Memory Play Notes

Just as there’s a wide range of ways to greet someone in Turkish, so, too, are there various ways to say goodbye in Turkish. A lot depends on how well you know someone, what time of day it is, whether you plan to see each other again soon, and, perhaps most uniquely to Turkish, whether you’re the one who’s departing or staying.

Here’s a brief guide to some of the most common ways to say goodbye in Turkish in various situations. To practice your pronunciation and hear how the words and phrases are voiced by a native speaker, press the play button next to the highlighted words.

How To Say Goodbye In Turkish

In Formal Situations

Among religious Turks and in some formal situations generally, it’s common to invoke Allah’s blessing when saying hello and goodbye. There’s a bit of a ritual involved in this exchange, however.

Typically, the person leaving says: Allah’a ısmarladık (lit. “May Allah keep you safe”).

The person staying behind would then respond with: Güle güle (lit. “Laughing laughing”), which means something akin to “Leave with a laugh.”

Alternatively, the person staying behind can also respond with hoşça kalın, which simply means “goodbye” and can be used on its own as well.

There are also ways to say goodbye that are specific to the time of day.

• İyi günler — Good day
• İyi geceler — Goodnight

Casual Departures

One of the most common ways to say “bye” is simply a shortened version of hoşça kalın: Hoşça kal (lit. “Stay good”).

Note, however, that hoşça kalın also registers as both formal and informal when you’re addressing a group of people, as it’s technically the plural form. It’s also used to address one person formally.

When you think you’ll see someone again soon, you have some more options.

• Görüşmek üzere — See you soon
• Görüşürüz — See you
• Yarın görüşürüz — See you tomorrow

Some Specific Goodbyes

Now that you’ve got a basic sense of how to say goodbye in Turkish, here are a few examples of how to work these into more complex sentences.

• Ben gidiyorum, Allah’a ısmarladık. — I’m leaving, goodbye.
• Hoşça kalın arkadaşlar! — Goodbye, friends!
• Çok geç olmuş, ben gidiyorum. Allah’a ısmarladık. — It’s already very late, I’m leaving. Goodbye.
• İyi akşamlar. Yarın görüşürüz. — Good evening. See you tomorrow.