The meaning and origin of the expression: Hasta la vista

Hasta la vista

The origin of 'Hasta la vista' - the short version

Hasta la vista, just meaning 'bye' or 'see you later' in Spanish, was brought to the public's attention after it became a catchphrase in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

The origin of 'Hasta la vista' - the full story

Although many Spanish speakers would use 'hasta luego' to say 'see you later', hasta la vista is also a way of saying goodbye.

This phrase has been in everyday use in Spanish-speaking countries for some time. It was used in the popular song Looking for a New Love, which was taken from Jody Watley's first album and released as a single in 1987:

My love was true
Still you threw it all away
But now you’re like the rest
Unworthy of my best
Hasta la vista, baby

'Hasta la vista, baby' came to the wider attention of the English-speaking world via the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, written by James Cameron and William Wisher Jr.

The phrase features in an exchange between the film's characters John Connor (Edward Furlong) and 'The Terminator' (Arnold Schwarzenegger):

John Connor: No, no, no, no. You gotta listen to the way people talk. You don't say "affirmative," or some s*** like that. You say "no problemo." And if someone comes on to you with an attitude you say "eat me." And if you want to shine them on it's "hasta la vista, baby."
The Terminator: Hasta la vista, baby.
John Connor: Yeah but later, dickwad. And if someone gets upset you say, "chill out"! Or you can do combinations.
The Terminator: Chill out, dickwad.
John Connor: Great! See, you're getting it!
The Terminator: No problemo.

'Hasta la vista' is sometimes misspelled as 'asta la vista'.