Ways to say it
| Polish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| do zobaczenia | /dɔ‿zɔ.baˈt͡ʂɛ.ɲa/ | informal |
| na razie | /na‿ˈra.ʑɛ/ | |
| cześć | /ˈt͡ʂɛɕt͡ɕ/ /ˈt͡ʂɛɕ/ |
|
| nara | /ˈna.ra/ | colloquial |
| bywaj | /ˈbɘ.vaj/ |
While it serves as a way to say "see you later," it implies that a meeting will definitely occur in the future.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, do zobaczenia translates to "until seeing" or "until a seeing occurs."
Which one should you use?
Do zobaczenia implies a definite future meeting, whereas cześć is a general "bye" or "hi" that doesn't necessarily imply seeing the person again. Nara is a very short, slangy version of na razie and is much more informal and potentially dismissive than do zobaczenia.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Do zobaczenia is an informal way to say see you. Na razie and nara are colloquial, with nara being particularly slangy. Cześć is an informal word used among friends and peers for both "hi" and "bye." Bywaj is an imperative form used as a parting wish, similar to "take care." If you need a formal way to say goodbye, use do widzenia.
How does it change in a sentence?
Do zobaczenia is an impersonal construction and does not change based on whether you are speaking to one person or many people.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of do zobaczenia is /dɔ‿zɔ.baˈtʂɛ.ɲa/. The stress is on the third of the four syllables.
Did you know?
- The word cześć used as a greeting is actually a noun that originally meant 'honor' or 'glory'.
- The phrase bywaj comes from a verb meaning 'to happen' or 'to be'. Using it as a goodbye is like telling someone to 'continue existing' or 'stay around'.
- If you use the slangy nara with a stranger or an elder, you might sound incredibly rude or dismissive, almost like saying 'laters' in a blunt, uninterested way.
Examples in context
- No to do zobaczenia.See you then.This sentence shows how to use do zobaczenia.Tatoeba #557390 by Bilberry, translation #47013 by CK
- Do zobaczenia w sobotę.I'll see you Saturday.Tatoeba #973149 by zipangu, translation #953810 by CK
- Do zobaczenia rano, Tom.See you in the morning, Tom.Tatoeba #6030123 by BeataB, translation #2643713 by CK
- Dziękuję za rozmowę. Do widzenia!Thank you for the conversation. Goodbye!
- Dobrze się bawiłem. Cześć!I had a great time. Bye!
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Katarzyna and Krzysztof are leaving a cafe.
- KatarzynaDzięki za kawę, Krzysztof!Thanks for the coffee, Krzysztof!
- KrzysztofNie ma problemu, Katarzyno.No problem, Katarzyna.
- KatarzynaNo dobrze, do zobaczenia!All right, see you!
- KrzysztofCześć, do zobaczenia!Bye, see you!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “see you” translations and entries do zobaczenia, na razie, cześć, nara, bywaj, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
