さようなら

Japanese phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

• (informal) さよなら (sayonara)

Shortening of earlier 左様ならば (sayō naraba), itself a compound of 左様 (sayō, “like that, that way”) +‎ ならば (naraba, “if”, now somewhat archaic, often replaced by なら (nara)).^[1] Literally “if that's the way it is”.

First cited to roughly 1742 as a conjunction (literally, “if it's like that, then...”). The interjection usage is cited to 1788, and then the noun sense is cited to roughly 1915.^[1]

• (Tokyo) さよーなら (Nakadaka – )^[2]
• (Tokyo) さよーなら (Odaka – )^[2]
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さようなら • (sayōnara) ^{←さやうなら (sayaunara)?}

1. (formal) a final expression of departure; farewell, so long, adieu, goodbye
2. (dated, formal) a non-final expression of departure: goodbye, au revoir
   • 1921, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, アグニの神 [God of Aguni]:

     ドウカ明日(あした)ノ朝(あさ)モウ一度(いちど)、オ婆(ばあ)サンノ所(ところ)ヘ來(き)テ下(くだ)サイ。コノ計(けい)略(りゃく)ノ外(ほか)ニハオ婆(ばあ)サンノ手(て)カラ、逃(に)ゲ出(だ)スミチハアリマセン。サヤウナラ。

     Dōka ashita no asa mō ichido, obāsan no tokoro e kite kudasai. Kono keiryaku no hoka ni wa obāsan no te kara, nigedasu michi wa arimasen. Sayōnara.

     Please come again tomorrow morning to this house. I see no way for me to escape the old woman apart from this plan. Goodbye.

This term has strong connotations of finality, so this is not used when departing a place such as one's home, unless one intends not to return in the foreseeable future.

Use of these terms depends on the situation.

• あばよ (abayo)
• さらば (saraba)
• 失(しつ)礼(れい)します (shitsurei shimasu)
• じゃあ (jā)
• それでは (sore de wa)
• では (de wa)
• バイバイ (baibai)

さようなら • (sayōnara) 

1. a farewell, a goodbye