15 Ways to Say “Goodbye” in Portuguese

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There are plenty of ways to say “goodbye” in Portuguese, and the most natural choice changes with the situation and the country.

The expressions below cover everyday farewells, formal situations and several informal Brazilian options, with notes wherever Portugal uses something differently.

And while you’re at it, make sure to check out our previous article on how to say “hello” in Portuguese!

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

“Bye” in Portuguese: Tchau

In Brazil, the most common casual spelling is tchau. In Portugal, you will usually see chau. Both are informal ways to say “bye”.

Both forms come from the Italian ciao, but do not assume they work exactly the same way. Italian ciao can mean “hello” or “goodbye”, while Portuguese tchau and chau are used as farewells.

If you are writing, stick with tchau for Brazilian Portuguese and chau for European Portuguese. You may see playful spellings in messages, but these two are the useful standards to learn.

“Goodbye” in Portuguese: Adeus

Adeus is understood across the Portuguese-speaking world, but its tone changes by place. In Brazil it can sound formal or final, especially when compared with everyday tchau. In Portugal it is also used as an ordinary goodbye.

Context still matters. A drawn-out or emotional adeus can carry the same sense of a serious farewell that “goodbye” can have in English.

The word comes from an older expression that commended the other person to God. You may notice the family resemblance to Spanish adiós.

“See You Later” in Portuguese: Até mais

Até is usually translated as “until”. As we'll see, there are many ways you can use até to say your goodbyes in Portuguese.

Let’s start with até mais, a common way to say “see you later” or “see you around”, especially in Brazil. The longer expression até mais ver means “until we see each other again”.

Another variant is até mais tarde – “see you later!”

If someone says até mais to you, you can respond with a simple até!, or even just té!

As well as meaning “more”, mais can also mean “plus”. So sometimes you'll see people writing até mais online as t+. Geddit?

“See You Soon” in Portuguese: Até logo

Até logo means “see you later” or “see you soon”, but the everyday usage is not identical everywhere.

In Portugal, até logo is an ordinary farewell and often suggests that you expect to see the person again that day. In Brazil it is understood, but tchau, até mais or até depois may sound more conversational.

Até breve also means “see you soon”. It can sound a little more formal than the everyday options above.

“See You Tomorrow” in Portuguese: Até amanhã

One more point regarding até. As you may have figured out, this word functions a lot like the English expression “see ya!” in Portuguese. And like in English, you can use it with a specific time-related word if you have a good idea of when you're going to see the person again.

So you could say até amanhã! (“see you tomorrow”), até a semana que vem! (“see you next week”), or até segunda/terça/quarta/quinta/sexta (“see you on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday”). And, of course, there are many more possibilities.

“I’m Outta Here” in Portuguese: Vou vazar / tô vazando

Vazar literally means “to leak”. However, vou vazar has nothing to do with the English expression “to take a leak”!

In Brazil, vou vazar or tô vazando is a very informal way to say that you are leaving. It is close to “I’m getting out of here” or “I’m taking off” in English, so save it for casual company.

“May God Be With You” in Portuguese: Vai com Deus

Vai com Deus, or the more formal vá com Deus, means “go with God”. It is a warm, religious farewell wishing the other person well.

A similar expression is fica com Deus, “stay with God”. You might say this when you are the person leaving and the others are staying behind. These phrases are most natural when that religious warmth fits the people and the setting.

“I’m Off” in Portuguese: Fui

Fui is the first-person singular past tense of ir, “to go”. So it means “I went” or “I'm gone”.

Use it when you're leaving a place – that is, if you don't feel the need to bless everybody with a fica com Deus!

It's like saying “I'm off!” in English.

Another Way to Say “Bye” in Portuguese: Falou

Falou literally means “you/he/she said it”, but in informal Brazilian Portuguese it can close a conversation like “bye” or “that’s settled”.

You will also hear falou, então when people are wrapping things up. It is casual and distinctly Brazilian.

In text speak you'll often see this written as “flw”. You might also see “vlw flw”, which is short for valeu, falou – “thanks, bye!”

“I’ve Gotta Run” in Portuguese: Vou Nessa

Vou nessa is an informal Brazilian way to announce that you are heading off. Treat it as an idiom rather than translating it word for word.

In particular, vou nessa is the kind of thing you'd say if you're at a party or someone's house and you want to leave earlier than anticipated; sort of an apologetic “goodbye”.

“Gente, vou nessa porque tô com muito sono” – “Guys, I'm ‘going on this (wave)' because I'm really tired”.

Formal Goodbyes in Portuguese: Bom dia/Boa tarde/Boa noite

Bom dia, boa tarde and boa noite mean “good morning”, “good afternoon” and “good evening” or “good night”. They are mainly greetings, but they can also close a polite interaction.

The time boundaries are flexible and vary by local habit, so follow the people around you rather than memorising an exact hour. Boa noite is the clearest farewell of the three because it works much like “good night” in English.

You may also hear a presenter or customer-service worker finish with bom dia or boa tarde. In that setting, the phrase is a polite wish for the rest of your day.

And Now It’s Time for Me to Say “Goodbye” in Portuguese!

Falou! Now you have options for a quick Brazilian tchau, a Portuguese chau, a polite até logo and plenty of farewells in between.

If you want structured listening practice to go with these phrases, you can try PortuguesePod101 and start with its free lessons.