Goodbye in Indonesian is sampai jumpa (SAHM-pie JOOM-pah), "until we meet", and between friends it is dadah (DAH-dah), "bye", with a wave. The two the textbook puts first, selamat jalan and selamat tinggal, are for real departures and have a rule attached: selamat jalan (safe journey) is said to the person leaving, selamat tinggal (stay well) is said by the person leaving to those who stay. And the most common way to leave a room in Indonesia is none of these. It is duluan, ya (I'll go ahead), or permisi (excuse me).
Here is the quick version, then each one with examples.
- Sampai jumpa: see you, goodbye. Neutral, fine with anyone.
- Sampai nanti / sampai besok: see you later / see you tomorrow.
- Dadah / bye: bye. Casual, with a wave. Bye itself is common in cities.
- Duluan, ya (doo-loo-AHN yah): I'm off first. The everyday way to leave a group.
- Permisi: excuse me. Leaving a house or a conversation politely.
- Selamat jalan: safe travels, to someone leaving on a journey.
- Selamat tinggal: goodbye, from someone leaving for good or for a long time.
- Hati-hati (HAH-tee HAH-tee): take care, literally "careful". Said to anyone setting off.
1. Sampai jumpa, sampai nanti, sampai besok
Sampai means "until" and jumpa means "meet", so sampai jumpa is "until we meet again". Swap the second word for a time and you get the English "see you" family: sampai nanti (see you later), sampai besok (see you tomorrow), sampai minggu depan (see you next week). In speech sampai often becomes sampe (SAHM-pay), and you will also hear sampai ketemu lagi, the same idea with the spoken word for meet.
- Sampai jumpa, Pak. Goodbye, sir.
- Oke, sampe besok ya. OK, see you tomorrow.
- Sampai ketemu lagi! See you again!
2. Dadah and bye
Dadah is the wave-goodbye word, the one you say to a child and the one friends say to each other. Among younger Indonesians plain English bye is just as common, often doubled: bye bye. Neither is for a job interview.
- Dadah! Hati-hati ya. Bye! Take care.
- Bye, sampai nanti. Bye, see you later.
3. Duluan: how Indonesians actually leave
Leaving a group, a meal or an office before the others, Indonesians announce it rather than say goodbye: saya duluan, ya or just duluan, ya, "I'll go ahead". It is polite and expected; slipping out without it is the rude option. The group answers oke, hati-hati or iya, duluan. In a house you add permisi at the door, and on the way out of a conversation with an elder, permisi, Pak, saya pamit dulu (excuse me, sir, I'll take my leave). Pamit is the formal "take one's leave", and it is what you say to a host.
- Aku duluan, ya. Masih ada kerjaan. I'm off. Still got work to do.
- Permisi, Bu, saya pamit dulu. Excuse me, ma'am, I'll be going now.
- Oke, hati-hati di jalan. OK, safe trip. (literally "careful on the road")
4. Selamat jalan and selamat tinggal
These are for journeys and long partings, not for the end of a coffee. The rule: the person who stays says selamat jalan (good journey) to the one who leaves, and the person who leaves says selamat tinggal (good staying) to the ones who stay. Getting them backwards is a classic learner mistake, and it also makes selamat tinggal sound heavier than you meant: it is a farewell for a long absence, sometimes forever.
- Selamat jalan, semoga lancar. Safe travels, hope it goes smoothly. (to someone leaving)
- Selamat tinggal, sampai jumpa lagi. Goodbye, until we meet again. (from someone leaving for a long time)
Common mistakes
Selamat tinggal after lunch. Far too final. Say duluan ya or sampai nanti.
Selamat jalan when you are the one leaving. That is selamat tinggal, or better, duluan ya / pamit dulu.
Leaving without announcing it. Always say duluan or permisi before you go. A silent exit reads as upset.
Hati-hati as "be careful" only. It is also simply "take care, goodbye", and the normal thing to say to anyone getting on a motorbike.
FAQ
How do you say goodbye in Indonesian?
Sampai jumpa (see you) with anyone, dadah or bye with friends. Leaving a group, duluan, ya (I'll go first).
How do you say bye in Indonesian?
Dadah, with a wave, or plain bye. Both are casual.
What is the difference between selamat jalan and selamat tinggal?
Selamat jalan (safe journey) is said to the person leaving. Selamat tinggal (stay well) is said by the person leaving to those who stay. Both are for real departures, not everyday goodbyes.
How do you say see you later in Indonesian?
Sampai nanti, or in speech sampe nanti. See you tomorrow is sampai besok.
How do you say take care in Indonesian?
Hati-hati, literally "careful". It is the normal farewell to anyone setting off somewhere.
Learn the goodbye people actually say
Phrasebooks open with selamat tinggal; Indonesians leave with duluan ya. That is the pattern across the whole language, and it is why JADI teaches the spoken form next to the textbook one from the first lesson. Our list of 50 basic Indonesian phrases gives both for each, and the greetings are on how to say hello in Indonesian.
Every JADI lesson is written by Yohana, a native Indonesian teacher, with audio for every sentence and spaced repetition so it stays. The first 6 lesson days are free.
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