Meaning & use
ta ta bye
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformalBritish
A casual, cheerful way of saying goodbye, often said to children or between close friends.
Grammar: Used as a complete farewell on its own; you do not add an object or a verb after it.
Right, I'm off now — ta ta bye!
She waved at the toddlers and said, 'Ta ta bye, see you tomorrow.'
Ta ta bye, everyone! Have a lovely weekend.
Common combinations
- ta ta bye for now
- Ta ta bye for now — I'll call you later.
- say ta ta bye
- The kids said ta ta bye to their grandma at the door.
- ta ta bye then
- Ta ta bye then, take care!
Synonyms and how they differ
- bye
- The standard neutral farewell; 'ta ta bye' is more playful and mainly British.
- ta-ta
- A short British informal goodbye, often used alone; adding 'bye' makes it sound extra cheerful.
- cheerio
- Another old-fashioned British goodbye; 'ta ta bye' feels more babyish or affectionate.
Opposites
Word family
- ta-ta interjection
- A British informal way to say goodbye.
- bye interjection
- A common, neutral farewell.
Commonly confused: ta ta bye or ta?
ta ta bye vs ta
In British English 'ta' means 'thank you', not goodbye, so 'ta ta bye' is a farewell while 'ta' alone is thanks.
Practice
Which situation is 'ta ta bye' most suitable for?
Choose one answer.
'Ta ta bye' is informal and affectionate, so it fits saying goodbye to a small child. It would be too casual for a job interview or a business email, and too conversational for a news report.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ta ta bye”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.