好久不见 Long Time No See in Chinese

我wǒ在zài路上lùshang突然tūrán看见kànjiàn一个yí ge老lǎo同学tóngxué，我们wǒmen已经yǐjīng好久hǎojiǔ不见bú jiàn了le。

On the street I suddenly ran into an old classmate — we hadn't seen each other in ages.

他tā看见kànjiàn我wǒ，也yě很hěn高兴gāoxìng，我们wǒmen就jiù站zhàn在zài路上lùshang聊天liáotiān。

He was happy to see me too, and we just stood there on the street chatting.

我wǒ问wèn他tā：“你nǐ最近zuìjìn怎么样zěnmeyàng？还hái在zài那nà家jiā公司gōngsī工作gōngzuò吗ma？”

I asked him: "How have you been? Are you still working at that company?"

他tā说shuō：“我wǒ换huàn了le工作gōngzuò，现在xiànzài在zài一yì家jiā小xiǎo公司gōngsī做zuò经理jīnglǐ。”

He said: "I changed jobs — now I'm a manager at a small company."

我wǒ说shuō：“你nǐ还是háishi那么nàme瘦shòu，一点儿yìdiǎnr都dōu没méi变biàn。”

I said: "You're still just as thin — you haven't changed a bit."

他tā笑着xiàozhe说shuō：“你nǐ也yě一样yíyàng，还是háishi那么nàme爱ài笑xiào。”

He laughed and said: "You're the same too — still smiling all the time."

他tā还hái告诉gàosu我wǒ，他tā有yǒu两liǎng个ge孩子háizi，一个yí ge已经yǐjīng上学shàngxué了le。

He also told me he has two children, and the older one already goes to school.

我们wǒmen聊liáo了le很久hěnjiǔ，最后zuìhòu说shuō好hǎo以后yǐhòu要yào经常jīngcháng见面jiànmiàn。

We chatted for a long time, and in the end agreed to meet up often from now on.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

好久hǎojiǔa long time (as in 好久不见)

同学tóngxuéclassmate

公司gōngsīcompany

经理jīnglǐmanager

换huànto change; to switch

见面jiànmiànto meet

Grammar note 语法点

好久不见 (long time no see)

好久不见 is what Chinese speakers say when running into someone they haven't seen in a long time — 好久 means 'a long time' and 不见 means 'haven't seen each other'.

我们已经好久不见了。— We haven't seen each other in ages.

还是那么 + adj (still just as...)

还是那么 says someone or something hasn't changed — still just as [adjective] as before.

你还是那么瘦。— You're still just as thin.

一点儿都没 + verb (not even a little)

一点儿都 + 没 + verb emphasizes 'not even a little' — completely unchanged.

你一点儿都没变。— You haven't changed a bit.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What does 好久不见 literally mean and when do you say it?

2. What is the old classmate's new job?

3. What did the narrator notice hadn't changed about the friend?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.

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好久不见Hǎojiǔ bú jiànLong Time No See in Chinese

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 3 reading practice