नमस्ते (namaste) is goodbye as well as hello — the same word does both, and it is never wrong. फिर मिलेंगे (phir milenge) means "we will meet again" and is the warm, ordinary way to leave. अलविदा (alvida) is a real word but a heavy one: it carries finality, so Hindi speakers save it for partings that matter and most learners should avoid it entirely.
The one that always works
नमस्ते. It opens a conversation and it closes one. Palms together, slight dip of the head, done. Nobody has ever been thought rude for saying namaste on the way out.
What people actually say
फिर मिलेंगे (phir milenge) — "we'll meet again". Neutral, friendly, correct with almost anyone.
चलता हूँ (chalta hoon) if you are male, चलती हूँ (chalti hoon) if female — literally "I'm off". Casual, very common, slightly abrupt with an elder.
बाय (bye) — yes, really. Urban India uses English "bye" constantly, and no one will think less of you.
The word to be careful with
अलविदा (alvida) is what films use when someone is leaving for good. Using it to end a Tuesday lesson is like saying "farewell" to a colleague at 5pm — grammatically fine, tonally strange.
Adding respect
Attach जी (ji): नमस्ते जी. One syllable, noticeably warmer. It works on almost any greeting in Hindi and is the cheapest politeness upgrade in the language.
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