Here are five common phrases that we use with family and friends in different situations. These aren’t formal phrases, and we use them instead of “goodbye”.
My tip:
start using these expressions to expand your English and sound more natural!
Be good!
People
might say this when they say goodbye to their children – either face-to-face or
on the phone. It means “behave yourself”!
Take care!
This is
super common. You might say it when the other person is leaving on a long
journey, or if you won’t see them again for a while. (The longer version of
this is “Take care of yourself”.)
Don’t
confuse it with “Be careful” which is what we say when we want to warn someone
that they’re doing something dangerous.
Have a safe
journey! / Drive safely!
Say this
when someone is going on a journey or is driving. You can also say “Have a safe
flight” if someone is going on a flight or “Have a good trip” if someone is
going away on holiday or on a business trip.
Have fun! /
Have a good one!
These are
things you can say if someone is leaving to go out for the evening. You want
the other person to enjoy themselves. “Have a good one” means “Enjoy the
occasion” – whether that’s a party, a concert or just a catch-up with friends.
Love you!
You could
say this to your partner, children and family members when they leave. We might
also say it to good friends – especially on the phone.
More
phrases to mean “goodbye”
Other
phrases you might hear are:
“Say hi to...” or “Give my love to …” We say this when the person is going to meet someone we know and we want to pass on a greeting.
“Say hi to...” or “Give my love to …” We say this when the person is going to meet someone we know and we want to pass on a greeting.
You might
also hear “Good luck” if the person is
going to do something difficult like an exam or interview.