久しぶり
hisashiburi[çi̥sa̠ɕibɯ̟ɾʲi]
In Japanese, "long time no talk" is expressed as 久しぶり (hisashiburi).
The phrase is a greeting used when speaking to someone for the first time after a long period of silence. While English distinguishes between seeing someone and talking to someone, the Japanese term covers any long interval since the last contact, whether the contact was in person, via phone or via text.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The level of politeness changes based on the suffixes and prefixes used. The short form 久しぶり is informal and used with friends, family or people of equal or lower social status. To make the phrase polite and suitable for acquaintances or superiors, you can add the prefix お and the suffix です to form お久しぶりです. For very formal situations, such as when expressing that you have been neglectful in contacting someone, you may use ご無沙汰しております. There are also formal ways to express specific sentiments, such as 久しぶりに連絡が取れて嬉しいです (I am glad to have been able to get in touch after a long time) or 久しぶりにお話できて光栄です (It is an honor to be able to talk with you after a long time).
How do you pronounce it?
hisashiburi
Did you know?
- While 久しぶり is used for people, Japanese has a different word, 久々, to describe doing an activity again after a long break, such as eating a favorite dish.
- The suffix ぶり can also be used to describe the manner or style of an action, such as the way a person speaks or dances.
- If you use the highly formal ご無沙汰しております, you are not just saying 'hello', but are actually apologizing for your lack of communication.
Examples in context
- 久しぶり！元気だった？Hisashiburi! Genki datta?Long time no talk! How have you been?
- 結衣さん、久しぶりですね。Yui-san, hisashiburi desu ne.Long time no talk, Yui.
- 久しぶり！最近どう？Hisashiburi! Saikin dou?Long time no talk! How's it going lately?
Example conversation
Yui and Yota run into each other at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui陽太くん、久しぶり！Yota-kun, hisashiburi!Yota, long time no talk!
- 陽太 Yota結衣ちゃん！久しぶりだね。Yui-chan! Hisashiburi dane.Yui! Long time no talk.
- 結衣 Yui本当に。元気だった？Hontou ni. Genki datta?Really. Have you been well?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、元気だよ。そっちは？Un, genki dayo. Sotchi wa?Yeah, I'm good. How about you?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 久しぶり, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
