Phrase 16 of 500
How to say “Goodbye! (said by the one leaving)” in Turkish
- Meaning
- Goodbye! (said by the one leaving)
- Pronunciation
- hohsh·chah kahl
What “Hoşça kal” really means
Hoşça kal is "Goodbye", said by the person who is leaving. It means "stay well". The polite or plural form is "Hoşça kalın". The person who stays answers "Güle güle".
💬 Example dialogues
MisafirBen gidiyorum, hoşça kalın!I'm leaving, goodbye!
Ev sahibiGüle güle, yine bekleriz!Bye, come again!
AliHoşça kal, yarın ararım.Bye, I'll call tomorrow.
DenizGüle güle!Bye!
🚫 When NOT to use it
If you are the one staying behind, do not say Hoşça kal; say "Güle güle". It also sounds a bit final, so between flatmates who meet again tonight "Görüşürüz" is more natural.
🇹🇷 Culture note
The pair Hoşça kal / Güle güle is one of the first things Turkish children learn, and getting it right makes locals smile.
⚠️ Common mistakes
- ✗ Güle güle (when you leave) → ✓ Hoşça kalThe one leaving says Hoşça kal.
Culture tip
When you arrive, Turks say Hoş geldiniz! and you answer Hoş bulduk! When you leave, you say Hoşça kal, and the person staying says Güle güle.
Letters to watch in this sentence
- Ç ç like ch in “chair”
- Ş ş like sh in “shoe”
Related phrases
More phrases in this unit
- Merhaba!Hello!
- Günaydın!Good morning!
- İyi günler!Have a nice day!
- İyi akşamlar!Good evening!
- İyi geceler!Good night!
- Nasılsın?How are you?
- Nasılsınız?How are you? (polite)
- İyiyim, teşekkürler.I'm fine, thanks.
- Sen nasılsın?And how are you?
- Fena değil.Not bad.
- Ne var ne yok?What's up?
- Hoş geldiniz!Welcome!
- Hoş bulduk!Glad to be here! (reply to "welcome")
- Görüşürüz!See you!
- Yarın görüşürüz.See you tomorrow.
- Güle güle!Bye! (said by the one staying)
- Kendine iyi bak!Take care!
- Selamünaleyküm.Peace be upon you.
- Aleykümselam.And peace be upon you too.