# How to say goodbye in Chinese URL: https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/goodbye-in-chinese/ Updated: 2026-11-05 Goodbye in Chinese is 再见 (zài jiàn). In everyday life you hear 拜拜 (bái bai, bye-bye) just as often. When you leave a shop, the owner usually says 慢走 (màn zǒu, take care). ## The phrase **再见！** (zài jiàn!): Goodbye! Pinyin is written the way the words are said, tone changes included, the same as in the game. ### What it means 再见 (zài jiàn) means “goodbye”. 再 (zài) is “again” and 见 (jiàn) is “see”, so it is close to “see you again”. You can say it to anyone, at any time of day. 拜拜 (bái bai) comes from the English “bye-bye”. It is more casual, and very common. Both are polite enough for shops and strangers. ### How to say it Say zài jiàn. Both syllables fall from high to low. Keep them short and firm. The game writes 拜拜 (bái bai) as bái bai: the first syllable rises and the second is short and soft. That is how most people say it. Other places may write bāi bai or bài bai, because people say it in different ways. ## When to use it ### Leaving a shop or stall After you pay and take your things, say 再见 (zài jiàn) or 拜拜 (bái bai) to the owner. They often answer 慢走 (màn zǒu) and ask you to come back. ### Saying goodbye to someone you met If you talked with someone in a park, on a train or at a shared table, 再见 (zài jiàn) is the polite way to end it. ### When you will meet again For “see you tomorrow”, put 明天 (míng tiān, tomorrow) in place of 再 (zài): 明天见 (míng tiān jiàn, see you tomorrow). ## Other ways to say it Other goodbyes from the game. - **拜拜！** (bái bai!): Bye-bye! - When: The casual goodbye, from English. Shop assistants, friends and young people say it all the time. - **明天见！** (míng tiān jiàn!): See you tomorrow! - When: Use it when you will meet the person again the next day. - **谢谢，再见！** (xiè xie, zài jiàn!): Thanks, goodbye! - When: A good way to leave after someone has helped you or served you. - **我要回酒店了。** (wǒ yào huí jiǔ diàn le.): I'm going back to the hotel. - When: Say it before you say goodbye, so the other person knows you are leaving. ## What people say back - **再见！** (zài jiàn!): Goodbye! - When: You leave a small shop after paying. - They may say: **慢走！** (màn zǒu!): Take care! (Word for word “walk slowly”. Shopkeepers say it to customers who are leaving. You do not need to answer. A nod or 再见 (zài jiàn) is nice.) - **再见！** (zài jiàn!): Goodbye! - When: You leave a breakfast stall in the morning. - They may say: **慢走啊，明天再来！** (màn zǒu a, míng tiān zài lái!): Take care, come again tomorrow! (A friendly habit. Nobody expects you to come back.) - **拜拜！** (bái bai!): Bye-bye! - When: You leave a tea shop in a mall. - They may say: **拜拜，下次再来呀！** (bái bai, xià cì zài lái ya!): Bye-bye, come again next time! - **再见！** (zài jiàn!): Goodbye! - When: You say goodbye to a child you met. - They may say: **再见！** (zài jiàn!): Goodbye! ## Common mistakes ### Saying “take care” back 慢走 (màn zǒu) is said by the person who stays to the person who leaves. Saying it back sounds odd. Answer 再见 (zài jiàn), 拜拜 (bái bai) or 谢谢 (xiè xie, thanks). ### Leaving without a word In a small shop or at a family meal, walking off without a goodbye can feel abrupt. A short 再见 (zài jiàn) at the door is enough. ### Thinking “bye-bye” is rude 拜拜 (bái bai) is fine for shops, drivers and neighbours. Staff say it to customers every day. ## Where it comes up in the game ### The breakfast stall After breakfast an auntie from the stall comes over. She tells you the mall nearby is fun and says 拜拜 (bái bai). You answer 再见 (zài jiàn) and head off. ### The metro platform The girl who asked for a photo with you says 再见 (zài jiàn) when she runs off. You say it back. ### Shops, drivers and an evening dance Shopkeepers, drivers and the dancers in the square say 慢走 (màn zǒu) as you leave. At the dance you say 我要回酒店了 (wǒ yào huí jiǔ diàn le, I’m going back to the hotel) when you want to go. ## Questions ### How do you say goodbye in Chinese? Goodbye in Chinese is 再见 (zài jiàn). 再 (zài) means “again” and 见 (jiàn) means “see”. In casual speech people also say 拜拜 (bái bai), from the English “bye-bye”. ### What does 慢走 mean? 慢走 (màn zǒu) means “take care” when someone leaves. Word for word it is “walk slowly”. Shopkeepers, hosts and drivers say it to the person who is leaving. You do not say it back. Answer 再见 (zài jiàn) or 谢谢 (xiè xie). ### Is 拜拜 a real Chinese word? 拜拜 (bái bai) is a real Chinese word. It comes from the English “bye-bye”. People of all ages use it every day in mainland China, in shops and with friends. ### How do you say see you tomorrow in Chinese? See you tomorrow in Chinese is 明天见 (míng tiān jiàn). 明天 (míng tiān) means “tomorrow” and 见 (jiàn) means “see”. ### How do you pronounce 再见? Say zài jiàn. Both syllables fall sharply from high to low, and neither one changes. ### Why do shopkeepers say “come again tomorrow” in Chinese? 明天再来 (míng tiān zài lái, come again tomorrow) is a friendly way for stall owners and small shops to say goodbye. You do not need to come back. ## Related pages - [How to say hello in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/hello-in-chinese/): The everyday greeting, why its first syllable rises, and the greetings people use in the morning, in the evening and with older people. - [How to say thank you in Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/thank-you-in-chinese/): The word for thanks, how its soft second syllable sounds, when to use it, and what people say back. - [How to say I speak a little Chinese](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/say/i-speak-a-little-chinese/): The modest answer to “can you speak Chinese?” and to praise, and how to say its tricky last three syllables. - [Chinese for travelling solo in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/solo-travel-in-china/): Eating alone, sharing a table, a lost phone, a stomach ache, and being asked “by yourself?”.