Spanish has more ways to say “bye” than a group chat at midnight. You’ll hear adiós /aˈðjos/ and chao /ˈt͡ʃao/ everywhere, plus softer “see yous” like hasta luego /as.ta ˈlwe.ɣo/ and nos vemos /nos ˈβe.mos/. This guide shows when each one fits, how they sound, and the replies that make you friendly, not awkward.
Quick Primer
Goodbyes in Spanish signal two things: how soon you expect to see someone again and how formal you want to sound. A quick “see ya” among friends uses different fuel than a polite farewell at a hotel desk. Learn the big four—adiós, chao, hasta luego, nos vemos—then add polite closers like que te vaya bien.
Core Goodbye Phrases (With Nuance)
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| adiós | /aˈðjos/ | goodbye (neutral → formal; can be final) |
| chao | /ˈt͡ʃao/ | bye (very common, casual, friendly) |
| hasta luego | /as.ta ˈlwe.ɣo/ | see you later (neutral) |
| nos vemos | /nos ˈβe.mos/ | see you (lit. “we’ll see each other”) |
| hasta pronto | /as.ta ˈpɾon.to/ | see you soon |
| hasta mañana | /as.ta maˈɲa.na/ | see you tomorrow |
| hasta la próxima | /as.ta la ˈpɾok.si.ma/ | until next time |
| que te vaya bien | /ke te ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/ | take care / hope it goes well (tú) |
| cuídate | /ˈkwi.ða.te/ | take care (tú) |
| cuídese | /ˈkwi.ðe.se/ | take care (usted, polite) |
| hablamos luego | /aˈβla.mos ˈlwe.ɣo/ | we’ll talk later |
| me voy | /me ˈboj/ | I’m off / I’m heading out |
Usage notes (short and honest):
adiós can feel more final in some regions (“goodbye” vs. “see ya”). chao is breezy and omnipresent across Latin America and widely understood in Spain. hasta luego is the safest all-around exit, from shops to meetings. nos vemos is friendly and natural with peers.
Formal, Informal, And Plural “You”
- tú (informal) → que te vaya bien, cuídate.
- usted (formal) → que le vaya bien, cuídese /ˈkwi.ðe.se/.
- Plural “you”: ustedes across Latin America (que les vaya bien), and in Spain for formal groups; vosotros for Spain’s informal groups (que os vaya bien /ke os ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/).
Which Goodbye Fits The Moment
| Situation | Best Fit | Why |
| Leaving a shop after service | hasta luego / chao | short, polite, zero drama |
| Ending a friendly chat | nos vemos / chao | casual and warm |
| Professional sign-off | hasta luego / que le vaya bien | neutral → courteous |
| Scheduling tomorrow | hasta mañana | sets expectation |
| Unsure when you’ll meet again | hasta la próxima | open-ended and friendly |
| Night-time farewell | buenas noches + hasta luego | greeting + goodbye combo works well |
Sound And Stress Tips
adiós: stress the last syllable /ˈðjos/—don’t flatten it to /ˈa.dios/.
chao: one clean syllable /t͡ʃao/, not “chow.”
hasta: the h is silent; link as.ta smoothly.
Regional note: Spain often softens g in luego /ˈlwe.ɣo/; many Latin American accents keep it a light /ɣ/—either way is fine.
Mini Dialogues
En la tienda (salida rápida)
Gracias, hasta luego
/ˈɣɾa.sjas as.ta ˈlwe.ɣo/
Thanks, see you later
Hasta luego. Que le vaya bien
/as.ta ˈlwe.ɣo ke le ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/
See you later. All the best (formal)
Entre amigos (calle)
Ya me voy. Nos vemos
/ʝa me ˈboj nos ˈβe.mos/
I’m heading out. See you
Dale, chao
/ˈda.le ˈt͡ʃao/
Cool, bye
Recepción de hotel (noche)
Muchas gracias por todo. Adiós
/ˈmu.t͡ʃas ˈɣɾa.sjas poɾ ˈto.ðo aˈðjos/
Thanks for everything. Goodbye
Con gusto. Buenas noches, que descanse
/koŋ ˈɣus.to ˈbwe.nas ˈno.t͡ʃes ke desˈkan.se/
With pleasure. Good night, rest well
Llamada de trabajo
Perfecto, hablamos luego. Hasta la próxima
/peɾˈfek.to aˈβla.mos ˈlwe.ɣo as.ta la ˈpɾok.si.ma/
Perfect, we’ll talk later. Until next time
De acuerdo. Que le vaya bien
/de aˈkweɾ.ðo ke le ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/
Agreed. All the best
Region Notes
Spain: You’ll hear hasta luego constantly—even if you won’t literally see each other later. Chao exists but is less default than in many Latin regions. Informal groups use vosotros (hasta luego, chicos. ¿Nos vemos mañana). Formal plural uses ustedes.
Mexico & Central America: chao and nos vemos are extremely common among friends; hasta luego is polite anywhere. Plenty of warmth in que te vaya bien as you part.
Southern Cone (Argentina/Uruguay/Chile): chau spelled with u is standard; pronunciation stays /t͡ʃau/. Pair with nos vemos or hablamos.
Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic): Rhythm is quick; syllable-final s may soften. Don’t stress it—clear, polite phrases win: hasta luego, buenas + chao.
Polite Closers That Level You Up
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| que le vaya bien | /ke le ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/ | all the best (usted) |
| que les vaya bien | /ke les ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/ | all the best (ustedes) |
| que te vaya bien | /ke te ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/ | take care (tú) |
| cuídese / cuídate | /ˈkwi.ðe.se ~ ˈkwi.ða.te/ | take care (usted/tú) |
| un gusto, hasta luego | /un ˈɣus.to as.ta ˈlwe.ɣo/ | a pleasure, see you later |
| gracias por venir, nos vemos | /ˈɣɾa.sjas poɾ βeˈniɾ nos ˈβe.mos/ | thanks for coming, see you |
Quick Reference Table
| Spanish | IPA | Natural English |
| adiós | /aˈðjos/ | goodbye |
| chao/ chau | /ˈt͡ʃao ~ ˈt͡ʃau/ | bye |
| hasta luego | /as.ta ˈlwe.ɣo/ | see you later |
| nos vemos | /nos ˈβe.mos/ | see you |
| hasta pronto | /as.ta ˈpɾon.to/ | see you soon |
| hasta mañana | /as.ta maˈɲa.na/ | see you tomorrow |
| hasta la próxima | /as.ta la ˈpɾok.si.ma/ | until next time |
| que te vaya bien | /ke te ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/ | take care (tú) |
| que le vaya bien | /ke le ˈβa.ʝa ˈβjen/ | take care (usted) |
| cuídate / cuídese | /ˈkwi.ða.te ~ ˈkwi.ðe.se/ | take care (tú/usted) |
Usage Notes & Common Mistakes
Saying adiós to a friend you’ll see in 10 minutes can sound overly final in some places—use chao, nos vemos, or hasta ahora /as.ta aˈo.ɾa/ (in parts of the Southern Cone) when the reunion is immediate.
Mixing formality: don’t pair cuídese (usted) with a tú verb right after. Keep the register consistent.
Over-translating hasta luego as literal “later”: it’s a polite formula; no one will audit your timeline.
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Mirror The Big Four (60s): Say adiós / chao / hasta luego / nos vemos in a loop, three times each, focusing on stress (a-diós, cháo, lue-go, vé-mos).
- Register Switch (60s): Alternate que te vaya bien (tú) → que le vaya bien (usted) → que les vaya bien (ustedes) → que os vaya bien (vosotros, Spain).
- Role-Play Two Exits (90s): Read the shop and phone-call dialogues aloud. Record once; check your /t͡ʃ/ in chao and your linking in hasta.
- Region Flip (30s): Say chau, nos vemos in an Argentine rhythm (/t͡ʃau/), then chao, nos vemos in a neutral Latin American rhythm.
- Real Message (30s): Compose one text you’ll actually send today: Nos vemos mañana. ¡Que te vaya bien. Read with IPA once, then naturally.
Yak-Style Closing Spark
Goodbyes are tiny doorways. Choose adiós when it’s truly goodbye, chao when you’re breezing out, hasta luego when you want polite and universal, and nos vemos when you mean it. Do that, and every exit sounds like you know exactly where you’re headed next.