How to Say Goodbye in Vietnamese (What They Actually Use)

You want to learn how to say goodbye in Vietnamese, so you Google it. Every textbook, every app, every dictionary in the world tells you the same thing: tạm biệt.

Here's what they don't teach you: Vietnamese people almost never say that.

If you walk up to someone in Vietnam and say "tạm biệt" when leaving, they'll understand you. It's not wrong. But it's like saying "farewell" in English when you're just leaving Starbucks. Technically correct, weirdly formal, and nobody actually talks like that in everyday situations.

So when you want to say goodbye in Vietnamese, what word do Vietnamese people actually use?

How to Say Hello and Goodbye in Vietnamese (It's the Same Word)

This is going to mess with your head: chào is the word you use to say both hello and goodbye in Vietnamese.

Yeah, the same expression. Context tells you which one it is.

When you're leaving, the common phrase structure is chào plus a pronoun. That pronoun changes based on the person you're talking to - their age, gender, and your relationship. The structure looks like this:

This is what local Vietnamese people actually say in everyday conversation. It's natural, you'll hear it constantly, and it works in most situations without sounding weird. Same structure when you say hello - the context of arriving versus leaving tells people what you mean.

Pronunciation: "Chào" sounds like the Italian "ciao" but with a falling tone - start higher and drop your voice. Get that tone wrong and you might be saying something completely different. Vietnamese has six tones, and yeah, they all matter.

When Vietnamese People Actually Say Tạm Biệt

So when does goodbye in Vietnamese use "tạm biệt"?

Formal situations. Really formal. Vietnamese culture values respect and formality in certain contexts, so this parting expression shows up when:

The word literally means "temporary separation." There's weight to it. It's not casual vocabulary.

If you're at a coffee shop, chatting with the staff, leaving a taxi, or saying goodbye to a friend - don't use tạm biệt. You'll sound like you're delivering a presidential address. Consider the situation and the formality level before you choose this phrase.

The Popular Casual Goodbye: Bye Bye

Want something even more relaxed? Vietnamese borrowed straight from English: bái bai (bye bye).

Younger people use this constantly. It's casual, friendly, sounds natural among friends or people your age. It's simple and everyone will understand you.

Two rules:

That's it. With your Vietnamese friend? Bái bai works perfectly. With your coworker's grandmother? Stick with chào plus the right pronoun to show proper respect.

Another Way to Say Goodbye: Hẹn Gặp Lại

This phrase is nice. Hẉn gặp lại means "see you again" or more literally "hope to meet again."

It works in both casual and formal contexts, and it adds warmth. You're saying you actually want to see this person again, not just going through the motions. It's a different expression that shows you value the connection.

Great for:

It's more personal than just "chào" but not as heavy as "tạm biệt."

The Vietnamese Culture of Pronouns (You Need This to Say Hello and Goodbye)

Look, there's no way around this: Vietnamese pronouns play a major role in the language.

Vietnamese doesn't really have a simple word for "you" like in English. Instead, you use family terms - brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent - based on the person's age and gender relative to you. And these aren't just for your actual family. You use them with everyone, including strangers. This is a key lesson for anyone trying to learn Vietnamese.

Quick reference:

A Vietnamese teacher will tell you that Vietnamese people actually ask your age when they first meet you. It's not rude in the culture - they need to know how to address you properly. One year age difference matters. It determines the entire grammar structure of how you speak to each other, including every sentence where you say hello or say goodbye.

This is why trying to learn Vietnamese only from textbooks doesn't work great. You need to see these pronouns in action, hear how people actually use them in real conversations and different situations. Reading about the rules is one thing. Watching Vietnamese content and seeing how people address each other based on their relationships? That's how it clicks and you truly understand the cultural context.

Other Common Vietnamese Goodbye Phrases

There are more ways to express parting:

Chào nhé - Adding "nhé" makes the phrase softer and more informal. Use with friends or peers. It's a popular variation you'll hear constantly.

Đi đây - Literally means "I'm going" but functions as a casual goodbye. It sounds weird if you translate it directly to English, but that's how the Vietnamese language works. You're announcing when you leave, and that serves as the farewell. Think of it as survival vocabulary for everyday situations.

Sớm gặp lại nhé - "See you soon" when you know you'll meet the person again shortly.

These all have their place. The more Vietnamese content you consume - shows, YouTube videos, real conversations - the more you'll internalize when each phrase fits. Consider this part of building your core vocabulary beyond basic grammar lessons.

The Reality of Vietnamese Tones (A Sign You Need Real Practice)

Vietnamese has six tones. Mandarin has four. Tiếng Việt pronunciation is legitimately difficult for English speakers and takes time to master.

That falling tone in "chào"? Critical. The tone on "tạm biệt"? Mess it up and you might confuse people or accidentally change the meaning. It's not like learning to speak other languages where pronunciation is more forgiving.

You can't learn Vietnamese tones by reading about them. You need to hear them, repeatedly, in actual speech from native speakers. Not isolated words - real sentences, real conversations where you can travel through authentic content with natural rhythm and flow.

This is where most language apps fail. They'll teach you the isolated word with the correct tone, but they don't show you how it sounds in actual conversation, where things blend together and the rhythm changes.

Want to actually learn how Vietnamese people say hello and goodbye in real situations? You need to watch real Vietnamese content - the stuff people around the world actually watch for entertainment.

That's why we built Migaku specifically for immersion learning. You can watch Vietnamese shows, YouTube videos, or any content you find interesting, and our browser extension lets you look up words instantly while you're watching. When you hear someone say "chào anh" in a drama and see exactly when and how they use it based on age and formality - that's when it sticks.

The pronunciation practice comes naturally too. You're hearing native speakers use these phrases hundreds of times in different contexts. Your brain starts picking up the tone patterns without you having to consciously think about it. That's how you learned your first language as a kid, and it works for Vietnamese too.

Try it free for 10 days and see how much faster you pick up real Vietnamese compared to memorizing textbook phrases that nobody actually says.