再见
zàijiàn
Goodbye · trad. 再見
再见 (zàijiàn) is the standard way to say goodbye in Mandarin Chinese — it literally means “see (you) again.”
What does 再见 (zàijiàn) mean?
再见 (zàijiàn) means “goodbye” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “again see.”
When to use it
Neutral and works everywhere. For a casual goodbye, 拜拜 (báibái, “bye-bye”) is extremely common, especially with friends or in texts. Be specific with 明天见 (míngtiān jiàn, “see you tomorrow”) or 回头见 (huítóu jiàn, “see you later”).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “dzai-JYEN.” Both syllables are falling tones: 再 zài, 见 jiàn.
Other ways to say it
- 拜拜báibáibye-bye (casual)
- 明天见míngtiān jiànsee you tomorrow
- 回头见huítóu jiànsee you later
Examples
再见，明天见！
Zàijiàn, míngtiān jiàn!
Goodbye, see you tomorrow!
老师再见。
Lǎoshī zàijiàn.
Goodbye, teacher.
好的，那我先走了，拜拜！
Hǎo de, nà wǒ xiān zǒu le, báibái!
Okay, I'll head off now — bye!
Pro tip: 拜拜 comes straight from English “bye-bye” and is the go-to casual sign-off in everyday and online chat.
Related phrases
明天见 · See you tomorrow基本问候语 · Basic greetings中国，你好！ · China hello
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