再见: the standard goodbye
- Characters: 再见 (Traditional 再見). 再 means "again", 见 means "see".
- Pronunciation: zàijiàn, two falling fourth tones. See Chinese tones.
- Formality: polite enough for a teacher or a shop, fine with friends too.
- Written: it is also the usual sign-off at the end of a video or a class.
Ways to say goodbye
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 再见 (再見) ★ | zàijiàn | Goodbye | Any time, anyone |
| 拜拜 | bāibāi (often báibái) | Bye-bye | Casual; from English, very common |
| 回头见 (回頭見) | huítóu jiàn | See you later | Casual, same day |
| 一会儿见 (一會兒見) | yíhuìr jiàn | See you in a bit | When you will meet again soon |
| 明天见 (明天見) | míngtiān jiàn | See you tomorrow | Colleagues, classmates |
| 下次见 (下次見) | xià cì jiàn | See you next time | Open-ended |
| 我先走了 | wǒ xiān zǒu le | I’m heading off | Leaving work or a group |
| 晚安 | wǎn’ān | Good night | Late at night, before bed |
Any time word plus 见 makes a "see you…": 周末见 (see you at the weekend), 下午见 (see you this afternoon). In Taiwan, 拜拜 is often written 掰掰.
What hosts and friends say when you leave
The person staying behind often answers with a wish rather than a goodbye:
| Chinese | Pinyin | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 慢走 | màn zǒu | Walk slowly | Take care (host to a departing guest) |
| 路上小心 | lùshang xiǎoxīn | Careful on the road | Get home safe |
| 保重 | bǎozhòng | Look after yourself | Take care (before a long parting) |
| 一路平安 | yílù píng’ān | Peace all the way | Have a safe trip |
慢走 is only said by the one staying. A polite guest may answer 留步 (liúbù, "please don’t see me out") or simply 好，再见.
Ending a phone call
Phone calls often wind down with 好，那先这样吧 (hǎo, nà xiān zhèyàng ba: OK, let’s leave it there), then 拜拜 or 再见. You will also hear a quick run of 好好好，拜拜拜拜 as both people hang up.
Example sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 老师再见！ | Lǎoshī zàijiàn! | Goodbye, teacher! |
| 我先走了，明天见。 | Wǒ xiān zǒu le, míngtiān jiàn. | I’m off, see you tomorrow. |
| 好的，拜拜！ | Hǎo de, bāibāi! | OK, bye! |
| 慢走，路上小心。 | Màn zǒu, lùshang xiǎoxīn. | Take care, get home safe. |
| 一路平安，到了给我打电话。 | Yílù píng’ān, dào le gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà. | Safe trip, call me when you get there. |
| 晚安，明天见。 | Wǎn’ān, míngtiān jiàn. | Good night, see you tomorrow. |
How to reply
- 再见。 → 再见。 Just say it back.
- 拜拜。 → 拜拜。
- 明天见。 → 明天见。 or 好，明天见。
- 慢走。 → 好，再见。 or 留步。
- 路上小心。 → 好，谢谢。 (OK, thanks.)
Common mistakes
- Saying 慢走 when you are the one leaving. It is what the host says to you.
- Using 一路平安 for a walk home. It is for journeys; for the way home, say 路上小心.
- Treating 晚安 as "good evening". 晚安 is a goodnight before sleep. For hello in the evening, say 晚上好 or just 你好. See hello in Chinese.
- Leaving the office silently. A quick 我先走了 is the polite way to go before others.