How to say goodbye

Is the word matane rude? If you say it to someone you just meet does it mean you don't like them?

"Mata ne" (literally "Till again" but) is like "See ya!" So it would not mean that you don't like that person, but it sounds very casual that it might take him/her by surprise :)

If you say '' Ja matane'' Its like saying ''Well then, see you later''

If your trying to be formal, I would try saying Sayonara

Sayonara is definitely the proper thing to use on a first time basis with someone. Mata ne is quite informal. Mata aimasho would be somewhere in between, wouldn't it?

with Sensei I always have to say "sayonara" and never "mata ne". Even though I'm going to see them again in a week, it's always "sayonara."

In other cases, sayonara is used to say good bye forever or for a very long time when it's amongst friends and the people close to you.

Between friends or casual meetings Ja ne is usually used, meaning a casual bye or see ya. Sayonara means goodbye but is usually used when you won't be seeing the other person for a long time or never again. Also when you need to be very formal. Mata ne means see you later. Being very casual (and slang as well lol) you can just say ja which loosely means bye or later.

"otsukaresamadesu" + shita (thanking people for their efforts) at the end of the day is the most common way of saying goodbye in the Japanese work place. The confusing one is the the way work culture uses otsukarasama as a greeting during the day after the initial ohaiyo-gozaimasu in the morning.You should try it with the Japanese people you know...they'll get a kick out of it.