Greetings
How to say “goodbye” in Chinese
“再见” (zàijiàn) is the standard goodbye in Chinese. It literally means “see again”. Among friends, “拜拜” (báibái) is very common, and you can add a time: “明天见” (see you tomorrow).
In Chinese
再见
zàijiàn
Goodbye
Other ways to say “goodbye”
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拜拜
báibái
Bye-bye
Casual, copied from english; very common among friends.
-
回头见
huítóu jiàn
See you later
Friendly and relaxed, popular in northern china.
-
明天见
míngtiān jiàn
See you tomorrow
Say it when you will meet again the next day.
-
一会儿见
yíhuìr jiàn
See you in a bit
When you will meet again soon.
Example sentences
-
再见,明天见!
zàijiàn, míngtiān jiàn!
Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
-
我先走了,拜拜。
wǒ xiān zǒu le, báibái.
I'm leaving first, bye-bye.
-
今天很开心,下次见。
jīntiān hěn kāixīn, xiàcì jiàn.
I had a great time today, see you next time.
How to reply
再见!
zàijiàn!
Goodbye!
Good to know
- “再见” can sound final if you will not see the person again, so with friends add the time or use “回头见”.
- “见” means to see or to meet: “见” alone is used after time words: 周一见 (see you Monday).
Questions about “goodbye” in Chinese
How do you say “goodbye” in Chinese?
“goodbye” in Chinese is “再见” (Goodbye). It is written in pinyin as zàijiàn. You can also say “拜拜”, “回头见”, “明天见”.
How do you pronounce “再见” in Chinese?
“再见” is pronounced zàijiàn. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “goodbye” in Chinese?
“拜拜” (Bye-bye): casual, copied from English; very common among friends. “回头见” (See you later): friendly and relaxed, popular in northern China. “明天见” (See you tomorrow): say it when you will meet again the next day. “一会儿见” (See you in a bit): when you will meet again soon.
How do you reply to “再见”?
A natural reply is “再见!” (Goodbye!).
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