What mata ashita actually says
Mata means again, ashita means tomorrow, and the verb is missing. The full thought is mata ashita aimashō, let's meet again tomorrow, but nobody says the verb. This missing-verb shape is common in Japanese goodbyes: mata ne, mata kondo, dewa mata all leave the meeting itself unsaid. Because the verb is absent, the phrase carries no politeness marker, and that is why it counts as casual until you frame it with something polite.
Two particles change its feel. Mata ashita ne is soft and friendly, the version you hear between classmates and colleagues who get on. Mata ashita na is the same thing in a masculine, slightly rough register, common among male friends. A plain mata ashita with a downward tone can sound a little flat, so add ne unless you are being brisk on purpose.
Japanese people say the phrase only when they really will meet tomorrow. It is not a vague see you; it is a statement about the day. Saying it to someone you will not see is a small but noticeable slip, and the person may pause to work out whether you have a plan they forgot.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| じゃあ、また明日。 | Jā, mata ashita. | Right then, see you tomorrow. |
| また明日ね。 | Mata ashita ne. | See you tomorrow. (soft, friendly) |
| また明日な。 | Mata ashita na. | See you tomorrow. (casual, masculine) |
| うん、また明日。気をつけてね。 | Un, mata ashita. Ki o tsukete ne. | Yeah, see you tomorrow. Take care. |
| また明日、同じ時間にね。 | Mata ashita, onaji jikan ni ne. | See you tomorrow, same time. |
Leaving the office: otsukaresama deshita, mata ashita
In an office, the goodbye is a fixed sequence. First otsukaresama deshita, an acknowledgement of everyone's work that day; then, if you are leaving before others, o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu, excuse me for going first; and only then, optionally, mata ashita. The people staying answer with otsukaresama deshita, and often add mata ashita back to you.
To colleagues of similar rank, otsukaresama deshita, mata ashita is the natural pair and is said in one breath. To a manager, most people leave mata ashita out and let shitsurei shimasu carry the goodbye, or upgrade it to ashita mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu, which turns tomorrow into a polite request for continued cooperation. That version is also what you say on your first day when you meet the team.
The short form otsukare, without sama or deshita, is common between close colleagues and is casual. Do not use it with anyone senior, and do not use otsukaresama with a customer or client, who are thanked with arigatō gozaimashita instead.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お疲れ様でした。また明日。 | Otsukaresama deshita. Mata ashita. | Good work today. See you tomorrow. |
| お先に失礼します。また明日。 | O-saki ni shitsurei shimasu. Mata ashita. | Excuse me for leaving first. See you tomorrow. |
| 明日もよろしくお願いします。 | Ashita mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. | Looking forward to working with you tomorrow too. |
| お疲れ。また明日ね。 | Otsukare. Mata ashita ne. | Good work. See you tomorrow. (close colleagues) |
| お疲れ様です。また明日、九時に。 | Otsukaresama desu. Mata ashita, kuji ni. | Good work. See you tomorrow at nine. |
| 部長、お先に失礼いたします。 | Buchō, o-saki ni shitsurei itashimasu. | Chief, please excuse me for leaving first. |
To a teacher or at the end of a lesson
Leaving a classroom or finishing a private lesson has its own closing. The polite sequence is arigatō gozaimashita, thanking the teacher for the lesson, then shitsurei shimasu as you go. Mata ashita is fine to a teacher you see every day at school, especially if the teacher says it first, but it usually comes after the thank-you and not in place of it.
In a weekly lesson, tomorrow is the wrong word, so the time slides to raishū or the day of the next class: mata raishū mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Children at school say sensei, sayōnara, and teachers reply sayōnara, mata ashita, which is one of the few places sayōnara is still heard daily.
If the teacher says mata ashita to you, a good answer is hai, mata ashita, with a small bow. Echoing the phrase back is normal; you do not need to invent a new one.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ありがとうございました。失礼します。 | Arigatō gozaimashita. Shitsurei shimasu. | Thank you very much. Goodbye. (leaving a teacher) |
| 先生、また明日。 | Sensei, mata ashita. | See you tomorrow, sensei. |
| はい、また明日。 | Hai, mata ashita. | Yes, see you tomorrow. (echoing back) |
| また来週もよろしくお願いします。 | Mata raishū mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. | Looking forward to next week's lesson too. |
| 先生、さようなら。 | Sensei, sayōnara. | Goodbye, sensei. (school children) |
Ending a call or a chat
On the phone, the goodbye stretches out. A friend's call ends with jā, mata ashita ne, then a repeated ne or un as both sides wind down, and finally a soft bai bai or ja ne. A polite call ends with dewa, ashita yoroshiku onegai shimasu, followed by shitsurei shimasu, and the person who called usually hangs up second.
In text chat the phrase stays the same but is shorter: mata ashita, often with an emoji or a stamp doing the work of ne. In work chat, mata ashita follows a closing otsukaresama desu. When you are confirming a plan for the following day, add the time and place: ashita jūji ni eki de ne, ten tomorrow at the station.
Notice the tiny word dewa. It is the formal version of jā and it opens nearly every polite closing on the phone. Dewa, mata ashita is a complete, polite goodbye that works with anyone you are not on casual terms with.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| じゃあ、また明日ね。おやすみ。 | Jā, mata ashita ne. Oyasumi. | Okay, see you tomorrow. Night. |
| では、明日よろしくお願いします。失礼します。 | Dewa, ashita yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Shitsurei shimasu. | Then, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye. (polite call) |
| 明日十時に駅でね。 | Ashita jūji ni eki de ne. | Ten tomorrow at the station, okay? |
| では、また明日。 | Dewa, mata ashita. | Well then, see you tomorrow. (polite) |
| また明日連絡するね。 | Mata ashita renraku suru ne. | I'll message you again tomorrow. |
Changing the day: next week, Monday, soon
The word after mata is a slot, and almost any time word fits in it. Mata raishū, see you next week, is the usual closing for weekly classes and meetings. Mata getsuyōbi ni names the day; the ni is optional in casual speech and usual in polite speech. Mata asatte, see you the day after tomorrow, and mata raigetsu, see you next month, work the same way.
See you soon needs a slightly different word. Mata chikai uchi ni is the neutral form. Among friends, mata sugu ne, or simply mata ne with a warm tone, is what people actually say. If you do not know when you will meet, mata kondo, again some time, is the honest choice and is far more common than trying to name a day.
The table below lists the forms side by side. The Polite column shows the phrase you would say to a colleague or teacher, usually after otsukaresama deshita or arigatō gozaimashita.
| Meaning | Casual | Reading | Polite |
|---|---|---|---|
| See you tomorrow | また明日ね | mata ashita ne | では、また明日 |
| See you the day after tomorrow | また明後日 | mata asatte | では、また明後日に |
| See you on Monday | また月曜 | mata getsuyō | また月曜日にお願いします |
| See you next week | また来週 | mata raishū | 来週もよろしくお願いします |
| See you next month | また来月 | mata raigetsu | では、また来月 |
| See you soon | またすぐね | mata sugu ne | また近いうちに |
| See you some time | また今度 | mata kondo | またの機会に |
| See you at the meeting | また会議で | mata kaigi de | では、会議でお会いしましょう |
| See you tonight | また今夜 | mata kon'ya | では、今夜 |
| See you at the same time | また同じ時間に | mata onaji jikan ni | また同じ時間にお願いします |
Mata no kikai ni, at another opportunity, is the polite way to say see you some time when you are not sure you will meet again. It is also what people say after a job interview or a business meeting that may not lead anywhere.
Replying when someone says it to you
The easiest reply is the same phrase back, with a nod. Mata ashita answers mata ashita; otsukaresama deshita answers otsukaresama deshita. You can add a small wish for the journey home: ki o tsukete, take care, to a friend, or o-ki o tsukete to someone senior. If you will not in fact see the person tomorrow, say so lightly: a, ashita wa yasumi desu, ah, I'm off tomorrow, and offer the right day instead.
- To a friend: un, mata ashita ne. Ki o tsukete.
- To a colleague: otsukaresama deshita. Mata ashita.
- To a boss who says mata ashita: hai, ashita mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
- To a teacher: hai, arigatō gozaimashita. Mata ashita.
- If tomorrow is wrong: a, ashita wa yasumi na node, mata raishū ni.
- On the phone: hai, dewa mata ashita. Shitsurei shimasu.
Echoing is not lazy; it is the expected shape. Japanese goodbyes are exchanged in matching pairs, and a reply in a different register can sound like a correction.
Mistakes to avoid
The most common slip is saying mata ashita bare to a boss or a client. It is not rude in the sense of an insult, but it is the wrong shape: it skips the otsukaresama or the thank-you that a senior person expects first. The second is using sayōnara at work. It sounds final, like leaving for good, and adults mostly reserve it for school settings or long partings. The third is saying mata ashita when you will not meet tomorrow; use mata ne or mata kondo instead.
Learners also sometimes borrow the shape of see you tomorrow morning and produce ashita no asa ni aimashō, which is grammatical but stiff. Mata ashita no asa, or simply mata ashita with the time, is what a native speaker says.
- Bare mata ashita to a manager, client or teacher
- Sayōnara to colleagues at the end of a normal day
- Mata ashita to someone you will not see tomorrow
- Otsukare, the short form, with anyone senior
- Forgetting jā or dewa, so the goodbye starts abruptly
- Full sentences with aimashō where the short form is expected
If you get one of these wrong, do not restart the whole goodbye. Add the missing piece, such as a quick shitsurei shimasu, and leave with a nod. The recovery is more natural than a second attempt.