Meaning of Sayonara + 50 Ways to Say Goodbye in Japanese

Many imagine that the main way to say goodbye in Japanese is sayonara. This is a big mistake! Japanese people do not use sayonara daily! In this article, we will understand the true meaning of sayonara and 50 other ways to say goodbye in Japanese.

Sayounara [さよなら] literally means goodbye, but we usually only say goodbye when we are going to be away from the person for a long time. So it is not common for Japanese people to keep saying sayounara everywhere when saying farewell.

Suppose you are at work and say sayounara to your boss, he will think you are quitting your job. There are thousands of ways that Japanese people use to say goodbye appropriately, and in this article, we will examine them.

First, let’s study in detail the meaning of sayonara and its origin. If you want to skip to the ways to say goodbye in Japanese, we will leave a summary of the article below:

Sayonara x Sayounara

Before we examine the deep meaning and use of sayonara, we must answer a question that may confuse Japanese learners. What is the correct way to write it? Sayonara [さよなら] or Sayounara [さようなら]?

If you have been studying Japanese for a long time, you might be thinking that the correct form is sayounara [さようなら] and that Brazilians write sayonara mistakenly due to a type of romanization that represents the hiragana “OU” [おう], which is an ō accented [sayōnara].

This happens mainly because in words with “OU” [おう] the sound of “U” [う] is often hidden. However, in Japanese itself, both forms, sayonara and sayounara, are correct!

These two words are used in the Japanese language, both mean goodbye, but have slight differences. In the next topic, we will explain the origin and meaning of sayonara, so you will be able to understand the differences between sayounara and sayonara.

The Meaning of the Word Sayonara

The word sayonara [さよなら] originated from the expression Sayounaraba [左様ならば] where:

• Sayou [左様] means: “this way”; “therefore”; “everything has been discussed” and “done”;
• Naraba [ならば] – An auxiliary that conveys the idea of “then; being the case; if circumstances allow; if; in case; if it is” and things like that;
• Sayounara [左様なら] – Well, if that’s the case… If things are going to be like this…

Thus, we conclude that sayounara [左様なら] is the correct way to write it. However, nowadays things have changed, and Japanese people usually write sayonara [さよなら], which can even be used as a suru verb and noun.

Although some claim that sayonara [さよなら] means only goodbye, it can indicate a farewell and many other things in the Japanese language. See some words below to understand their meanings:

• Sayonara Paatii [さよならパーティー] – Farewell Party;
• Seishun ni sayonara suru [青春にさよならする] – Say goodbye to youth;

The first sentence shows that sayonara can be used to express farewell or the end of something. While the second sentence shows that sayonara can be used as a suru verb.

Although some imagine that sayonara is rarely used, students from elementary school are encouraged to use these words to say goodbye to the teacher. In many regions, sayonara is still used without a long period of absence.

Jyaa ne and Mata ne – See You Later in Japanese

The main alternative and the best way to say goodbye in Japanese are the words jyaa ne [じゃね], mata ne [またね] and their numerous variations. These words are equivalent to the traditional bye, flw, or see you later in Portuguese.

See below a large number of variations derived from mata and jyaa that will increase your vocabulary:

• Jyaa [じゃあ] – Until;
• Jyaa ne [じゃあね] – See you later;
• Mata ne [またね] – See you later;
• Jyaa mata [じゃあまた] – See you later;
• Mata ato de [また 後で] – See you later;
• Mata kondo [また 今度] – See you soon;
• Mata ashita [また 明日] – See you tomorrow;
• Mata raishu [また来週] – See you next week;
• Mata Raigetsu [また来月] – See you next month;
• Mara rainen [また来年] – See you next year;
• Dewa mata [ではまた] – See you later;
• Mata aou [また会おう] – Until we meet again;
• Sorejyaa, mata ne [それじゃ] – So, see you later!

The ways to say goodbye listed above are a bit informal. Notice how there are many variations of see you later in Japanese. The word jyaa [じゃあ] literally means next, thus, then; while mata [また] means again, moreover, and still;

Young people tend to use this way of saying goodbye in Japanese a lot. These are undoubtedly the best ways, but there are many others that we will see, some specific for each occasion. You can also create your own variations with the words we saw in the list above.

Ittekimasu and itterashai – Saying Goodbye When Leaving Home

When you are leaving your house, you can say ittekimasu [行ってきます], when someone from your house is leaving and says ittekimasu, you can say itterashai [行ってらしゃい].

Ittekimasu and Itterashai are used inside the house when someone is leaving or returning, it is like saying: I am leaving, and the person at home responds: Go safely / Have a good trip, take care, come back soon…

Just as we say “take care” in Portuguese as a way of saying goodbye, you can also say ki wo tsukete [気をつけて] in Japanese. You can say this to someone who is leaving your house or going to a nearby place.

It is not related to the article, but it is worth remembering that upon arriving home, the person says tadaima [ただいま] which means I have arrived, while the person at home says okaeri [おかえり] which means welcome back.

SAYING GOODBYE AT WORK IN JAPANESE

In Japan, many tend to work overtime, so when you are leaving work, some will still be working. Politely, you should say goodbye by saying: Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu [お先に失礼します] which means “excuse me for having to leave first/earlier.”

You can also say in a shortened form osakini [お先に] to your colleagues, but you cannot use this informality with your boss. You can also use shitsurei shimasu [失礼します] alone, which also means excuse me.

When someone is leaving work and says o saki ni shitsureishimasu [お先に失礼します], you can respond with otsukaresama deshita [お疲れ様でした] which translates to something like “Thank you for your hard work.”

Another similar phrase you might hear is: gokurousama deshita [御苦労様でした]. Its meaning is similar to otsukaresama deshita, but it is said to people of a lower level. For example, a boss can say this to their team.

Other Ways to Say Goodbye in Japanese

Genki de [元気で] – If someone is going on a long trip or moving to a different place and you won’t see them for a long time, you can say genki de [元気で] which is like saying “take care of yourself,” “stay well” or “wish you all the best.”

Odaiji ni [お大事に] – If you are saying goodbye to someone who is sick, you can say odaiji ni [お大事に], which means “get well soon.”

Saraba da [さらばだ] – A very old expression (used by samurais) to say goodbye. Perhaps the closest equivalent to “adios!” Therefore, it cannot be used formally, only with close friends or jokingly.

Oyasuminasai [おやすみなさい] – Means good night, but can be used to say goodbye to someone who is going to sleep or if you are leaving someone’s house during the night.

Gochisou sama deshita [ご馳走様でした] – Is used to thank for the food in restaurants, but can be a farewell from a restaurant when paying the cashier, for example.

• Mata miruyo [また見るよ] – See you soon;
• Mata oaishimashou [またお会いしましょう] – Let’s meet again;
• Mata renraku shimasu [また連絡します] – I will contact you;

Foreign Ways to Say Goodbye in Japanese

One of the most popular foreign ways used in Japan comes from English Bye Bye. Many young Japanese people often use baibai [バイバイ] to informally say goodbye to friends and others. Sometimes this expression can sound a bit feminine.

The Japanese also know the traditional adios from Spanish and Castilian. In Japanese, this expression is written adiosu [アディオス]. There is also a variation from French written adieu [アデュー].

Ways to Say Goodbye in Different Dialects of Japan

To conclude the goodbyes in Japanese, let’s share how to say “sayonara,” “jyane,” or other words we saw throughout the article in different regions of Japan.

Romaji	Kana	Region
njichaabira	んじちゃーびら	Okinawa
soregii	そいぎー;	Saga (それじゃあ)
guburiisabira	ぐぶりーさびら	Okinawa
omyo-nichi	おみょーにち	Iwate (また明日)
omyounudzu	おみょうぬづ	Iwate (また明日)
irashiteoideasobase	いらしておいであそばせ	Ishikawa
aba	あば	Gifu
abaaba	あばあば	Gifu
oina-yo	おいなーよ	Wakayama (またおいでよね)
soiginta	そいぎんた	Saga
abane	あばね	Nagano
abana	あばな	Nagano
oshizukani	おしずかに	Ishikawa
omicho	おみちょ	Niigata
omichiyo-	おみちよー	Niigata
omyonudzu	おみょうぬづ	Iwate
omyo-nichi	おみょーにち	Iwate
ndakkyaane	んだっきゃあね	Aomori
seba	せば	Aomori
heba	へば	Aomori

There are still thousands of other ways to say goodbye in Japanese, besides regional variations of sayonara; if you remember any, please leave them in the comments. I hope you enjoyed the article; if you liked it, share it with friends and leave your comments.