您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
How to say "long time no see" in Chinese
好久不见
hǎojiǔ bújiàn
Long time no see
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
This is a fixed expression: 好久 (hǎojiǔ) means "a long time" and 不见 (bújiàn) means "not seen." Together they form a standard greeting.
Variations and politeness
好久没见
hǎojiǔ méi jiàn
Long time no see — More casual and colloquial.
很久不见
hěnjiǔ bújiàn
Very long time no see — More emotional or emphatic.
Mini dialogue
A
好久不见！
Hǎojiǔ bújiàn!
Long time no see!
B
是啊，好久没见了。
Shì a, hǎojiǔ méi jiàn le.
Yeah, it's been a while.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you meet someone you haven't seen for a long time.
- In both casual and formal settings, as a friendly greeting.
Avoid when
- When you see someone regularly; it would sound odd.
- When you want to say 'I haven't seen you for a long time' as a full sentence; Chinese uses this fixed phrase instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'long time no see' in Chinese?
You say 好久不见 (hǎojiǔ bújiàn).
How do you pronounce 好久不见?
It's pronounced hǎojiǔ bújiàn, with the tone change on 不 from bù to bú.
When do you use 好久不见?
Use it when you meet someone after a long absence, like a friend or colleague you haven't seen in a while.
More phrases for this situation
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