When learning German, it is best, to begin with, the fundamentals. The first thing you probably learned was how to say hello in German, but you will soon have to say goodbye in German as well. It is essential in all business situations, from politely ending a meeting or job interview to signing off on an email.

We understand that saying goodbye can be difficult, but necessary. So we have compiled a list of all the different ways to say Goodbye in German, from formal to silly, as well as some useful phrases for gracefully ending a conversation and sneaking out of any situation.

But before that, if you want tobecome fluent in German, let us take you in the right direction. Explore italki to find the best tutors online. The italki German tutors are famous for their authentic and practical teaching strategies. Visit the website and get enrolled with just a few clicks. Start learning today!

Find Your Perfect Teacher

At italki, you can find your German tutor from all qualified and experienced teachers. Now experience the excellent language learning journey!

Book a trial lesson

How to say goodbye in German

In German, goodbye is “Auf Wiedersehen”. It is pronounced as “Ouf weeder-zeh-hen”. It is a formal way of saying “To meeting again”. Surprisingly, it’s more commonly used with strangers, rather than people you will never see again.

In more casual settings, you are more likely to hear a simple “Tschüss” [t͡ʃyːs] beginning with a harsh “tch”-sound, followed by the ‘ü’, and ending with a sharp, whistling’s’. It sounds like a choo-choo train leaving the station, complete with a t-chug and a whistle.

EnglishGermanIPA
GoodbyeAuf Wiedersehen​​[aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐˌzeːən]
ByeTschüss[t͡ʃyːs]
Bye byeTschüss Tschüss[t͡ʃyːs t͡ʃyːs]
Goodbye, until next timeAuf Wiedersehen, bis zum nächsten Mal​​[aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐˌzeːən bɪs t͡sʊm ˈnɛːçstən maːl]
FarewellLebe wohl[ˈleːbə voːl]
See you soonBis bald[bɪs ˈbalt]
See you thenBis dann[bɪs ˈdan]
See youMan sieht sich[man ziːt zɪç]
Bye, my friendAuf Wiedersehen, mein FreundBye, my friend
Bye, friendsAuf Wiedersehen, FreundeBye, friends
Bye, my loveAuf Wiedersehen, mein SchatzBye, my love
Goodbye, have a nice dayTschüss, schönen Tag[t͡ʃʏs ˈʃøːnən taːk]
Good eveningGuten Abend[ˈɡuːtn̩ ˈaːbn̩t]
Good nightGute Nacht[ˌɡutə ˈnaxt]

Learning German has now become super easy with online learning platforms, German learning apps, online dictionary and endless German content available online. Take advantage of all these learning materials and you will end up being a fluent German speaker within no time.

Want to learn a language at italki?

Here are the best resources for you!

How to say goodbye in German formally

When saying goodbye to a stranger, such as a cashier or your server in a restaurant, simply say “Tschüss” or “Auf Wiedersehen” in German and then leave.

You are more likely to meet the other person again in a business setting. So, just as you tell your coworkers “See you on Tuesday” at the end of the week, it’s common in German to specify when you’ll see them again. Knowing the days of the week in German is useful, but we’ve also included a list of all of them here.

EnglishGermanIPA
See you againAuf Wiederschauen[aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐˌˈʃaʊ̯ən]
Hear you againAuf Wiederhören[aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐˌhøːʁən]
Have a good nightEinen schönen Abend noch[ˈaɪ̯nən ˈʃøːnən ˈaːbn̩t nɔx]
Have a good dayEinen schönen Tag noch[ˈaɪ̯nən ˈʃøːnən taːk nɔx]
Until tomorrowBis morgen[bɪs ˈmɔʁɡn̩]
Until the day after tomorrowBis übermorgen[bɪs ˈyːbɐˌmɔʁɡn̩]
Until MondayBis Montag[bɪs ˈmoːnˌtaːk]
Until TuesdayBis Dienstag[bɪs ˈdiːnsˌtaːk]
Until WednesdayBis Mittwoch[bɪs ˈmɪtˌvɔx]
Until ThursdayBis Donnerstag[bɪs ˈdɔnɐsˌtaːk]
Until FridayBis Freitag[bɪs ˈfʁaɪ̯taːk]
Until SaturdayBis Samstag[bɪs ˈzamstaːk]
Until SundayBis Sonntag[bɪs ˈzɔnˌtaːk]

How to say goodbye in German informally

In German, you say “Tschüss” [t͡ʃʏs]. If you want to be extra casual, add an “I” to the word and it will be a little cuter: Tschüssi!

Need a more refined way to end a conversation than “Tschüssi”? Do you want to leave the party early or don’t want to take part in the research survey? Here are some phrases that will come in handy.

EnglishGermanIPA
Bye byeTschüss Tschüss[t͡ʃʏs t͡ʃʏs]
Bye-iTschüssi[t͡ʃʏsi]
ToodlesTüdelü[ty:dəly:]
Take careMach’s gut[maxs gu:t]
Clear outHau rein[haʊ̯ ʁaɪ̯n]
Get offHau ab[haʊ̯ a:p]
CiaoCiao[t͡sɪa:ɔ]
I gotta get up early tomorrowIch muss morgen früh aufstehen[ɪç mʊs mɔɐ̯gən fʁy: aʊ̯fʃte:ən]
I gotta run an errandIch hab ‘was zu erledigen[ɪç ha:p vas t͡su: ɛɐ̯le:dɪgən]
I have some more work to doIch muss noch etwas arbeiten[ɪç mʊs nɔx ɛtvas aɐ̯baɪ̯tən]
I gotta goIch muss los[ɪç mʊs lo:s]
I’m in a hurryIch hab’s eilig[ɪç ha:ps aɪ̯lɪç]
Please excuse meEntschuldigen Sie mich[ɛntʃʊldɪgən zi: mɪç]
I’m not feeling wellMir geht es nicht gut[mi:ɐ̯ ge:t ɛs nɪçt gu:t]
Sorry, I’m getting a phone callEntschuldigung, ich bekomme gerade einen Anruf[ɛntʃʊldɪgʊŋ ɪç bəkɔmə gəʁa:də aɪ̯nən anʁu:f]

Once you start learning German, you will see several German words in English and these are the words that make learning German easier. The similarity between the two languages serves as a moment of relief for English speakers.

How to sign off in an email in German

There are several ways to end an email. All of the ways to say goodbye in German that work in person also works in writing, but here are a few more that are specific to signing off a letter or an email. We have also added the ‘context’ of each greeting in the table.

EnglishGermanIPAContext
With friendly greetingsMit freundlichen Grüßen[mɪt fʁɔʏ̯ntlɪçən gʁʏsən]Used in a formal context with a stranger
I’m looking forward to your reply.Ich freue mich auf Ihre Antwort.[ɪç fʁɔʏ̯ə mɪç aʊ̯f i:ʁə antvɔɐ̯t]Used in a formal context with a stranger
Many regardsViele Grüße[fi:lə gʁʏsə]Used in both formal and casual settings
Friendly regardsFreundliche Grüße[fʁɔʏ̯ntlɪçə gʁʏsə]Used in both formal and casual settings
Warm regardsHerzliche Grüße[hɛɐ̯t͡slɪçə gʁʏsə]Used in a casual setting
Kind regardsLiebe Grüße[li:bə gʁʏsə]Used in a more casual setting

Some ‘funny’ ways to say goodbye in German

Germans are funny people and they have some humorous ways to say goodbye. Let’s have a look at them.

EnglishGermanIPA
See you later, PeterBis später, Peter[bɪs ʃpɛ:tɐ pe:tɐ]
Clear out, HainHau rein, Hain[haʊ̯ ʁaɪ̯n haɪ̯n]
Bye, granolaTschüssli, Müsli[tʃʏslɪ mʏsli:]
Ciao, cocoaCiao, Kakao[t͡sɪa:ɔ kaka:ɔ]
Ciao, meowCiao, Meow[t͡sɪa:ɔ me:ɔ]
Until then, SvenBis denn, Sven[bɪs dɛn svɛn]
Bye bye, mashed potatoesBye bye, Kartoffelbrei[bi: bi: kaɐ̯tɔfəlpʁaɪ̯]
Take care, sugar loafMach’s gut, Zuckerhut[maxs gu:t t͡sʊkɐɐ̯hu:t]
Byeee with a kissTschüssi mit Küssi[tʃʏsi: mɪt kʏsi]

Frequently asked questions

Q. Do Germans say tschüss?

A. Tschüss was once only found in northern and central Germany, but it has gained popularity and is now commonly used in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol.

Q. Do Germans say Ciao for goodbye?

A. German, along with many other languages, borrowed the Italian ciao as a way to say goodbye. You can use this word in informal and semi-formal situations.

Q. What is the difference between Tschuss and auf Wiedersehen?

A. Auf Wiedersehen means goodbye, but more literally, until we see each other again while Tschüss means bye.

Conclusion

In this guide, we have highlighted some formal and informal ways of saying ‘goodbye’ in German. Remember that you need to choose the greeting depending on the nature of your situation.

If you are a German learner and finding it difficult to decipher different words, reach out to italki for professional guidance. Every language has its difficult areas, for instance, many people get confused over the contextual use of bitte in German. If that is the case with you, get enrolled with italki today!