Different ways to say Goodbye in Russian
If you have already completed my lesson on how to greet in Russian, now you are ready to learn various ways to say goodbye in Russian. And believe me, it is as important as a greeting in Russian language.
There are formal, semi-formal, informal, colloquial and slang ways to say goodbye in Russian. While you can use just a few of them, it is important to learn all various ways in order to understand and recognize them in Russian movies and TV-series.
Saying goodbye in Russian is not just about memorizing До свида́ния. Russian has many ways to end a conversation, and the right phrase depends on the situation, your relationship with the person, and the tone you want to create.
Some goodbye phrases are formal and polite:
До свида́ния (Goodbye).
Всего́ до́брого (All the best).
Всего́ хоро́шего ‘All the best / Have a nice day).
Other phrases are informal and friendly:
Пока́ (Bye).
Уви́димся (See you).
Дава́й, пока́ (Okay, bye).
If you are a beginner, start with До свида́ния for formal situations and Пока́ for informal situations. These two phrases already cover many everyday conversations.
Table of Contents
Russian Video Lesson “Ways to say goodbye in Russian”
Different ways to say goodbye in Russian
Formal ways to say goodbye in Russian:
1) До свидáния [Dasvidániya] – Goodbye
Meaning: Until we meet again
Can be used both in formal and informal situations.
Sounds a little too formal if used with:
– Close friends;
– Family members, except for elderly people;
– Colleagues of your age.
2) Всего́ до́брого [fsevó dóbrava] – All the best
Meaning: All the best, God bless you, have a nice day
A formal and very polite way to end a phone call, a meeting and any other social interactions.
Can be used with:
– Strangers, service workers;
– Acquaintances;
– Customers, audience.
Another form : всего́ хоро́шего (fsevó harósheva)
Всего́ до́брого / всего́ хоро́шего can be used:
– In addition to До свида́ния
Ex. – Всего́ хоро́шего!
– Or individually
Ex. – Всего́ хоро́шего!
3) Прощáй [prashchái] – Farewell
Meaning: Farewell, goodbye forever
Mostly formal, emotional and dramatic way to show that one is leaving for a long time (or forever). It is not used in daily conversations but you can hear/see it in movies, books and songs.
Semi-formal ways to say goodbye in Russian:
1) До ско́рой встре́чи! [Da skórai vstréchi] – See you soon
Meaning: see you soon, see you later
Can be used both in formal and informal situations.
Use it when you know that you will see a person again soon.
A short form of “До ско́рой встре́чи” – До ско́рого [da skórava] – See you soon
Informal ways to say goodbye in Russian:
1) Покá [paká] – Bye
Meaning: see you, bye
The most popular informal way to say goodbye
Can be used with:
– Friends, good acquaintances;
– Family members, except for elderly people (depends);
– Children.
“Покá” is often accompanied with a word “Давáй” [davái]
Давáй = let’s
Ex.: Ну лáдно, давáй покá! (Ok then, bye!)
Russian people also often use just a word ДАВАЙ to say goodbye (very informal)
Ex.: – До ско́рого! (See you soon)
– Ага, давáй! (Sure, bye)
2) Уви́димся [uvidimsya] – See you
Meaning: see you, hope to see you again.
A more informal and friendly way to say “see you”.
It shows your intention to see a person again next time.
Can be used with different groups of people:
– Friends, good acquaintances;
– Family members;
– Colleagues, etc.
Bonus phrases in Russian when you are a guest:
When you are visiting someone and it is time to leave, Russian speakers often use special polite phrases.
1) Спаси́бо за… [spasiba za] – Thank you for…
2) Мне порá [mn’e pará] – I have to go
3) Нам порá [nam pará] – We have to go
4) Вали́те [valite] – Get out / away
Meaning: get out, leave me alone
A very informal and slang expression to tell somebody that they have to leave.
It is OK to use it with friends or family in a funny way.
Don’t use it with strangers and people you don’t know well.
It is rude and impolite to use it with employees (as shown in video).
5) Пошёл вон [pashyól von] – Go away
Meaning: go away
A very informal and rude expression to tell somebody that they have to leave immediately.
It is NOT OK to use with anybody.
How to Say “Have a Nice Day” in Russian
A very useful phrase when saying goodbye is:
Хоро́шего дня!
Have a nice day!
You can also say:
Хоро́шего ве́чера!
Have a nice evening!
Хоро́ших выходны́х!
Have a nice weekend!
Хорошо́ отдохну́ть!
Have a good rest!
Уда́чного дня!
Have a successful day!
Examples:
До свида́ния, хоро́шего дня!
Goodbye, have a nice day!
Пока́, хоро́ших выходны́х!
Bye, have a nice weekend!
These phrases make your goodbye warmer and more natural. You should learn others ways to wish something nice in Russian.
Want more lessons like this? Explore my Russian learning resources.
You can also browse my free Russian video lessons.
If you have recently started to learn Russian language, you should absolutely have my free guide ‘Essential Russian Words and Expressions to Understand Spoken Russian’.
It’s also very important to know how to pronounce Russian words correctly as not every Russian letter is pronounced the same way as it’s written. There are certain Russian pronunciation rules that are really easy to learn.
If you wish to speak Russian, you should absolutely learn how to use Russian cases. Check the most comprehensive guides to Russian cases:
Mini-Dialogues: Saying Goodbye in Russian
Dialogue 1: Formal Goodbye
— Спаси́бо за по́мощь.
— Пожа́луйста. Всего́ до́брого!
— До свида́ния!
Translation:
— Thank you for your help.
— You’re welcome. All the best!
— Goodbye!
Dialogue 2: Informal Goodbye
— Ну всё, мне пора́.
— Ла́дно, пока́!
— Пока́, уви́димся!
Translation:
— Okay, I have to go.
— Alright, bye!
— Bye, see you!
Dialogue 3: See You Soon
— Уви́димся за́втра?
— Да, до за́втра!
— До ско́рого!
Translation:
— See you tomorrow?
— Yes, see you tomorrow!
— See you soon!
Dialogue 4: Leaving as a Guest
— Нам пора́. Спаси́бо за ве́чер!
— Приезжа́йте ещё!
— Обяза́тельно. До ско́рой встре́чи!
Translation:
— We have to go. Thank you for the evening!
— Come again!
— Definitely. See you soon!
Common Mistakes When Saying Goodbye in Russian
1. Using Пока in formal situations
Пока́ is informal. Do not use it with strangers, teachers, older people, clients, or in official situations.
Better:
До свида́ния.
Goodbye.
Всего́ хоро́шего.
All the best.
2. Using Прощай too casually
Проща́й sounds dramatic and often means farewell forever. Do not use it when you simply leave a shop, class, meeting, or friendly conversation.
3. Translating “see you” word for word
A natural way to say “see you” is Уви́димся or До ско́рого, not a literal translation from English.
4. Forgetting polite closing phrases
In formal situations, adding Всего́ доброго or Всего́ хорошего sounds polite and natural.
Example:
До свида́ния, всего́ хоро́шего!
Goodbye, all the best!
5. Using rude phrases as jokes with the wrong people
Вали́те and Пошёл вон can sound very rude. Use them only if you clearly understand the tone, relationship, and context — and ideally, do not use them at all as a learner.
