How to say “goodbye” in Chinese
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Two fourth tones in a row, so make each one a sharp, clean fall. Literally it means 'see (you) again'.
In a sentence
时间到了，再见！
Shíjiān dào le, zàijiàn!
Time's up, goodbye!
Hear it and say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio and scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "goodbye" in Chinese?+
"goodbye" in Mandarin Chinese is 再见, pronounced zàijiàn. Two fourth tones in a row, so make each one a sharp, clean fall. Literally it means 'see (you) again'.
What does 再见 mean literally?+
再见 breaks down as 再 (zài) = again, 见 (jiàn) = to see / meet. Together it means "goodbye".
How do I get the tones right in zàijiàn?+
Two fourth tones in a row, so make each one a sharp, clean fall. Literally it means 'see (you) again'.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index.