さようなら

• Reading: さようなら
• Romaji: sayounara
• Kanji breakdown: 左 (sa) — left; 様 (you) — manner, way
• Pronunciation: /sa.joː.na.ɾa/

Meaning

Goodbye; farewell. A formal parting greeting with a sense of finality.

More formal and final-sounding than casual alternatives like じゃあね or またね. Often used when parting for a long time, at school dismissals, or in formal situations. In everyday casual conversation, Japanese speakers tend to prefer lighter farewell expressions.

Examples

1. さようなら、また会いましょう。 Goodbye, let's meet again.
2. 先生にさようならと言って教室を出た。 I said goodbye to the teacher and left the classroom.
3. 友達が引っ越すのでさようならを言った。 My friend was moving away, so I said goodbye.

Usage Guide

Context: farewells, school, formal partings

Tone: solemn

Origin & History

From 左様ならば (sayou naraba), meaning 'if it is so' or 'if that is the case.' It evolved from a conjunction into a standalone farewell expression.

Cultural Context

Era: Medieval

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal