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Bye-bye

mysina

Senior Member
Hello. I know quite a lot of people who say ´bye-bye´ instead of just ´bye´. But now I heard an American native speaker saying that bye-bye sounds childish or gayish and he never uses it. Do you agree? Is there a difference between American and British English? Thanks for your answers.
It sounds...well, a bit affected to me. It does sound a bit babyish, but it also sounds like the sort of thing people who have to deal with the public a lot, such as flight attendants, say when they have say "goodbye" over and over again to a whole lot of people they don't know.
But now I heard an American native speaker saying that bye-bye sounds childish or gay-ish and he never uses it. Do you agree?

I would use the word effeminate, but I don't use it either, for that reason.
There are actually times that it can be used by an adult (usually a woman) and not sound childish or effeminate (correctly corrected by sdgraham).

If you were departing from your grandmother or mother's house, and said by, she might easily say "byyye bye!"
Or perhaps even a grown woman on the phone.

Another way you might here this said, is a slightly "mumbled" version in which it sounds more like "buhbye".
Another way you might here this said, is a slightly "mumbled" version in which it sounds more like "buhbye".

Exactly, it almost always sounds like "buhbye".
There are definitely times that using this, might sound....well less than masculine. But I've heard plenty of men use it accordingly as "buhbye."

It's like many things in language; some will swear they'd never use it, while some could care less and use it freely.
If you actually pronounce it as "bye-bye," it sounds extremely patronizing or childish — you're talking down to the person. It's the type of thing you would say to a toddler or infant. This is because toddlers tend to repeat stressed syllables that they hear. Dinner becomes "din-din," Dad becomes "dada," Goodbye/bye becomes "bye-bye."

This "motherly" tone to it may be why it doesn't sound as bad coming from a female of maternal age or a grandmother.

I agree with the other posters that "buh-bye" sounds much more acceptable, but it's something I personally don't say. The pronunciation makes all the difference.
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[...] Is there a difference between American and British English? [...]
Judging by the above posts (all AmE), I'd say YES, there does appear to be a difference. "Bye-bye" is one of the many variants often heard in BrE (and I've heard it used in AusE, NZE, IndE, IrE) — but I've never heard it associated with being childish, gay, effeminate or patronising, nor being used essentially by grandmothers, nor used specifically to toddlers or infants.

I wonder whether the status of the expression in AmE has changed in recent times: in the past there have been loads of songs from American songwriters with "Bye-bye" in the titles or lyrics (and I don't mean kiddy songs).

So, mysina, it seems you should think twice before using it to Americans, but I'd say you'd be safe using it in most other parts of the English-speaking world.

Ws👁 Smile :)
So, mysina, it seems you should think twice before using it to Americans, but I'd say you'd be safe using it in most other parts of the English-speaking world.

Ws👁 Smile :)


It's hard to explain. It's not so much the literal words being said, it's how you say it. People in America even say "bye-bye" without it sounding "odd". It really just depends on the company, the way it's said and the emphasis. 👁 Smile :)
I wonder whether the status of the expression in AmE has changed in recent times: in the past there have been loads of songs from American songwriters with "Bye-bye" in the titles or lyrics (and I don't mean kiddy songs).

There are many expressions that Americans say in songs but would less commonly say in conversation... (even things like double negative, ain't, etc -- all at least slightly overrepresented in lyrics compared to conversation.) American music is a really poor representation of how Americans actually talk.
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I agree with you mysina.... now people says "bubieeee" instead of "bye bye".
Just to add another BrE view: if I want to be formal I say "goodbye". To be informal I reduce it to "bye" and see no reason to lengthen it again by saying "bye-bye"! To me it sounds childish rather than feminine, gay or whatever. If other native speakers want to say "bye-bye" I don't object, but if an Italian studying English asks me if "bye-bye" is right I tell him that "goodbye" and "bye" are preferable.

There are Brits who say "night-night" instead of "good night"! Does this happen in the US?
It's hard to explain. It's not so much the literal words being said, it's how you say it. People in America even say "bye-bye" without it sounding "odd". It really just depends on the company, the way it's said and the emphasis. 👁 Smile :)
Good point, Filsmith. Even in BrE, it can of course be made to sound 'odd' if it's said in certain ways.

And then there are other forms that are more likely to be taken as childish. I know someone (40+, male, not effeminate) who often says "Byesy-bye" to other adults: at first it did give the impression that he was talking 'baby-talk', but I quickly got used to it, and now I don't think twice about it.

Ws👁 Smile :)
As a side note, bye-bye has taken over Hong Kong ... 25 years ago, everyone said the equivalent of "see you again" in Cantonese -- you heard it several times a day. Now you hear it twice a year, as the standard expression of leaving has become the English bye-bye.
As a side note, bye-bye has taken over Hong Kong ... 25 years ago, everyone said the equivalent of "see you again" in Cantonese -- you heard it several times a day. Now you hear it twice a year, as the standard expression of leaving has become the English bye-bye.

Even to the point that they write "8-8" casually, correct Copyright? Since 8,8 sounds like "bye-bye" in Chinese?
Even to the point that they write "8-8" casually, correct Copyright? Since 8,8 sounds like "bye-bye" in Chinese?
I've never seen or heard of that, although my knowledge and experience are hardly definitive ... and I'm surrounded by Hokkien speakers at the moment, so there's no one to ask. In Cantonese, eight is is pronounced baat – baa like the sheep with an unaspirated (chopped-off) T. In speech, the Cantonese say a pretty normal bye-bye.

And I'll say bye-bye now because we're getting much too far afield.
Bye-bye, or byeee, especially to the grandchildren, is how one says it. I claim that that's how I, and my family, have used it since I can remember.

GF..
Just to add another BrE view: if I want to be formal I say "goodbye". To be informal I reduce it to "bye" and see no reason to lengthen it again by saying "bye-bye"! To me it sounds childish rather than feminine, gay or whatever.
I agree with Einstein👁 Thumbs Up :thumbsup:
"Bye-bye" with both words pronounced fully sounds childish to me too. Reduced to b'bye, much less so. I'm tempted to say I wouldn't say it myself - but I wouldn't be surprised to find I said it from time to time.
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Agreed, tim. Most times that I hear it, it's pronounced "b'bye" and, to me, doesn't sound at all childish. But yes, fully pronounced, that does change it — possibly by association with "going bye-byes"?

Ws👁 Smile :)
possibly by association with "going bye-byes"?

Ws👁 Smile :)
Ah yes, perhaps so. Just to point out to foreign readers who might not be sure - in the baby phrase for going to sleep "to go bye-byes" both "byes" are given their full pronunciation, never "b'bye". When saying goodbye "bye-bye" is usually "b'bye".
It may just be me, but "b'bye" and "buh-bye" are just the same thing, written two different ways. Someone could over-stress the "uh" part, but that would again make it sound "less than 'mature' ".

A quickly said, under-emphasized, lightly spoken "b'bye/buh-bye" is quite common, and when spoken in casual settings, would raise no one's eyebrows.
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It may just be me, buy "b'bye" and "buh-bye" are just the same thing, written two different ways. Someone could over-stress the "uh" part, but that would again make it sound "less than 'mature' ".

A quickly said, under-emphasized, lightly spoken "b'bye/buh-bye" is quite common, and when spoken in casual settings, would raise no one's eyebrows.
No - not just you - I could have written "buh-bye" instead of "b'bye". I also hear a full on "bubbye" sometimes too. In the similar "night-night", I often hear this as a full "nun-night" instead of "n'night" or "nuh-night".
A late posting, but would like to confirm that even in business telephone contacts, all over the USA and Canada, my personal experience is that I am ending a call with something like "b-BYE" and would guesstimate sixty percent of people are making the same utterance into my ear, whether shcool teachers, truck drivers or business people. The tone of it is very far away from the childish "bye...bye..." It could well be, without any conscious aforethought, that "good-bye" or "bye" could sound too abrupt under some circumstances.
I say it quite often, especially on the phone... but it is likely from Chinese influence, since it is very common in both Mandarin and Cantonese (and does not carry any connotation of being childish among Chinese--at least I don't think so). My previous impression was the same as everyone here--it can be perceived as childish in North America... I don't know about effeminate, but that would not surprise me. I think it all depends on the tone one uses when saying it. Also, it is almost always pronounced ba-bye (the 'a' being a schwa/reduced vowel), as has been said by previous posters.

As a side note, bye-bye has taken over Hong Kong... 25 years ago
I think it has taken over almost all Chinese-speaking regions now (even rural perhaps, among young people?). I was surprised to hear it today in a clip from a 1960s Hong Kong movie. It looks like it has been around for a long time there (longer than I expected)! I've also heard it from Singaporeans before (speaking English), at a higher frequency than one would hear it here in Canada.
Hi All

Is '' Bye bye '' still used among adults or only by children?
Hi All

Is '' Bye bye '' still used among adults or only by children?
Hi rino delbello
I don't think much will have changed in the ten years since this thread was started.
Singaporeans before (speaking English), at a higher frequency than one would hear it here in Canada.
I must say it hasn't struck me before that bye bye is exclusively childish or effeminate. It is, however, true that a common way of leave-taking in Chinese is to borrow the term from English. In Cantonese, this is baai1 baai3. (The numbers refer to tones - they have assigned Chinese tones to the syllables.) And this could have influenced the use of bye bye in English here.
OK. so one should think that '' bye-bye ''is only for children, is that correct?
Where I live (South of England) it is common for women I know to end a phone conversation with friends, with "bye, bye, bye" or even "bye, bye, bye, bye, bye"! The commas represent a slight pause. The byes get fainter and tail off.
OK. so one should think that '' bye-bye ''is only for children, is that correct?
No - that's not what the thread says, rino delbello.
Speaking personally, I have only used it as a child or when speaking to a young child. I often use a single "Bye!"
Ok. As there seem to be conflicting opinions in this thread, I will have to take it with a pinch of salt based on context 👁 Smile :)
. Thanks a lot again all of you!
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