Japanese - Goodbyes

Lesson 4 of 168

Two people in a train station saying polite goodbyes in Japanese; theme is polite farewells and travel.

Goal: Polite ways to end conversations and wish someone well

Free Japanese lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Nice work getting this far — time to leave with style! In this short lesson you'll practice useful farewell phrases that sound natural and polite. Listen, repeat, and then try saying them aloud — you'll be ready to part friends in Japanese.

Level A1: This lesson focuses on polite goodbye phrases you can use after help, before travel, or when wishing someone luck. You'll practice phrases like 本当にありがとうございました (Hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita) for thanking after help, 気をつけて行ってください (Ki o tsukete itte kudasai) for safe travels, and simple farewells like また今度会いましょう (Mata kondo aimashō). It's a friendly, CEFR-aligned mini-lesson (Lesson 4) to help you leave on a good note.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and repeat common polite farewell phrases.
  • Use the right phrase to thank someone after help or to wish someone well before they leave.
  • Practice Level A1 polite expressions for goodbyes and safe travel.
A friendly café scene where someone thanks another person for help before leaving; the lesson focuses on polite thank-you and goodbye phrases in Japanese.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

本当にありがとうございました。

Hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.

Thanks again.

Meaning: Thanks again.

When to use: Use after someone has helped you or when you received a service. It's a polite, slightly formal way to thank someone at the end of an interaction.

Tip: Beginners sometimes use ありがとう (arigatō) in a formal setting. 本当にありがとうございました is more polite for past help.

今日は本当にありがとうございました。

Kyō wa hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.

Thank you very much for today.
手伝ってくれて、本当にありがとうございました。

Tetsudatte kurete, hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.

Thank you very much for helping me.

手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。

Tetsudatte kurete, arigatō gozaimasu.

Thanks for your help.

Meaning: Thanks for your help.

When to use: Say this when someone helped you. For higher politeness toward superiors, use 手伝っていただいて、ありがとうございます.

昨日は手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。

Kinō wa tetsudatte kurete, arigatō gozaimasu.

Thanks for your help yesterday.
荷物を運んでくれて、手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。

Nimotsu o hakonde kurete, tetsudatte kurete, arigatō gozaimasu.

Thank you for carrying my bags and helping me.

楽しんでください。

Tanoshinde kudasai.

Have fun.

Meaning: Have fun.

When to use: Use before someone goes to an activity or event. For close friends you can say 楽しんでね.

コンサートを楽しんでください。

Konsāto o tanoshinde kudasai.

Please enjoy the concert.
新しい仕事を楽しんでください。

Atarashii shigoto o tanoshinde kudasai.

Enjoy your new job.

がんばってください。

Ganbatte kudasai.

Good luck.

Meaning: Good luck.

When to use: Use this before exams, presentations, or important tasks to wish someone success.

明日の試験、がんばってください。

Ashita no shiken, ganbatte kudasai.

Good luck on tomorrow's exam.
プレゼン、がんばってください。

Purezen, ganbatte kudasai.

Do your best on the presentation.

気をつけて行ってください。

Ki o tsukete itte kudasai.

Safe travels.

Meaning: Safe travels.

When to use: Say this to someone who is travelling or heading out on a trip. It's a natural, polite way to wish safety.

明日の旅行、気をつけて行ってください。

Ashita no ryokō, ki o tsukete itte kudasai.

Please travel safely on tomorrow's trip.
雨の日は気をつけて行ってください。

Ame no hi wa ki o tsukete itte kudasai.

Please be careful traveling on rainy days.

___を楽しんでください。

___ o tanoshinde kudasai.

Enjoy your ___.

Meaning: Enjoy your ___.

When to use: Fill the blank with a thing or event (旅行/休み/コンサート). Use this to wish someone enjoyment of a specific thing.

Tip: Beginners sometimes forget を (the object marker) after the item: say 旅行を楽しんでください, not 旅行楽しんでください.

旅行を楽しんでください。

Ryokō o tanoshinde kudasai.

Enjoy your trip.
休みを楽しんでください。

Yasumi o tanoshinde kudasai.

Enjoy your holiday.

また今度会いましょう。

Mata kondo aimashō.

See you next time.

Meaning: See you next time.

When to use: Use when you expect to meet the person again at some later time. In casual talk people often shorten it to また今度.

会議の後で、また今度会いましょう。

Kaigi no ato de, mata kondo aimashō.

Let's meet again after the meeting.
イベントでまた今度会いましょう。

Ibento de mata kondo aimashō.

See you next time at the event.

またすぐ会いましょう。

Mata sugu aimashō.

See you soon.

Meaning: See you soon.

When to use: Use when you expect to see the person again very soon. It's a friendly, polite farewell.

来週またすぐ会いましょう。

Raishū mata sugu aimashō.

Let's meet again soon next week.
近くなので、またすぐ会いましょう。

Chikaku na node, mata sugu aimashō.

We're close by, so see you again soon.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna helped at an event; they say thanks and say goodbye at the exit.

Anna and David say short polite goodbyes at a venue exit — words include thanks, safe travel, and see you soon in Japanese.

What are Anna and David doing?

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。

Tetsudatte kurete, arigatō gozaimasu.

Thanks for helping me.

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

いえいえ、こちらこそ。本当にありがとうございました。

Ie ie, kochira koso. Hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.

No, thank you — really, thank you very much.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

明日から旅行ですよね。気をつけて行ってください。

Ashita kara ryokō desu yo ne. Ki o tsukete itte kudasai.

You're traveling from tomorrow, right? Please travel safely.

Portrait of David in a Japanese lesson dialogue

David

ありがとう。楽しんできます！また今度会いましょう。

Arigatō. Tanoshinde kimasu! Mata kondo aimashō.

Thanks. I'll have fun! See you next time.

Portrait of Anna in a Japanese lesson dialogue

Anna

またすぐ会いましょう。

Mata sugu aimashō.

See you soon.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase means 'Have fun.'?

Which phrase specifically thanks someone for their help?

Which phrase means 'See you soon.'?

Which phrase would you say to someone who is leaving on a trip?

Your friend leaves for a trip tomorrow. You say: 'Safe travels.'

友だちが明日旅行に出ます。別れに何と言いますか：「___」。

Before a test, a teacher tells students: 'Good luck.'

テストの前に先生が学生に言います：「___」。

Before the party, the host says to guests: 'Enjoy the party.'

パーティーの前にホストが来客に言います：「___」。

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

本当にありがとうございました。

Hontō ni arigatō gozaimashita.

Thanks again.

Say this phrase out loud:

手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。

Tetsudatte kurete, arigatō gozaimasu.

Thanks for your help.

Say this phrase out loud:

楽しんでください。

Tanoshinde kudasai.

Have fun.

Say this phrase out loud:

がんばってください。

Ganbatte kudasai.

Good luck.

Say this phrase out loud:

気をつけて行ってください。

Ki o tsukete itte kudasai.

Safe travels.

Say this phrase out loud:

___を楽しんでください。

___ o tanoshinde kudasai.

Enjoy your ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

また今度会いましょう。

Mata kondo aimashō.

See you next time.

Say this phrase out loud:

またすぐ会いましょう。

Mata sugu aimashō.

See you soon.