chao
/ˈt͡ʃaw/
chao is the Spanish way to say goodbye informally.
chao is a casual way to say goodbye to friends or family. It is similar to saying 'bye' or 'ciao' in English.
Which one should you use?
While adiós is the standard word for goodbye, chao is more casual and is used frequently among friends and family. You may also use Hasta luego for 'see you later' or Nos vemos to indicate that you will meet the person again in casual situations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
chao is an informal term used for casual interactions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
While used in many Spanish-speaking countries, chao is particularly common in much of Latin America.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃaw/
Did you know?
- The word chao shares a strange, indirect connection to the English word 'slave' through the Italian word ciao, which originally derived from the term for 'esclavo'.
- While chao is used for goodbye, it cannot be used to say 'hello' in Spanish, unlike its Italian ancestor ciao.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to stack multiple farewells like chao, nos vemos, hasta luego into one long sequence before actually leaving.
Examples in context
- ¡Chao, nos vemos mañana!Bye, see you tomorrow!
- Chao, que te vaya bien.Bye, hope it goes well for you.
- Bueno, chao a todos.Well, bye to everyone.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are leaving a coffee shop after meeting up.
- MateoMe tengo que ir ya.I have to go now.
- ElenaEstá bien, chao, Mateo.Okay, bye, Mateo.
- MateoChao, Elena, ¡cuídate mucho!Bye, Elena, take care!
- Elena¡Igualmente, nos vemos!You too, see you!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chao, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
