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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "long time no see" in Chinese?
好久不见
hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn
In Chinese, "long time no see" is 好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn).
Listen to the pronunciation:
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Pronunciation
When you say hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn, lead with "hǎo" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "jiǔ" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "bú" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "jiàn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Writing and usage
好久不见 is written using hanzi. It's a phrase, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
long time no see
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How to remember 好久不见
Say "hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn" and picture long time no see at the exact same moment — that snapshot is your anchor for the word.
Related words
- cheers 干杯
- what is this called 这叫什么
- how do you say this 你怎么说呢
- i would like to order 我想点餐
- is there a discount 有折扣吗？
- where can i buy tickets 我在哪里可以买票
- what time does it open 几点开门
- what time does it close 几点关门
- can i have the menu 我能要菜单吗
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 好久不见
How do you pronounce 好久不见?
When you say hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn, lead with "hǎo" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "jiǔ" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "bú" pushed upward like a question (second tone), then "jiàn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Is 好久不见 formal or casual?
好久不见 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 好久不见 used in Chinese?
好久不见 is used the same way as the equivalent English phrase. For example: (long time no see).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Long time no see" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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