好久不见

§ What does it mean?

DEFINITION

好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn) literally translates to "good long not see." In English, this means "long time no see." It's an interjection, which means it's a short, sudden remark, often used at the beginning of a conversation to express a feeling or reaction.

So, when you haven't seen someone for a while, you can use this phrase to greet them. It's a very common and natural way to start a conversation in Chinese after a period of absence.

Translation hint: "Long time no see! How have you been recently?"

§ When do people use it?

You use 好久不见 when you meet someone you haven't seen for a significant amount of time. This could be weeks, months, or even years. There's no strict rule about how long the absence has to be, but it implies a noticeable gap.

It's generally used in informal settings among friends, family, and acquaintances. While it's not strictly incorrect to use it in a more formal situation, it might sound a bit too casual. For instance, you wouldn't typically use it when addressing a very senior business partner you've only met once before, unless you have a very friendly rapport.

• Meeting a friend you haven't seen since high school.
• Greeting a relative you haven't seen since the last family gathering.
• Seeing a former coworker after they left the company.

Here's another example:

Translation hint: "Teacher Wang, long time no see! You look really good." (Note: using "您" (nín) is a polite way to address someone older or in a position of respect, even with the casual phrase "好久不见").

The key is the genuine feeling of having not seen someone for a noticeable period. It immediately sets a friendly and familiar tone for the conversation.

§ What 好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn) means

Definition

long time no see

You use 好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn) when you haven't seen someone in a while. It's a very common and friendly greeting in Chinese.

§ How to use it in a sentence

好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn) is an interjection, which means it can stand alone as a complete sentence. You can simply say it when you encounter someone you haven't seen for a long time.

Translation hint: Long time no see! How have you been recently?

You can also combine it with other phrases to make your greeting more elaborate, but it usually comes at the beginning of the sentence.

Translation hint: Ah, it's you! Long time no see!

You can use it with friends, family, and colleagues. It's generally appropriate for most informal and semi-formal situations. For very formal situations, you might opt for something like “久仰大名 (jiǔ yǎng dà míng)” which means “I've long admired your reputation,” but that's much more formal and less common in daily life.

Here are some common responses you might hear after saying 好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn):

• 是啊，好久不见！(Shì a, hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn! - Yes, long time no see!)

• 你最近忙什么呢？(Nǐ zuìjìn máng shénme ne? - What have you been busy with lately?)

• 一切都好吗？(Yīqiè dōu hǎo ma? - Is everything good?)

Let's look at a longer dialogue example:

Translation hint: A: Lili! Long time no see!

Translation hint: B: Yes, Xiaoming! How have you been lately?

Translation hint: A: I'm good, and you?

Sometimes you might see it with an extra '了 (le)' at the end, like '好久不见了 (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn le)'. This '了 (le)' often indicates a change of state or a completed action. In this context, it simply emphasizes that it *has been* a long time since you last saw each other. Both are correct and commonly used.

Translation hint: Long time no see, you've gotten thin!

§ The Basics of 好久不见

You're learning Chinese, and you want to sound natural. This phrase is a must-have for everyday conversations. It's super common, and you'll hear it all the time. Let's break it down.

Word

好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn)

Part of Speech

Interjection

CEFR Level

A2

Definition

Long time no see.

Simple, right? It's used just like its English counterpart. You say it when you meet someone you haven't seen in a while.

§ Real-World Usage: Work, School, News

You're going to hear 好久不见 in a lot of different situations. It's a versatile phrase. Here's where you'll most likely encounter it.

• Meeting old friends: This is the most common scenario. Running into a friend you haven't seen in months? This is your go-to phrase.
• Work colleagues: If you've been on vacation or a business trip and you see a colleague for the first time in a while, it's appropriate.
• Schoolmates/Teachers: After a holiday break or if you bump into an old teacher, you can use it.
• Casual encounters: Even with people you know casually, like a neighbor you haven't seen in a bit, it works.

It's generally used in informal or semi-formal settings. You wouldn't typically use it with someone you're meeting for the very first time, or in a very formal business meeting with a new client. It implies a previous relationship.

Translation hint

A: Long time no see! How have you been recently?
B: I'm good, and you?

This is a classic exchange. You say 好久不见, then usually follow up with a question about how the person is doing.

Translation hint

We all moved, so long time no see.

Here, it's used to explain why there's been a gap in seeing each other. It's part of a sentence rather than just a standalone interjection, which is also common.

Translation hint

The last time you came to China was two years ago, it's really been a long time no see!

You can add words like 真是 (zhēn shì), meaning 'really', to emphasize how long it's been. This makes your Chinese sound more expressive.

§ Don't translate word-for-word

Many English speakers learning Chinese try to translate directly. While "好久不见" (hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn) literally means "good long no see," you shouldn't try to break down every Chinese phrase into individual characters. This phrase is a set expression, and it's best learned as a complete unit.

§ Using it in formal situations

"好久不见" is quite casual. It's perfect for friends, family, or colleagues you know well. However, it's generally not appropriate for very formal settings, like meeting a high-ranking official or someone you want to show great respect to for the first time in a long time. In such cases, a more formal greeting or a slightly different phrasing might be better, or you can pair it with other polite expressions. For example, if you're meeting an older person you haven't seen in a while, you might say "您好，好久不见了" (Nín hǎo, hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn le - Hello, long time no see, adding 'le' for emphasis and politeness). But generally, stick to people you have a more relaxed relationship with.

Wrong

对不起，王教授，好久不见。(Duìbuqǐ, Wáng jiàoshòu, hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn. - Excuse me, Professor Wang, long time no see.)

Right

王教授，您好！很久没见到您了。(Wáng jiàoshòu, nín hǎo! Hěn jiǔ méi jiàndào nín le. - Professor Wang, hello! It's been a long time since I saw you.)

§ Forgetting the "le" particle

Often, Chinese speakers add "了" (le) at the end of "好久不见" to emphasize that the state of "not seeing" has continued for a long time and implies a change (now you are seeing each other again). While "好久不见" is perfectly fine on its own, adding "了" can make it sound more natural and complete, especially in spoken Chinese.

The "了" particle here indicates a completed action or a change of state. In this case, the long period of not seeing each other has now ended. While omitting "了" won't make your sentence incorrect, including it often sounds more native and natural.

§ Using it when you've just seen someone

This one might seem obvious, but it's a mistake some beginners make. "好久不见" is specifically for when you haven't seen someone for a *long* time. It doesn't make sense to use it if you saw them yesterday or last week.

• Don't use it if:
• You just spoke to them on the phone.
• You saw them a few days ago.
• You live with them!

It needs to be a noticeable period of absence for the phrase to be appropriate. How long is "long"? There's no strict rule, but generally, it implies weeks, months, or even years, not just a few days.

§ Not following up with a question

Saying "好久不见" is often just the start of a conversation, not the entire conversation itself. It's a natural lead-in to asking how the other person has been. Native speakers almost always follow it up with a question like "你最近怎么样？" (Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng? - How have you been recently?) or "过得好吗？" (Guò de hǎo ma? - Are you doing well?). Just saying "好久不见" and then stopping can feel a bit abrupt or incomplete.

§ What '好久不见' Means

Word

好久不见

Pronunciation

hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn

Part of Speech

Interjection

Definition

Long time no see

When you haven't seen someone for a while, 好久不见 is the perfect phrase to use. It's a very common and natural way to express that you've missed someone's presence.

§ Examples of '好久不见' in Use

Long time no see! How have you been recently? (Used when greeting a friend you haven't seen in a while.)

We all said, 'long time no see'. (Referring to a collective greeting.)

Wow, it's really been a long time! (Expressing stronger emphasis.)

§ Similar Phrases and When to Use Them

While 好久不见 is your go-to for 'long time no see', let's look at some related phrases and when you might use them instead.

• '很久没见了' (hěn jiǔ méi jiàn le): This literally means 'haven't seen for a long time'. It's very similar to 好久不见 and can often be used interchangeably. However, 好久不见 is generally more common as a direct greeting.

We haven't seen each other for a long time, how about having dinner together today?

• '近来可好?' (jìn lái kě hǎo?): This is a more formal way of asking 'How have you been lately?' It's not a direct equivalent of 'long time no see' but can follow it, especially in more polite or older contexts.

Long time no see, how have you been lately?

• '最近怎么样？' (zuì jìn zěn me yàng?): This means 'How have you been recently?' or 'What's up lately?'. It's a very general and common follow-up question after 好久不见, but not a replacement for it.

Long time no see! How have you been recently?

§ When to Use '好久不见'

好久不见 is appropriate for almost any situation where you are greeting someone you haven't seen for a significant period. This includes:

• Friends you run into unexpectedly.
• Family members you haven't seen in a while.
• Colleagues after a long holiday or leave.
• Acquaintances at social gatherings.

It carries a friendly and warm tone. You don't need to worry about it being too formal or informal; it's universally accepted and understood in most contexts.

In summary, stick with 好久不见 as your primary phrase for 'long time no see'. It's concise, common, and clear. While alternatives exist, they often serve slightly different purposes or are used in conjunction with 好久不见 rather than replacing it entirely.