Dutch words for kids · Greetings & manners
How to say “goodbye” in Dutch
Kids say goodbye many times a day: at nursery drop-off, at the end of a call, when the bath water drains away. Every one is a chance to practise.
Goodbye in Dutch
tot ziens
Sounds like ≈ tot ZEENS
Good to know: Tot ziens is the polite goodbye. Kids and friends say doei (DOO-ee) or dag, and tot straks means "see you in a bit".
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our Dutch songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Dag, tot ziens!
Bye, goodbye!
from Water en Melk (Water and Milk)
Tot ziens, tot ziens!
Goodbye, goodbye!
from Goedemorgen, Juf! (Hands Up, Sit Down)
Doei, de zus!
Bye, sister!
from Mama en Papa (Mom and Dad)
The song that teaches it
“Goodbye” is one of the key words in this song. Every line is shown in Dutch with its English meaning.
Also sung in: Eén, Twee, Drie, Dieren in de Jungle, Mama en Papa, Een Rode Appel, Water en Melk, Fruit en Groente, In het Park, A van Aap and 5 more.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Wave tot ziens to the bath water as it goes down the drain.
- 2At drop-off, swap your usual goodbye for tot ziens; it becomes a small shared ritual.
- 3Play "shop": each customer gets a hello on the way in and tot ziens on the way out.
Related Dutch words
“Goodbye” in other languages
Sing it in Dutch, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Dutchhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using Dutch songs with your family.