🗣️ Say This Instead: “拜拜 / 回见 / 走了” (bàibài / huíjiàn / zǒu le)

Say goodbye the way native speakers really do.

📕 Textbook Chinese

再见。 (Zàijiàn.)

“Goodbye.”

This is one of the first phrases learners are taught.

But in real life, Chinese speakers don’t say it often.

“再见” is polite — but in real life, it often sounds formal and distant.

✅ Real Chinese

Try these instead:

• 拜拜 (bàibài) = Bye-bye (super common and casual)

• 回见 (huí jiàn) = See you later

• 走了 (zǒu le) = I’m off / I’m leaving

They’re casual, friendly, and sound much more natural.

💡When to Use Them

These are perfect for:

• Leaving a friend’s house

• Ending a chat with classmates

• Walking away from a group at school or work

• Wrapping up a phone or video call

If you want to sound natural and not like a textbook, use these instead of 再见 (zàijiàn).

🧱 Example Sentences

1.

A: 好了，我先走了！

(Hǎo le, wǒ xiān zǒu le!)

Alright, I’m heading off now!

👉 拜拜！ (Bàibài!)

Bye-bye!

2.

A: 我明天还来。

(Wǒ míngtiān hái lái.)

I’ll come again tomorrow.

👉 回见！ (Huí jiàn!)

See you again!

3.

A：你们慢聊，我走了！

(Nǐmen màn liáo, wǒ zǒu le!)

You all keep chatting, I’m off!

👉 好的，拜拜～ (Hǎo de, bàibài~)

Alright, bye-bye!

🤓 Why It Sounds Better

• These phrases are what locals actually say

• They feel casual, relaxed, and friendly

• They help you sound more fluent and less robotic

⚠️ Common Mistake

🚫 Saying “再见 (zàijiàn)” to friends or classmates every time. 

It’s not wrong, but it often sounds stiff or distant.

You’ll rarely hear native speakers use it in casual conversations. 

✅ Try these instead:

• 拜拜 (bàibài) – universal and light

• 回见 (huí jiàn) – polite and warm

• 走了 (zǒu le) – casual and confident

🏆 Quick Practice

Your friend says:

“我要走啦！”

(Wǒ yào zǒu la!)

I’m leaving now!

What would you say?

A. 再见。(Zàijiàn.)
B. 拜拜！(Bàibài!)

✅ Correct Answer: B

It’s friendly, real, and sounds just right.

✨ Final Thoughts

Ditch the textbook “再见 (zàijiàn)” in daily life.

Next time, try one of these:

💬 拜拜！ (bàibài)

💬 回见！ (huí jiàn)

💬 走了！ (zǒu le)

You’ll sound more like a native in no time.

📘 Want more like this? Check out the full blog series: Real-Life Chinese