How to say goodbye in Vietnamese

The textbook way to say goodbye in Vietnamese is tạm biệt (roughly "tahm bee-et"), but in everyday life people often just say chào plus a pronoun, like chào anh or chào chị, which works for both hello and goodbye. Friends also say hẹn gặp lại (see you again) or simply "bye bye."

Here's how goodbyes work, from formal to casual, and the polite way to leave someone's home.

Tạm biệt

Tạm biệt breaks down as:

• tạm: temporary, for now
• biệt: to part, separate

So it means "parting for now." It's polite and clear, and you'll hear it on TV, in classrooms, at the end of presentations and from children saying goodbye at school. Among adults in casual settings, it can feel a little formal, but it's never wrong.

Pronunciation: tạm has the nặng tone, short and low with a drop, like "tahm." Biệt also has the nặng tone, roughly "bee-et" said quickly and clipped at the end.

Chào + pronoun works for goodbye too

The everyday goodbye is the same as the everyday hello:

• Chào anh. Bye (to an older man).
• Chào chị. Bye (to an older woman).
• Chào em. Bye (to someone younger).
• Chào bác ạ. Goodbye, politely, to someone older than your parents.

Context tells everyone whether you're arriving or leaving. See how to say hello in Vietnamese for the full pronoun guide.

See you later

• Hẹn gặp lại. See you again. Friendly and widely used.
• Hẹn gặp lại anh/chị. See you again, with a pronoun.
• Mai gặp nhé. See you tomorrow (Northern feel).
• Mai gặp nha. See you tomorrow (Southern feel).
• Gặp sau nhé. See you later.

Casual goodbyes

Among friends and younger people:

• Bye bye or bai bai: Borrowed from English and very common.
• Về nhé! I'm heading home! (North) Về nha! (South)
• Đi nhé! I'm off!
• Thôi, mình về đây. Okay, I'm going home now. Thôi here signals wrapping up.

Notice that Vietnamese goodbyes often announce what you're doing, like going home, rather than using a special goodbye word.

Leaving someone's home politely

When you're a guest, especially with older hosts, it's polite to ask permission to leave. The key word is xin phép, "to ask permission."

• Cháu xin phép về ạ. I'd like to take my leave (to older hosts).
• Em xin phép về trước. I'll head home first, if you'll excuse me (to older peers).
• Thôi, con xin phép bố mẹ con đi ạ. Okay, I'm leaving now, Mom and Dad.

Hosts often reply with Ừ, về cẩn thận nhé (Okay, get home safely) or Đi đường cẩn thận (Be careful on the road). These are lovely phrases to learn, too.

Goodbyes on the phone and in messages

• Thôi nhé, chào anh. Okay then, bye. A common way to wrap up a call.
• Bye nha! Bye! Casual text sign-off.
• Chúc anh một ngày tốt lành. Have a good day. Polite and a little formal.

Saying good night

• Chúc ngủ ngon. Good night, sleep well. Literally "wish (you) sleep well."
• Ngủ ngon nhé. Sleep well, softer and casual.

These are for bedtime, not for leaving a dinner at 8 p.m.; for that, use one of the goodbyes above.

Regional differences

The words are shared across Vietnam, but softeners change:

• nhé is more common in the North
• nha is more common in the South

Both are understood everywhere. Southern speakers also tend to use "bye" and "bai bai" a lot in casual speech, though usage varies by person and age.

Common mistakes

• Using tạm biệt with close friends every time. It's fine, but can sound like a textbook.
• Leaving without saying anything to elders. In many families, quietly leaving without a goodbye to older relatives is seen as rude.
• Saying chúc ngủ ngon too early. It's specifically for bedtime.

Quick guide

• Polite/standard: Tạm biệt
• Everyday: Chào anh / Chào chị
• See you: Hẹn gặp lại
• Casual: Bye bye or Về nhé!
• Leaving a home: Cháu xin phép về ạ
• Bedtime: Chúc ngủ ngon

For the thank-you that often comes right before a goodbye, see how to say thank you in Vietnamese.

If you visit a Vietnamese home, practice "Cháu xin phép về ạ" before you go, because hosts remember a guest who leaves politely.