How to say bye in Japanese: じゃあね, またね and when さようなら is appropriate
“Bye” in Japanese is じゃあね (jā ne) or またね (mata ne), among friends. さようなら (sayōnara) is not a casual “bye” but a farewell for a long time, so it’s rarely used in everyday life. When leaving work, people say お先に失礼します (o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu).
Phrasebooks teach you to say goodbye with “sayonara”, and that’s a trap: a Japanese person will hear a serious parting in it. Friends say it briefly — “jā ne”, literally “well, then”. The whole phrase fits into two letters and intonation.
How to say goodbye in Japanese
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| じゃあね | jā ne · jā ne | Well, bye (the most common farewell among friends) |
| またね | mata ne · mata ne | See you |
| また明日 | mata ashita · mata ashita | See you tomorrow |
| バイバイ | bai bai · bai bai | Bye-bye (borrowed word, sounds childish and cute) |
| さようなら | sayōnara · sayōnara | Farewell (parting for a long time; hardly used in everyday life) |
| お先に失礼します | o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu · o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu | Excuse me for leaving before you (standard when leaving work) |
| 気をつけて | ki o tsukete · ki o tsukete | Take care, have a safe trip |
Why “sayonara” is not “bye”
さようなら means a parting after which a meeting is not implied: graduation, departure, breakup. Schoolchildren say it to their teacher at the end of the day — it’s a ritual, not everyday speech. Saying “sayonara” to a friend at the subway is roughly like saying “farewell” in Russian.
What to say in different situations
| Situation | What to say | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| To a friend at the exit | じゃあね / またね | jā ne / mata ne |
| To a classmate until tomorrow | また明日 | mata ashita |
| Leaving work first | お先に失礼します | o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu |
| To remaining colleagues in response | お疲れ様でした | o-tsukaresama deshita |
| Seeing someone off on a journey | 気をつけて | ki o tsukete |
| Farewell for a long time | さようなら | sayōnara |
Say the farewell out loud
In “jā ne” the first syllable is drawn out, and “ne” is pronounced softly, with a rising tone.
FAQ
- How do you say “bye” in Japanese?
- じゃあね (jā ne) or またね (mata ne) — among friends. You can also say バイバイ (bai bai), which sounds friendly and a bit childish.
- Can I say “sayonara”?
- You can, but it’s a farewell for a long time. In everyday life it sounds heavy: Japanese people use it for a real parting or in the school ritual with a teacher.
- How do you say “goodbye” politely?
- In a business setting — 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) when leaving, お先に失礼します if you leave before colleagues. A neutral “see you later” is また今度 (mata kondo).
- And how do you say “farewell”?
- さようなら is the closest to “farewell”. A harsher one is もう会わない (mō awanai) “we won’t see each other again”, but that’s already a line from an argument, not a formula.
Updated: 2026-07-25