Ciao o Chao.
Cuando estaba en Colombia se usaban "chao" para decir "hasta luego". Es una palabra italiana y se deletrea C-I-A-O. Pero no sé: cómo se deletrea en español, si se usa en todas partes del mundo hispanohablante, o si es aceptable según La Real Academia. Díganme (decidme) entonces, amigos, en cuál países lo han (habéis) oído usado con frecuencia.
When I was in Colombia they used "chao" to say "bye". It's an Italian word and is spelled C-I-A-O. But I don't know: how it's spelled in Spanish, if it is used all over the Spanish speaking world, or if it is acceptable according to the "Royal Academy". Tell me then, friends, in which countries you've heard it used often.
Ya es domingo por la tarde y voy a salir el sitio hasta un rato. It's Sunday afternoon now and I'm going to leave the site for a while.
7 Answers
En Colombia esta palabra es recomún, y se la he escuchado a venezolanos, argentinos y panameños, que recuerde; es aceptada por la RAE, escrita chao.
Chau in Chile - everytime I get out of the elevator and someone else is with me, the most common thing I hear is 'chau'. I got the spelling from Chilean friends' emails.
It's often said twice: 'Chau, chau" in the same inflection as we'd say, Bye, bye.
I have friends from Puerto Rico and they say chau, twice when they say bye.
Chau in Bolivia Jubilado.
Only for goodbye unlike in Italy.
What a great question. I have also heard this word being used as good bye. Also, like you said, it was a Colombian speaker/teacher that used it. And he spelled it C-H-A-O.
Ciao is Italian for hello and good bye. The Spanish versions used in Latin America, I've come across are: Chao and Chau (Argentina, mostly). Spaniards spell it Ciao, in most cases, I guess given their proximity to Italy.
In Spanish, Ciao, Chao or Chau are only used to mean good bye. Not hello.
many english and spanish words have roots ... from Latin!
