In Hebrew there are several ways to say goodbye depending on the context — whether you'll see the person again soon, whether they're travelling, and the time of day. Most of these expressions carry a warmth that reflects Israeli culture.
Standard Farewells
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| שָׁלוֹם | Shalom | Goodbye | Same word as "hello". Works in any context, any time of day. |
| לְהִתְרָאוֹת | Lehitraot | Goodbye / See you | Literal: "to see each other again". The most common formal goodbye. |
| בַּיְי | Bye | Bye | Borrowed from English. Informal, very widely used. |
| נִתְרָאֶה | Nitreh | See you / We'll meet | Casual version of להתראות. Means "we will see each other". |
| עַד לְמָחָר | Ad lemachar | Until tomorrow / See you tomorrow | Used when you know you'll see the person the next day. |
| נִתְרָאֶה בְּקָרוֹב | Nitreh bekarov | See you soon | Casual, warm. Literal: "we'll meet soon". |
Parting Wishes
| Hebrew | Transliteration | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| יוֹם טוֹב | Yom tov | Have a good day | Literal: "good day". Said when parting during the day. |
| לַיְלָה טוֹב | Layla tov | Good night | Said at night when parting or going to sleep. |
| בְּהַצְלָחָה | Behatslacha | Good luck | Very commonly used. Also said before exams, trips, and new endeavours. |
| נְסִיעָה טוֹבָה | Nesia tova | Have a good trip | Said to someone who is travelling. Literal: "good journey". |
| חֲזוֹר בְּשָׁלוֹם | Chazor beshalom | Come back safely | To a man (m). Literal: "return in peace". |
| חִזְרִי בְּשָׁלוֹם | Chizri beshalom | Come back safely | To a woman (f). |
| שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם | Shabbat shalom | Peaceful Sabbath | Said from Friday afternoon through Saturday night. One of the most culturally important Hebrew greetings. |
Cultural note: Israelis often mix Hebrew and English goodbyes freely — saying בַּיְי (Bye) or בַּיְי-בַּיְי (Bye-bye) is completely normal and not considered strange.
Example Conversation
A: בְּסֵדֶר, אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ. לְהִתְרָאוֹת! — Beseder, ani holech. Lehitraot! (OK, I'm going. Goodbye!)
B: לְהִתְרָאוֹת! יוֹם טוֹב! — Lehitraot! Yom tov! (Goodbye! Have a good day!)
A: תּוֹדָה, גַּם לְךָ! — Toda, gam lecha! (Thanks, you too!)