Two goodbyes, two registers. The formal one literally means "until we meet again" - and it's hiding a genitive case inside it.
До свидания is the goodbye you use with strangers, in business, with elders, or anyone you'd address with Вы (the formal "you"). It's respectful and neutral - never wrong in any situation.
Пока is the everyday "bye" - friends, family, colleagues you're close with. It's warm and casual. You'll also hear Пока-пока (bye-bye), which sounds friendlier, not childish.
The register split mirrors Russian hellos exactly: До свидания pairs with Здравствуйте, Пока pairs with Привет. If you greeted someone formally, say goodbye formally.
До свидания literally means "until the meeting." До is the preposition "until" - and like several Russian prepositions, it demands the genitive case. Свидания is the genitive form of свидание (meeting, date). This same pattern shows up everywhere: до завтра (until tomorrow), до вечера (until evening), до встречи (until the encounter). Once you recognize "до + genitive," you've unlocked a whole family of farewell phrases.
From a quick "see you" to a permanent farewell - Russian has goodbyes for every situation.
| Russian | Pronunciation | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| До свидания | Do svidaniya | Formal goodbye. Strangers, business, elders. The default safe option. |
| Пока | Poka | Casual bye. Friends, family, peers. Most common informal goodbye. |
| До встречи | Do vstrechi | "Until we meet." Warmer than До свидания - implies you're looking forward to seeing them. |
| До завтра | Do zavtra | "Until tomorrow." Use when you'll see the person the next day. |
| Пока-пока | Poka-poka | "Bye-bye." Friendly, not childish. Common in texting and casual speech. |
| Увидимся | Uvidimsya | "See you." Casual, assumes you'll meet again. Common between friends. |
| Счастливо | Schastlivo | "Be well" / "Good luck." A warm goodbye, slightly old-fashioned. Often used by older generations. |
| Прощай | Proshchay | "Farewell." A permanent goodbye - implies you may never see them again. Dramatic, literary. |
Russian goodbyes take forever. The phrase "Russian goodbye" exists in English, but the real phenomenon works in reverse - Russians take a long time to actually leave. Standing in the doorway talking for another 20 minutes after saying "we're leaving" is a national tradition, especially at family gatherings.
Прощай is serious. Don't use Прощай casually. It implies finality - a permanent parting. In movies and literature, it's the goodbye before someone goes to war or ends a relationship. Using it with a friend you'll see next week would sound melodramatic or like you're joking.
Phone goodbyes are different. On the phone, Russians often end with Ну всё, пока (Well, that's it, bye) or Ну ладно, давай (Alright then, let's go). There's usually a verbal wind-down before the actual goodbye - hanging up without this feels abrupt.
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