v.
to say goodbye; to see again
再见
to say goodbye; to see again
Goodbye, literally 'see each other again' (再 = again, 见 = see).
Common Usage & Traps
- 说再见 — to say goodbye
- 跟朋友说再见 — to say goodbye to a friend
- 老师再见 — Goodbye, teacher
- 再见，明天见 — Goodbye, see you tomorrow
- 我先走了，再见 — I'm heading off, bye
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再见你再见 / 再见到你You can't glue the person onto 再见. For a plain farewell, say 再见. If you mean 'meet you again,' use 再见到你 inside a longer sentence.
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说再见你跟你说再见If you name the person, put 跟 or 和 before 说再见. 说再见 does not take the person right after it.
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再见老师老师再见The person or title usually comes before 再见. 再见老师 sounds like you are saying goodbye to a teacher who is not there.
Can you say 再见你 to mean 'see you again'?
No. 再见 is a complete goodbye, not a verb you can attach a person to.
In English, 'see you again' puts 'you' right after 'see', so learners try 再见你. But 再见 already works as a full farewell, and it does not take a person after it. If you mean 'meet you again' inside a longer sentence, use 再见到你, as in 我想再见到你. For a plain goodbye, just say 再见.
“再见。” (Goodbye.)
“再见。” (Goodbye.)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Plain goodbye | 再见。 | 再见你。 |
| Literal 'meet again' | 再见到你 | 再见你 |
| With the person named | 跟你说再见。 | 说再见你。 |
Is 再见 too stiff for WeChat, or should you use 拜拜?
再见 is safe everywhere. With close friends, 拜拜 sounds warmer and more casual.
Textbooks drill 再见 because it works with teachers, clients, and strangers. In real WeChat chats, close friends often type 拜拜 or just 拜. It is like the difference between 'goodbye' and 'bye' or 'later' in English. Use 再见 with coworkers, clients, teachers, and strangers. Use 拜拜 with friends, family, and casual group chats.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| With a client | 再见 | 拜拜 |
| With a close friend | 拜拜 | 再见 (stiff) |
| Group chat with friends | 拜拜 or 拜 | 再见 (formal) |
Do you say 老师再见 or 再见老师?
Say 老师再见. The person comes before 再见, not after it.
English puts goodbye first, as in Goodbye, teacher. Chinese often flips it: 老师再见, 妈妈再见, 王总再见. The person or title comes before 再见, like a quick call-out. Saying 再见老师 sounds like you are waving goodbye to a teacher who is not there.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Talking to a teacher | 老师再见。 | 再见老师。 |
| Talking to mom | 妈妈再见。 | 再见妈妈。 |
| Talking to your boss | 王总再见。 | 再见王总。 |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
Before you start learning Chinese, master the most important phrases: greetings. This short dialogue shows you how to say hello and goodbye, and how to respond politely.
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再见 !
In this dialogue, two people chat while waiting outside a cinema. You'll hear common phrases for talking about hobbies, sports, and movie preferences.
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再见 。
Before you read, close your eyes and imagine a rainy afternoon. This story uses simple HSK 1 words to show how rain can become a talking friend.
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再见 ！
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雨说： 再见 ！
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