再見
tsài-kiàn
The English phrase "goodbye" is translated into Hokkien as 再見 (tsài-kiàn).
再見 is used to express farewell.
Meaning: farewell (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 再見 is composed of 再 meaning again and 見 meaning to see.
Which one should you use?
While 再見 is the standard way to express farewell, casual spoken Hokkien often uses the loanword 拜拜 or the phrase 掰掰 / Bāi-bāi to say goodbye.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
再見 is a more formal or standard way to say goodbye. In contrast, 掰掰 / Bāi-bāi, 拜拜 / Pai-pai and 拜拜 are informal and used in casual settings.
How do you pronounce it?
tsài-kiàn
Did you know?
- Instead of using 再見, Hokkien speakers often avoid a formal farewell by simply telling the other person to 'go eat' or asking if they have eaten.
- The informal Hokkien 拜拜 / Pai-pai is a phonetic loan from the English 'bye-bye', but it is also written with characters that typically mean 'to worship' or 'to pray'.
- A common way to end a conversation in Hokkien is to say 慢走, which literally means 'walk slowly' as a wish for the person's safety.
Example conversation
Two friends are parting ways after a meal.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun國強，今天很高興見到你。Kók-kiông, kim-á chin kó-hìng kiàn-kàu lí.Guoqiang, it was very nice to see you today.
- 國強 Kok-kiang我也很高興，曉雯。guá iā chin kó-hìng, Hiáu-bûn.I was happy too, Xiaowen.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun好，那我們再見！hó, nà lán tsài-kiàn!Okay, then goodbye!
- 國強 Kok-kiang再見，慢走。tsài-kiàn, mān tsáu.Goodbye, take care.
