HSK 2 · Article · 212 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-goodbye-in-chinese

说一次再见

How to say goodbye in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中文zhōngwén的de“再见zàijiàn”，你nǐ会huì说shuō吧ba？在zài中国zhōngguó，说shuō一次yícì再见zàijiàn，能néng说shuō多duō长cháng时间shíjiān？

今天jīntiān，我wǒ的de老师lǎoshī来lái我家wǒjiā吃chī晚饭wǎnfàn。

晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn，老师lǎoshī站zhàn起来qǐlai说shuō：“我wǒ走zǒu了le。”

妈妈māma说shuō：“别bié走zǒu，再zài坐zuò一会儿yíhuìr吧ba！”老师lǎoshī就jiù坐下zuòxià了le。

九点半jiúdiǎnbàn，老师lǎoshī又yòu站zhàn起来qǐlai了le：“太tài晚wǎn了le，我wǒ先xiān走zǒu了le。”爸爸bàba说shuō：“再zài喝hē一yì杯bēi茶chá吧ba！”

十shí点diǎn，我们wǒmen都dōu到dào了le门口ménkǒu。妈妈māma说shuō：“慢走mànzǒu！”爸爸bàba说shuō：“有yǒu时间shíjiān再zài来lái！”我wǒ说shuō：“老师lǎoshī再见zàijiàn！”

老师lǎoshī笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“拜拜báibái！”

在zài中国zhōngguó，有人yǒurén要yào走zǒu了le，家里人jiālǐrén常常chángcháng说shuō“慢走mànzǒu”。要yào走zǒu的de人rén不bù说shuō“慢走mànzǒu”。

“拜拜”是shì从cóng英文yīngwén来lái的de，现在xiànzài很hěn多duō人rén都dōu说shuō。和hé朋友péngyǒu说shuō再见zàijiàn，还hái能néng说shuō“明天见míngtiānjiàn”。

十点十分shídiǎn-shífēn，门外ménwài有人yǒurén说shuō：“对不起duìbuqǐ，我wǒ的de手机shǒujī还hái在zài你们nǐmen家jiā！”是shì老师lǎoshī。

妈妈māma笑xiào了le：“那nà再zài坐zuò一会儿yíhuìr吧ba！”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
中文zhōngwénChinese (language)
再见zàijiàngoodbye; see you again
说shuōto speak; to say
中国zhōngguóChina
时间shíjiāntime (a point in time or an amount of time)
今天jīntiāntoday
老师lǎoshīteacher
来láito come
吃chīto eat
晚饭wǎnfàndinner; supper
晚上wǎnshangevening; night
九jiǔnine

English (for the teacher)

You know how to say “goodbye” in Chinese, right? 再见. In China, how long does one goodbye take?

Today my teacher came to our home for dinner.

At nine in the evening, he stood up and said, “I’m off.”

Mum said, “Don’t go yet, stay a little longer!” So he sat back down.

At half past nine, he stood up again. “It’s very late, I’ll be going.” Dad said, “Have one more cup of tea!”

At ten, we all got as far as the door. Mum said, “Take care!” (literally, “walk slowly”) Dad said, “Come again when you have time!” I said, “Goodbye, Teacher!”

My teacher smiled and said, “Bye-bye!”

In China, when a guest leaves, the family often says 慢走, “take care”. The person leaving doesn’t say it.

拜拜 comes from the English “bye-bye”, and lots of people say it now. With friends, you can also say 明天见, “see you tomorrow”.

At ten past ten, someone outside the door said, “Sorry, my phone is still at your place!” It was my teacher.

Mum laughed. “Then stay a little longer!”