How to Say "Goodbye" in Klingon, Elvish, Dothraki and More
The most famous poem in Tolkien's Elvish isn't a greeting or a battle cry. It's a goodbye. Galadriel's lament "Namárië" is sung as the Fellowship leaves Lothlórien — and it's the longest piece of Quenya published in The Lord of the Rings.
Farewells carry emotion that greetings don't. Here's how to say goodbye across fictional worlds, history, and code.
The Counterintuitive Truth: Many Goodbyes Are Really Blessings
English "goodbye" hides its origin: it's a contraction of "God be with ye," recorded in the late 1500s. Most people saying it today have no idea it's a blessing.
Fictional languages often make that blessing visible again. Klingons wish you success. Dothraki wish you good hunting. We call this a departure blessing: a farewell that's really a wish for the other person's future.
Star Trek
Klingon — Qapla'
Literally "Success!" Klingons don't say goodbye so much as wish victory. It's also the best-known Klingon word overall.
Romulan — Jolan tru
The same phrase works as both hello and goodbye.
Vulcan — Dif-tor heh smusma
"Live long and prosper." The traditional reply is "Peace and long life."
Star Wars
Mando'a — Ret'urcye mhi
"Maybe we'll meet again." Realistic, for a culture of mercenaries who might not survive the week.
The Galaxy's Favourite Farewell — "May the Force be with you."
Not a separate language, but it's the Star Wars goodbye. Try it in Yoda Speak or write it in Aurebesh.
Game of Thrones
Dothraki — Fonas chek
"Good hunting." Another option is Hajas — "Be strong."
High Valyrian — Geros ilas
The standard High Valyrian goodbye.
Braavosi Farewell — Valar morghulis / Valar dohaeris
"All men must die" / "All men must serve." Technically a greeting and response, but often used as a parting exchange. It's the most famous phrase in all of Game of Thrones.
Tolkien's Middle-earth
Quenya — Namárië
"Farewell." Galadriel's lament begins "Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen" — "Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind."
Sindarin — Navaer
"Farewell" in Sindarin. Elves in the films also use Namárië, blending the two languages.
Write It Beautifully — Tengwar
Put any farewell into Elvish letters with the Tengwar Translator.
Games and Animation
Minionese — Poopaye!
"Bye-bye", Minion-style.
Simlish — Dag dag
A goodbye many Sims fans recognise.
Na'vi — Kìyevame
"See you again."
NPC Speak — "Safe travels, adventurer."
History
Old English — Wes hāl
"Be healthy" — used for both hello and goodbye.
Shakespearean — Fare thee well / Adieu
Romeo and Juliet's famous line: "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Pirate — Fair winds and following seas
A real sailor's blessing that's now a pirate favourite.
Codes
Morse Code — -... -.-- . ("BYE")
Radio operators historically also used 73 ("best regards") and SK ("end of contact").
Binary — 01000010 01011001 01000101 ("BYE")
Why Goodbyes Hit So Hard in Fiction
Farewells come at story turning points: a hero leaving home, a death, a final battle. Language creators know these scenes will be replayed and quoted, so they invest more care in farewell phrases.
Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, author of The Road to Middle-earth (1982), has written about how Tolkien's invented languages carry a deep sense of loss and longing. "Namárië" is the perfect example: even readers who don't understand a word feel sadness from its sound. That's elegiac phonology — sounds chosen to feel like mourning.
Quick Reference Table
| Language | Goodbye | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Klingon | Qapla' | Success |
| Mando'a | Ret'urcye mhi | Maybe we'll meet again |
| Dothraki | Fonas chek | Good hunting |
| High Valyrian | Geros ilas | Goodbye |
| Quenya | Namárië | Farewell |
| Na'vi | Kìyevame | See you again |
| Old English | Wes hāl | Be healthy |
Where Farewells Are Heading
Fictional farewells already appear on gravestones, wedding programmes, and retirement cards. We predict that fan-favourite farewells like "Qapla'" and "Namárië" will increasingly show up in real ceremonies, as the generation that grew up with these stories marks life's big moments with the languages that shaped them.