{"id":4039,"date":"2021-02-27T14:56:20","date_gmt":"2021-02-27T14:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/?p=4039"},"modified":"2021-04-23T11:24:38","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T11:24:38","slug":"goodbye-in-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/goodbye-in-german\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGoodbye\u201d in German: A Comprehensive Guide to German Parting Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

\""Auf<\/p>\n

Nothing is as bittersweet as saying goodbye, but it\u2019s not as bad as not knowing how to say bye at all. An important part of practical language learning is knowing how to start and end<\/em> a conversation. If you\u2019ve been following the blog, you can already say hello in German thanks to the 100+ Common German Phrases post.<\/a> Now it\u2019s time to learn how to say goodbye in German.<\/p>\n

The culture around goodbyes in German is very similar to English, so all you have to worry about is learning the right words. There\u2019s a wide variety of German leave-taking phrases, each useful in its own context. I\u2019ll be taking you on a tour of all the ways to say farewell in German, so you can pick the goodbyes that are right for you.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Common, Casual Ways to Say Goodbye in German<\/h2>\n

In German \u201ca goodbye\u201d, as in the moment in which goodbyes are said, is \u201cder Abschied\u201d, however if you are looking to say goodbye to someone, the following would be pretty good choices! They\u2019re some of the most frequently spoken because they\u2019re appropriate for everyday, casual use.<\/p>\n

<\/a>The #1 German goodbye is Tsch\u00fcss<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tsch\u00fcss translates to \u201cgoodbye\u201d or \u201cbye\u201d in English and can be used in all the same situations that you would say \u201cbye\u201d in! It\u2019s versatile and the most commonly used by everyone, at least, in Hochdeutsch<\/a> (German\u2019s standard dialect). If you\u2019re new to German, you can\u2019t go wrong with using Tsch\u00fcss as your sole goodbye.<\/p>\n

<\/a>A cuter version of Tsch\u00fcss is Tsch\u00fcssi<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since Tsch\u00fcssi is diminutive it\u2019s slightly more informal than its counterpart. But watch out! Some people feel very strongly that only women say Tsch\u00fcssi. So if maintaining a masculine veneer is important to you, maybe avoid this one, however if you want to add some endearing charm to your speech, sprinkling in Tsch\u00fcssi might be the way to go!<\/p>\n

<\/a>Try Tschau\/Ciao<\/strong> or Adieu\/Ade<\/strong> if you want to seem like a smooth international<\/h3>\n

Both are loanwords<\/a> from Italian and French respectively. Tschau and ciao work both as a greeting and as a goodbye, while adieu and ade are reserved for goodbyes only. Tschau<\/em> is a popular goodbye in Berlin, so if you\u2019re in town it might be good to have it in your back pocket! Ade <\/em>is more common among older people in Southern Germany.<\/p>\n

These words are also best used in more casual farewells.<\/p>\n

<\/a>13+ Different Ways to Say See You Later in German<\/h2>\n

Like in English, German has plenty of ways to build a \u201cSee you [at some later date]\u201d sentence. If you know the components you can generate as many as time and date words that you know! Here are some options:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Auf Wiedersehen<\/strong> (Until we see each other again<\/em>) – I think a lot of people are familiar with this one thanks to The Sound of Music<\/em> song<\/a>. It\u2019s more formal than Tsch\u00fcss, but you wouldn\u2019t be remiss in using it in everyday conversation if you\u2019re unsure of the level of formality you should be applying.<\/li>\n
  2. Auf Wiederh\u00f6ren <\/strong>(Until we hear each other again<\/em>) – The same as Auf Wiedersehen except for use over the phone, or any other audio-only medium! For further phone-call phrases and etiquette this article on German phone call vocab<\/a> is a big help.<\/li>\n
  3. Auf Wiederschauen <\/strong>(Until we look upon each other again<\/em>) – This is a regionalism<\/a> from Austria\/South East Germany. If you are interested in learning more about regional language differences in German check out this article explaining the different German dialects<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  4. Wir sehen uns sp\u00e4ter<\/strong> (We\u2019ll see each other later<\/em>) – For when a conversation gets cut short, or you have a lot to catch up on with someone.<\/li>\n
  5. Wir sprechen uns [insert time\/date word here] wieder<\/strong> (We\u2019ll talk again on\/at [insert time\/date word here]<\/em>) – With the help of a time and date vocab list <\/a>you can promise to speak again whenever you like!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/a>These next few are pretty self-explanatory; they\u2019re the closest equivalent to \u201csee you later\u201d and are a good casual way to say goodbye in German!<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Bis sp\u00e4ter<\/strong> (Until later\/See you later<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    2. Bis bald <\/strong>(See you soon\/ direct translation: until soon<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    3. Bis dann <\/strong>(Until then\/See you then<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    4. Bis Montag <\/strong>(Until Monday\/See you Monday<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    5. Bis Morgen <\/strong>(See you tomorrow<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    6. Bis zum n\u00e4chsten Mal<\/strong> (Until next time<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    7. Bis n\u00e4chste woche<\/strong> (Until next week\/see you next week<\/em>)<\/li>\n
    8. Bis [insert time\/date word here]<\/strong> (Until [insert time\/date word here]<\/em>) – Again with the help of a handy vocab list<\/a> the \u201cbis \u2014\u201d phrase holds infinite possibilities!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      <\/a>Combining options to make German goodbye phrases<\/h3>\n

      Pairing any of the above \u201csee you later\u201d\u2019s with Tsch\u00fcss or one of the other goodbyes from the previous section can give your phrasing a bit more variety. For example:<\/p>\n