How to Say "Goodbye" in Russian

The standard "goodbye" in Russian is до свидания (do svidániya), while пока (poká) is the casual "bye" you say to friends. As with hello, choosing the right register is the courtesy that matters most.

In Russian

до свидания

do svidániya - goodbye (formal)

Variants & registers

покаpoká
bye - casual, with friends (often doubled: пока-пока)
informal
до встречиdo vstréchi
see you / until we meet again
neutral
увидимсяuvídimsya
see you (soon) - casual
informal
спокойной ночиspokóynoy nóchi
good night - when parting at night
neutral

Breakdown & pronunciation

Word by word

доdo
until
свиданияsvidániya
meeting / seeing (each other)

Pronunciation

до свидания: stress the дА in свидания - da-svi-DA-ni-ya. пока is pa-KA, stress on the last syllable. The о in пока is unstressed, so it sounds like "a".

Example sentences

До свидания! Хорошего дня.
Do svidániya! Khoróshego dnya.
Goodbye! Have a nice day.
Пока! Увидимся завтра.
Poká! Uvídimsya závtra.
Bye! See you tomorrow.
До встречи на следующей неделе.
Do vstréchi na sléduyushchey nedéle.
See you next week.
Спокойной ночи!
Spokóynoy nóchi!
Good night!

Usage & etiquette

до свидания literally means "until (our next) meeting" and is the safe, polite goodbye for shops, work and strangers. пока is strictly informal - friendly and warm, but out of place with someone you would address as вы.

до встречи and увидимся both mean roughly "see you" and sit between the two in formality. At night, спокойной ночи ("good night") replaces a plain goodbye.

Practice

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FAQ

How do you say "goodbye" in Russian?

The formal "goodbye" is до свидания (do svidániya). The casual "bye" with friends is пока (poká), often said twice: пока-пока.

When can I use пока?

Use пока with friends, family and people you are on ты terms with. With strangers, elders or in a formal setting, use до свидания instead.

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