Roaming South America

When “Adiós” Doesn’t Mean Goodbye

October 29, 2025

Today, as I walked down the street (here in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia), an older woman stood in her doorway as she does every day. I walk this block almost every day as it is between where I live and downtown. She smiled, raised a hand, and said, ‘¡Adiós!’, same as she does every day. I waved, said, "buenas tardes," and then kept walking. This has happened in all seven countries I have visited in South America, not just once or twice, but consistently.

Adiós is rarely used as a casual “bye.”

In many countries, it carries either a formality/finality or is used as a passing greeting. Every day “goodbyes” are usually chao (ciao), nos vemos, hasta luego, or slang variations. Here in Colombia and in Ecuador, you'll commonly hear “Adiós” used as a neighborly “hey there” on the street. In Argentina/Uruguay: Chao is common because “Adiós” sounds stiff. In Perú, you’ll hear “nos vemos” more often, but “adiós” still lingers in older generations or rural areas. In Chile, everyday usage is “chao” with “adiós” is reserved for formal situations or in a playful manner.

In the US, we often say "Hey," or "Howdy," while passing, whether or not we know the person. It's just a friendly greeting to acknowledge that the other person was noticed. In Spanish classes, language learning websites, and translators - they all translate ‘¡Adiós!’ as a firm "goodbye," but in real life? Not at all.

So the next time you’re visiting South America, wandering through a plaza or through the neighborhood streets, and someone greets you with ‘¡Adiós!,’ don’t wonder about it - they’re not saying "goodbye." They’re just saying, ‘I see you, neighbor.’ And maybe that’s better than goodbye.