How to Say Goodbye in Spoken English with Examples

Language is for various purposes among which are interaction and communication. We also use language as a means of expressing our feelings and emotions. In English, there are different ways of doing this. This post, How to Say Goodbye in Spoken English with Examples, shows various ways of doing this with examples to illustrate the points being made.

Much more than communication or passing across information, humans make use of lots of phatic phrases or expressions. Phatic expressions are those that convey emotions rather than information. Phatic expressions are statements we use or speak in order to share our feelings, create goodwill, or set a pleasant social mood, rather than to convey information. For example:

Have a safe journey.
Do have a nice day.
Have a pleasant evening.
Wishing you success all the way.

What is Goodbye?

Goodbye, can either be a Noun or an Interjection. As a noun, it means the “act of leaving” or “an act of making a farewell”. For examples, you have sentences such as:

It’s time to say our goodbyes and catch the plane.
Say your goodbyes to grandma before you leave.

As an Interjection, it means “farewell”. We usually use this when we part with people or when we end a telephone conversation or a formal discussion. For example:

Goodbye! I’ll see you tomorrow.
See you around! Goodbye!
Goodbye! Have a wonderful holiday.

Different Ways of Saying Goodbye in Spoken English with Examples

Itemised below are the different ways of saying goodbye in spoken English with examples.

Bye/Goodbye

We make use of this when we are leaving or when someone is leaving us. Let us illustrate this with the following examples:

‘Bye, Jeremy.’
‘Bye, Dad.’
‘Goodbye, Mrs Johnson.’
‘Goodbye, Dr Fanny.’
Thank you for calling. Goodbye.
Bye for now. Call me if you need anything.

Note: The last example is used especially on the phone when one hopes to speak to someone again soon. Goodbye sounds rather formal and is used especially when talking to people you do not know well. In everyday English, people usually just say bye.

Night/Good Night

We use this when leaving someone in the evening; or before they go to bed. You have this in expressions such as:

Good night, see you tomorrow.
Night everyone.
Good night. Sleep well.

Good night sounds rather formal, especially in British English. In everyday English, people would usually just say ‘night’.

Bye Bye/Night Night

Informally, parents or adults generally use this especially when talking to children as we have in these examples:

‘Say bye-bye to Daddy!’
‘Bye-bye love!’
Night night, sweet dreams.

See You

We use this when saying goodbye to a friend whom we would see again soon. These examples express this:

‘See you, Victor.’
‘See you on Monday!’
‘I’m going now.’ ‘Okay. See you tomorrow.’
Safe trip back guys, and we’ll see you soon.
See you later, Michael.

Later/Catch You Later

This is informal and we use it when we say goodbye to a friend we hope to see or talk to again soon. Later, particularly, sounds very informal and is used especially by young people. We have examples such as:

‘Later, Joan.’
‘See you, Ken.’ ‘Catch you later!’
‘Later, Stanley.’

See You Around

See you around is informal and we generally use it when saying goodbye to someone we are not sure when we will see them again. Examples include:

He spent the holiday with me and then just said ‘See you around’ and left.
‘Leaving already, see you around’.

So Long

This is common in American English and it is basically informal. This is also used when saying goodbye to someone whom you might not see again very soon. We have examples such as:

‘So long,’ he said. ‘Don’t forget to write.’
She grabbed him by the shoulders and hugged him affectionately. ‘So long, Fred.’

Have a Good Weekend/a Great Trip/a Nice Time

We use these expressions as different ways of saying goodbye to someone in order to wish them a good weekend, an enjoyable trip and a good time. See these examples:

Have a nice weekend.
Have a great time at the concert, guys!
Do have a nice time with your aunt.
Have a great trip to Malabar.

Have a Good One

This is informal especially in American English. It is used when saying goodbye to someone in a friendly informal way; for example:

I’ll talk to you later. Have a good one!

Note that the ‘one’ in have a good one does not really mean anything. It is just part of the phrase.

Have a Nice Day

This expression is used especially by people working in shops, stores or offices when saying goodbye to customers. For example:

Here’s your change. Have a nice day.
There you go! Have a nice day.
Here is your drink; have a nice day.

Take Care/Look after Yourself

In British English, this is commonly used. We use this when saying goodbye to someone, especially someone you like, to show that you care about them. Examples include:

‘Bye, Sally! Take care.’ ‘You too! Bye!’
Bye, do look after yourself.
Look after yourself mum, bye.

Cheerio

This is another expression, especially in British English, which means ‘farewell’. It is used to say goodbye. For instance:

Goodbye! ‘Right… we’re going now. Cheerio then!’ ‘Bye!’

Note that ‘Cheerio’ sounds rather old-fashioned and is used especially by older people.

How to Say Goodbye in Spoken English with Examples in Formal Letters and Emails

All the Best

Most people use this phrase at the end of informal emails.

We have examples such as:

Hope to see you soon. All the best, Joanne
Thank you Sean; and all the best.

Most of the times, one usually ends informal emails with one’s first name. One can also end with the first letter of one’s first name. See this example:

All the best, J.

If you have just exchanged several emails with someone, you can leave out your name at the end, because it is understood.

Regards/Best Wishes

Some individuals use this at the end of emails to people they usually write to; or people they work with, especially people who are not close friends. Regards sounds a little formal; for instance:

Speak to you soon. Regards, David.
Thanks for all your hard work. Best wishes, Michael

Love or Love From

This is informal and people use it at the end of emails to close friends and family: for example:

Take care. Love, Kate
Look forward to seeing you. Love from Mum

Yours Sincerely

This expression is common in British English. In the American English, it could be rendered sincerely or yours truly and it is used at the end of formal letters and emails. See these examples:

We will contact you directly, as soon as your order is ready. Yours sincerely, Paul Smith, Customer Sales Manager.
Thank you for your interest in our products. Yours truly, Stephen Madiba

In British English, we use yours sincerely only if we have used the person’s name at the start of the letter or email. In American English, sincerely and yours truly can be used to end any formal letter or email.

Yours Faithfully

This phrase is common in British English. In the American English, it could be rendered Sincerely or yours truly as in the case of yours sincerely discussed above. We use this expression at the end of formal letters and emails. For example:

I await your reply. Yours faithfully, Lisa Johnson (Mrs)

Note: In British English, we use yours faithfully when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to. In American English, sincerely and yours truly can be used to end any formal letter or email.

Summary

In this post, How to Say Goodbye in Spoken English with Examples, we have seen the numerous ways of doing this with examples. We have also seen that we use language for various purposes among which are interaction, communication and a means of expression of our feelings and emotions.

Do not forget what phatic phrases or expressions are: those expressions we use in conveying emotions rather than information. Do check out other related interesting posts as listed below. Remember to share this link within your circle of influence. See you around!

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Author

Jaymz Boanerges

A teacher of English who is passionate about imparting the knowledge of the English language to all and sundry at every level of education. This is for the acquisition of linguistic competence and performance in English.

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