Is it appropriate to say "Konbanwa" when ending a conversation?


I just talked with a Japanese speaker, and in ending the conversation I used
"Konbanwa" - as in good night. I was just wondering if that was appropriate
for ending a conversation as saying "good night" would be in English.




No, it isn't.

`今晩は{こんばんは}` is only used as a greeting when meeting someone, as the first
thing you'd say. Although it literally means `This evening`, it's not the
equivalent of `Good night` but rather of `Hello` / `Hi`.

To wish someone a good night you'd usually use `お休みなさい{おやすみなさい}` which
literally is an invitation to rest, so closer to saying `Have a good night` in
English. Note though, that this is more used before going to sleep.

When parting with someone, `また` appended with the next time you plan to see
them again (e.g. `また[明日]{あした}` for `See you tomorrow` or `また[来週]{らいしゅう}` for
`See you next week`) or casually just `またね` is simple and appropriate in an
informal setting. In a more formal setting, `[失礼]{しつれい}します` or any of its
variation is a great and polite way to say goodbye. These can be used any time
of the day (or night for that matter).




It would be awkward as Konbanwa is used when you make first contact with
someone, not when ending a conversation.

In Japanese, when you first greet/visit someone you usually use the following
three phrases depending on the time of day:

[code]

    Morning -> Ohayo gozaimasu
    Afternoon -> Konnichiwa
    Evening/Night -> Konbanwa
    
[/code]

Just note that they are **only** used when you first greet/visit someone,
which means they are not exactly the same as "Good morning/afternoon/night
(evening), as you can say those phrases when meeting and parting.

When parting, there are various sayings depending on the situation:

[code]

    Sayonara -> A bit formal. Usually used when you won't see someone for a while
    Mata-ne -> Less formal, probably someone you see often
    Ja-ne -> Casual, used with friends
    Bai-bai -> Not used by adult males. Usually small children or young girls used this.
    
[/code]

