好久不见

Learning Chinese: How to Say "Long Time No See" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 好久不见
Pinyin: hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn
Pronunciation: hao3 jiu3 bu4 jian4
English Translation: Long time no see

Usage:

"好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)" is a common Chinese phrase used to greet someone you haven't seen in a long time. It can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Example:

Chinese: 好久不见，李老师。
Pinyin: Hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn, Lǐ lǎoshī.
English: Long time no see, Teacher Li.

Variations:

There are a few variations of "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)" that you may hear:

• 好久不见啊 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn a): A more emphatic way to say "long time no see."
• 好久没见你了 (hǎo jiǔ méi jiàn nǐ le): Literally means "it's been a long time since I saw you."
• 别来无恙 (bié lái wú yàng): A more formal way to say "long time no see," literally meaning "everything has been well since we last met."

Tips for Learning:

• Practice saying "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
• Listen to native Chinese speakers saying "long time no see" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
• Use "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.

Additional Notes:

• "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)" is typically used when greeting someone you haven't seen in at least a few months.
• When responding to "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)," you can simply say "好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)" or add a brief update, such as "我很好，谢谢 (wǒ hěn hǎo, xiè xie)", which means "I'm doing well, thank you."