Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hoşça kal | /hoʃt͡ʃa kal/ (from spelling rules) | |
| güle güle | /ɟyˈle ɟy.le/ | |
| görüşürüz | /ɟøɾyʃyɾyz/ (from spelling rules) | |
| Allah'a ısmarladık | /allaha ɯsmaɾladɯk/ (from spelling rules) | |
| baybay | /bajbaj/ (from spelling rules) | informal |
In Turkish, the phrase you choose for goodbye depends heavily on whether you are the one staying or the one leaving. hoşça kal is used when you are leaving and telling the person staying to remain well. güle güle is used when you are the one staying and telling the person leaving to go smilingly. görüşürüz is a casual way to say goodbye which literally means 'we'll see each other'. Allah'a ısmarladık is a traditional expression used by the person who is leaving. Finally, baybay is a playful, colloquial version similar to the English 'bye-bye'.
Which one should you use?
The primary difference between the forms is the perspective of the speaker: use hoşça kal when you are departing and güle güle when you are staying. For a more casual or modern feel, you can use görüşürüz to imply a future meeting or baybay for a very playful tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hoşça kal is the informal version of the polite hoşça kalın. baybay is highly informal and is primarily used by children or in very casual settings. görüşürüz is an informal way to say goodbye. Allah'a ısmarladık serves as a traditional farewell.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase hoşça kal polite or to address more than one person, use the form hoşça kalın.
How do you pronounce it?
/hoʃtʃa kal/. The /h/ is like the [h] in home, /ʃ/ is like the [sh] in shoe, /tʃ/ is like the [ch] in change and /k/ is like the [c] in core.
When do people say it?
The farewells in Turkish often reflect a specific social direction. When leaving, a person might use the traditional Allah'a ısmarladık, which translates to 'I entrust (you/them) to God'.
Did you know?
- The traditional farewell Allah'a ısmarladık uses the word ısmarlamak, which today most commonly means 'to order' food or goods in a restaurant.
- The phrase güle güle is a reduplication of the word for 'smilingly' or 'laughingly', based on the root gül meaning 'to smile'.
- Turkish speakers often use the phrase Allah'a emanet ol as a goodbye, which means 'be entrusted to God'.
Examples in context
- Tom hoşça kal dedi.Tom said goodbye.This sentence shows the use of the phrase hoşça kal.Tatoeba #3652585 by maydoo, translation #3360534 by CK
- Ona güle güle dedi.He said goodbye to her.This sentence shows the use of the phrase güle güle.Tatoeba #9099103 by osmanizbat, translation #8392908 by Amastan
- Hoşça kal bile demedi.He didn't even say goodbye.Tatoeba #3457371 by deyta, translation #2266185 by _undertoad
- Teşekkür ederim. Hoşça kalın.Thank you. Goodbye.
- Hoş geldiniz. Güle güle.Welcome. Goodbye.
- Akşama birlikte yemek yiyelim, sonra görüşürüz!Let's have dinner together tonight, see you later!
- Hoşça kal, sevgilim.Goodbye, my love.
- 76 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep and Can are leaving a cafe after meeting for coffee.
- ZeynepBugün için teşekkürler, hoşça kal Can.Thanks for today, goodbye Can.
- CanRica ederim, hoşça kal Zeynep.You're welcome, goodbye Zeynep.
- ZeynepYarın görüşürüz.See you tomorrow.
- CanTamam, görüşürüz.Okay, see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goodbye” translations and entries hoşça kal, güle güle, görüşürüz, Allah'a ısmarladık, baybay, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries güle güle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
