до свидания, мой друг
do svidaniya, moy drug
The English phrase "goodbye, my friend" is translated into Russian as до свидания, мой друг (do svidaniya, moy drug).
The phrase is a polite way to say goodbye to someone the speaker considers a friend. While до свидания is the most common standard way to say goodbye in Russian, adding мой друг provides a sense of personal warmth or affection.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase до свидания literally means "until the meeting".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the possessive pronoun мой (my) is in the masculine singular form to agree with the masculine noun друг (friend).
How do you pronounce it?
do svidaniya, moy drug
When do people say it?
When parting ways, besides the standard до свидания, you might also encounter other common expressions: Всего хорошего (all the best), Удачи (good luck), До скорого (until soon) or Увидимся (see you).
Did you know?
- Russian culture often uses 'the meeting' свидание in до свидания to refer specifically to a romantic date in other contexts.
- Using мой друг in a sarcastic tone can transform the phrase from a warm goodbye into a condescending warning.
- In many Russian social circles, instead of the polite до свидания, friends might use the much more casual пока (bye) to avoid sounding too formal.
Example conversation
Alexander and Ekaterina are finishing a walk in the park.
- Александр AleksandrМне пора идти. До свидания, мой друг!Mne pora idti. Do svidaniya, moy drug!I have to go. Goodbye, my friend!
- Екатерина EkaterinaДо свидания, Александр! Хорошего дня.Do svidaniya, Aleksandr! Khoroshego dnya.Goodbye, Alexander! Have a nice day.
- Александр AleksandrСпасибо, и тебе того же.Spasibo, i tebe togo zhe.Thanks, you too.
- Екатерина EkaterinaПока-пока!Poka-poka!Bye-bye!
