How to Say Goodbye in Russian: Pronunciation and Examples

The most common expression for goodbye in Russian is До свидания (Dasvidaniya). However, there are several other ways to say goodbye in Russian, including very formal and informal expressions. This list includes examples, meaning, and pronunciation of the ten most popular Russian expressions for goodbye.

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До свидания

Pronunciation: dasviDAniya

Translation: until we meet again

Meaning: goodbye

This versatile expression is suitable for any situation, formal or informal, although it can sometimes sound a little too formal when used with very close friends and family.

Example:

- До свидания, Мария Ивановна, спасибо за всё (dasvidanyia, maREEya eeVAnavna/eeVANna, spaSEEba za vsyo)
- Goodbye, Maria Ivanovna, thanks for everything.

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Пока

Pronunciation: paKAH

Translation: for now

Meaning: later, see you, bye

The most popular way to say goodbye in Russian in informal situations, пока is perfect when speaking to anyone whom you would address as ты (singular/informal "you"), such as friends, family (apart from those members of the family whom you would address as вы out of respect), children, and good acquaintances.

Example:

- Пока, увидимся (paKAH, ooVEEdimsya)
- Bye, see you later.

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Прощай

Pronunciation: praSHAI

Translation: forgive me

Meaning: farewell, goodbye forever

Прощай is used when the speaker knows that they are unlikely to ever see the other person again, for example, if one of them is moving away forever, are on their deathbed, or are breaking up. It carries the additional weight of asking for forgiveness for anything that may have happened before. This way to say goodbye is final and not used very often.

Example:

- Прощай, моя любовь (praSHAI, maYA lyuBOF')
- Farewell, my love.

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Давай

Pronunciation: daVAI

Translation: give me, go on, come on

Meaning: see you, bye, later

Давай is another informal way to say goodbye and means "come on" or "bye." It can be used in its plural form as давайте when addressing a group of people. It is not appropriate for the more formal register.

Example:

- Всё, давай (VSYO, daVAI)
- Okay, see you later.

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До скорого

Pronunciation: da SKOrava

Translation: until soon

Meaning: see you soon

A shortened version of до скорого свидания (da SKOrava sveeDAniya)—until we meet again soon—this expression is quite informal and can be used with friends, family, and good acquaintances.

Example:

- Ну, мы пойдём, до скорого (noo, my payDYOM, da SKOrava)
- We're going now, see you soon.

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Счастливо

Pronunciation: shasLEEva

Translation: happily

Meaning: have a good day, good luck, have a good trip

Счастливо can be used both with close friends and people you don't know very well, although it has an informal register.

Example:

- Speaker A: До свидания! (dasviDAniya!) - Goodbye!
- Speaker B: Счастливо! (shasLEEva!) - Good luck!

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Всего

Pronunciation: fsyVOH

Translation: all, everything

Meaning: all the best

Всего is a shortened version of всего хорошего and means all the best.

Example:

- Speaker A: Пока! (paKAH!) - Bye!
- Speaker B: Ага, всего! (Aha, fsyVOH!) - All the best!

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Счастливого пути

Pronunciation: shasLEEvava pooTEE

Translation: have a happy trip

Meaning: have a good trip

This expression is used when saying goodbye to someone who is taking a trip. It is very versatile and can be used in both formal and informal situations.

Example:

- До свидания, счастливого пути! (dasviDAniya, shasLEEvava pooTEE)
- Goodbye, have a good trip!

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Держи нос морковкой

Pronunciation: dyrZHEE nos marKOFkay

Translation: hold your nose to make it look like a carrot

Meaning: take care, look after yourself

This expression is part of a longer saying держи нос морковкой, а хвост пистолетом (dyrZHEE nos marKOFkay ah KHVOST pistaLYEtam), which means "hold your nose to make it look like it's a carrot, and your tail as if it's a gun." There are several different versions of the same expression, such as нос пистолетом, or нос трубой, but they all mean the same thing: that the speaker wishes you to be happy and look after yourself.

Example:

- Ну пока, держи нос морковкой (noo paKAH, dyrZHEE nos marKOFkay)
- Bye then, be good.

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Счастливо оставаться

Pronunciation: shasLEEva astaVATsa

Translation: stay here happily

Meaning: take care

The expression счастливо оставаться is used when addressing someone who is staying while the speaker is leaving.

Example:

- Спасибо за гостеприимство и счастливо оставаться (spaSEEba za gastypreeIMSTva ee shasLEEva astaVAT'sa)
- Thank you for your hospitality and take care.

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Nikitina, Maia. "How to Say Goodbye in Russian: Pronunciation and Examples." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/goodbye-in-russian-4771031. Nikitina, Maia. (2020, August 28). How to Say Goodbye in Russian: Pronunciation and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/goodbye-in-russian-4771031 Nikitina, Maia. "How to Say Goodbye in Russian: Pronunciation and Examples." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/goodbye-in-russian-4771031 (accessed June 4, 2023).