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Is just さようなら acceptable as a 'goodbye' in 敬語, or is there a more formal version?

Luke Thorburn
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    Who is talking to whom in your imagination? The world of 敬語 is as large as the universe. –  Aug 14 '14 at 07:11
  • When I saw the title, the first one that came to my mind was さらば, although it's grammatically not 敬語 – Yang Muye Aug 14 '14 at 16:45
  • Here is a related thread [When to use “どうぞよろしくお願【ねが】い致【いた】します。” in a greeting?](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/18264/when-to-use-%E3%81%A9%E3%81%86%E3%81%9E%E3%82%88%E3%82%8D%E3%81%97%E3%81%8F%E3%81%8A%E9%A1%98%E3%81%AD%E3%81%8C%E3%81%84%E8%87%B4%E3%81%84%E3%81%9F%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99-in-a-greeting) that describes two very formal ways to say "good-bye". – user312440 Aug 18 '14 at 10:46

3 Answers3

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You can always say 失礼します say goodbye or to excuse yourself (lit. "I'm being rude (by leaving))". This is probably the most common. There is also 失敬します, but I've heard this is rather old-man-ish and haven't heard anyone use in normal conversation.

istrasci
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さようなら is used mainly by school children, but adults use this less commonly in everyday conversations. Here's the list of possible expressions:

  • お疲【つか】れ様【さま】です : Typically used after work. This is only polite enough to say goodbye to your colleagues. Don't say this to important external guests.
  • (お先【さき】に)失礼【しつれい】します: Typically used when leaving (and entering) an office, conference room, etc. You can use 失礼します (without お先に) at the end of a phone conversation.
  • (お先に)失礼いたします : Even more polite one with a humble form.
  • ごきげんよう : Very polite greeting, which is described elsewhere. It's unlikely that you hear this in a business setting.

And there are shortened forms: 「お疲れ！」「お先に！」 These are no longer considered as "polite", but are very frequently used, instead of さようなら, among colleagues who know well each other.

Community
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naruto
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If you're not in a work environment, maybe you could use それでは

Kokoroatari
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    EVERYONE uses それでは in work settings. –  Aug 17 '14 at 09:19
  • I didn't mean you can't use soredewa in a work setting (I've heard it with my ears, thanks). It's just that most of what was already been told was (almost) just for working settings (like osaki ni and otsukaresama), while a very basic greetings like soredewa (which NO ONE has said) had been left out. ...and now readers will think of soredewa as uncorrect, because of this downvotes. You should try to suggest to edit, sometimes. – Kokoroatari Aug 23 '14 at 17:48