N5 · Phrase guide
Sayounara — Why Japanese Rarely Say Goodbye
さようなら
さようなら
Goodbye (formal/final)
Nuance
Implies you may not see someone for a long time. Daily partings use じゃあね, またね, お疲れ様, or バイバイ.
Cultural note
Teachers and children use さようなら more. Adults leaving work almost never say it—they say お先に失礼します.
Examples
さようなら。
Goodbye.
Graduation ceremony
じゃあ、また明日。
See you tomorrow.
Leaving coworkers
Common mistakes
- Saying さようなら every day to the same coworkers
- Using it at the end of a phone call with friends (バイバイ is common)
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