How to Say Goodbye in German: 16 Farewells for Every Situation

The Short Answer

The most common casual way to say goodbye in German is Tschüss (CHEWS), and the standard formal farewell is Auf Wiedersehen (owf VEE-der-zay-en). Together, these two cover the vast majority of everyday goodbye situations across Germany. But German farewells extend far beyond these two. The language has a rich landscape of regional, situational, and emotional farewells that native speakers deploy with precision.

German is spoken by over 130 million people across six countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Belgium) and ranks among the top twelve most spoken languages globally according to Ethnologue's 2024 data. That geographic spread across Central Europe means saying goodbye in Hamburg sounds nothing like saying goodbye in Munich, Vienna, or Zurich.

"The farewell formulas of German are a linguistic map of regional identity. Where a speaker says Tschüss, Pfüat di, or Ade tells you more about their origins than almost any other single word."

(Ulrich Ammon, Die Stellung der deutschen Sprache in der Welt, De Gruyter, 2015)

This guide covers 16 essential German farewells organized by category: universal, casual, formal, regional, and situational. Each includes pronunciation, an example sentence, and the cultural context you need to use it correctly.

Quick Reference: German Goodbyes at a Glance

Universal Goodbyes

These farewells are understood everywhere German is spoken. The Duden, Germany's authoritative dictionary, lists them as standard High German (Hochdeutsch).

Tschüss

Tschüss is the everyday goodbye of German. It is the word you will hear most often when people part ways: in bakeries, at the office, among friends, and even from strangers at the end of a brief interaction.

Its origin is surprising: Tschüss traces back to the French adieu (to God), which entered Low German dialects as adjüs and gradually evolved into the modern form. According to the Duden, Tschüss was once considered a northern regionalism, but by the 1990s it had fully established itself as a pan-German farewell.

Auf Wiedersehen

Auf Wiedersehen is the formal counterpart to Tschüss, literally "until seeing again." It is the farewell you reach for in professional contexts, with elders, in official settings, or any situation where you would use the formal Sie pronoun.

The phrase carries an implicit promise of reunion, making it warmer than a blunt "goodbye." In everyday speech, you will sometimes hear it shortened to Wiedersehen!, dropping the Auf for a slightly less formal but still polite version.

Casual Goodbyes

Among friends, family, and people your age, these relaxed farewells are what you will hear most often. They are natural, warm, and appropriate for any informal setting.

Bis bald

Bis bald is the German "see you soon": optimistic and forward-looking without committing to a specific time. It is one of the most frequently used casual farewells, particularly among friends and colleagues who see each other regularly.

Bis morgen

Bis morgen is the go-to farewell at the end of a workday or school day. It is straightforward, practical, and requires no further explanation, exactly the kind of efficiency Germans appreciate. You will also hear Bis Montag (see you Monday) on Fridays.

Bis später

Bis später implies a shorter gap than Bis bald; you expect to reconnect the same day. The closely related Bis dann (until then) works similarly and is interchangeable in most contexts.

Ciao

Ciao crossed into German from Italian and has become thoroughly naturalized. It is especially popular in Austria and Switzerland, where Italian cultural influence runs deep, and among younger urban speakers across Germany. The Duden officially lists it as a standard German farewell.

Mach's gut

Mach's gut (a contraction of Mach es gut) carries more emotional weight than Tschüss. It is the farewell you use when you genuinely want the other person to do well: parting after a weekend visit, saying goodbye to a friend moving away, or leaving a gathering where you will not see everyone for a while. The natural response is Du auch! (You too!).

Formal and Situational Goodbyes

These farewells are essential for professional life, telephone calls, and specific contexts where standard forms are expected.

Auf Wiederhören

Auf Wiederhören is a beautifully logical construction: since you cannot "see" (sehen) someone on the phone, you swap in "hear" (hören). This phone-specific farewell is standard in customer service calls, business conversations, and any formal telephone exchange. Skipping it in a professional call would feel abrupt.

Gute Nacht

Unlike Guten Abend (Good evening), which is a greeting, Gute Nacht is strictly a farewell; it signals that the day is over and sleep is next. This distinction trips up many English speakers, since "Good night" in English can function loosely as a late-evening greeting. In German, the line is clear: Guten Abend welcomes, Gute Nacht dismisses.

Schönen Tag noch

Schönen Tag noch is the farewell equivalent of good customer service: polite, warm, and professional. You will hear it at bakeries, supermarket checkouts, pharmacies, and doctor's offices. It adapts to the time: Schönen Abend noch (nice evening) after dark, Schönes Wochenende (nice weekend) on Fridays. The natural response is Danke, gleichfalls! (Thanks, likewise!).

Leb wohl

Leb wohl is the German farewell that carries real weight. It is reserved for moments of genuine parting: moving to another country, ending a relationship, or saying goodbye when the future meeting is uncertain or impossible. In daily conversation, using Leb wohl to say goodbye to a coworker at 5 PM would be absurdly dramatic. But in the right moment, it is deeply moving.

The phrase appears frequently in German literature and music, from Goethe to modern Schlager songs. The Goethe-Institut notes its enduring presence in German literary tradition as a farewell that acknowledges the pain of separation.

Regional Goodbyes

Just as greetings vary dramatically across German-speaking regions, so do farewells. These regional forms are not slang; they are standard, respected expressions within their areas, documented in the Variantenwörterbuch des Deutschen.

Pfüat di

Pfüat di is the Bavarian and Austrian equivalent of Tschüss, an everyday farewell that reveals your southern roots the moment you say it. The etymology is warm: it descends from Behüte dich Gott (May God protect you), though in modern usage it carries no religious weight whatsoever.

In Bavaria, you will hear Pfüat di at every turn -- from the butcher, at the Biergarten, among friends, in taxis. Using Tschüss in rural Bavaria, while understood, can mark you as an outsider. The formal version, Pfüat eana (using the polite pronoun equivalent), is used with strangers and elders.

Ade

Ade is the farewell of Swabia, Baden, and the German southwest. It traces directly to the French adieu, reflecting centuries of cultural exchange along the Rhine. While Tschüss has gained ground everywhere, Ade remains a living, daily farewell in Stuttgart, Freiburg, Tübingen, and surrounding areas.

The Variantenwörterbuch des Deutschen classifies Ade as a standard regional form, not a dialect relic. In the southwest, you will hear it from all ages and in all registers.

Adie

Adie (sometimes written Adieu in Swiss German contexts) is the Swiss counterpart to Ade. The pronunciation, with its softer, drawn-out final syllable, is unmistakably Swiss. Combined with Ciao, which is equally popular in Switzerland, these two farewells dominate casual Swiss German conversation.

Servus

Servus is the Swiss Army knife of southern German communication; it handles both hello and goodbye with equal ease. Its Latin roots (servus humillimus, your most humble servant) have been worn smooth by centuries of use, and today it is simply a warm, casual way to greet or part.

How to Respond to German Goodbyes

Knowing how to respond when someone says goodbye is just as important as initiating the farewell. Here are the most natural responses.

Common Farewell Responses

Practice With Real German Content

Reading about farewells gives you the knowledge, but hearing them spoken by native speakers in natural conversation is what builds real fluency. German films and TV series are ideal: listen for Tschüss in Berlin-set dramas, Pfüat di in Bavarian comedies, and Servus in Austrian productions.

Wordy takes this further by letting you watch German movies and shows with interactive subtitles. Tap on any farewell to see its meaning, pronunciation, formality level, and regional context in real time. Instead of memorizing phrases from a list, you absorb them from real conversations with authentic intonation.

For more German content, explore our blog for guides including the best movies to learn German, where you can find films featuring every regional variety of German. Visit our German learning page to start practicing with native content today.