contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Do videnia is the most common, neutral way to say goodbye in everyday situations and is also considered a common formal way to say goodbye or see you later. Zbohom is used in formal settings or when a parting is permanent or very serious.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/dɔviɟeɲɪ̯a/
Did you know?
- The formal farewell zbohom is actually a shortened version of the phrase 'with God', combining the prefix s (with) and Bohom (God).
- Slovak has no single word for 'goodbye' that functions exactly like the English 'bye', leading people to use borrowed words like čau in informal settings.
- If you use zbohom in a shop or a restaurant, you might sound like a character in a historical period drama rather than a modern customer.
Examples in context
- Zbohom!Goodbye!This example shows the use of zbohom.Tatoeba #9833273 by Dominika7, translation #516745 by minshirui
- Do videnia, priateľ môj.Goodbye, my friend.This example shows the use of do videnia.Tatoeba #12581690 by Adelpa, translation #12581694 by Adelpa
- Do videnia.Goodbye.Tatoeba #12268868 by Adelpa, translation #2591566 by tanay
- Ahoj, páčilo sa mi, ako sme strávili čas.Bye, I enjoyed spending time together.
- Dovidenia, bola mi radosť spolupracovať s vami.Goodbye, it was a pleasure working with you.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marek and Barbora are finishing a business meeting.
- MarekĎakujem za váš čas. Do videnia.Thank you for your time. Goodbye.
- BarboraRado som pomohla. Do videnia!I was happy to help. Goodbye!
- MarekMajte pekný deň.Have a nice day.
- BarboraVy tiež, pán Marek.You too, Mr. Marek.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goodbye” translations and entries do videnia, zbohom, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries do, zbohom, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
