Mandarin Monday: Five Ways to Bid Someone Adieu in Mandarin

Mandarin Monday is a weekly column where – similar to our Mandarin Month series earlier this summer – we help you improve your Chinese by detailing fun and practical phrases and characters. Have a Mandarin related tip? Feel free to let the author know at the contact info below.

As summer winds down and the cooler weather sets in, many of our friends are departing Beijing to start their studies in new locales, or deciding to finally take the plunge and make a career move or change. If one of your Chinese friends is about to embark on such a new path elsewhere, here are a few handy phrases you can use to wish them all the best.

祝你好运 (zhù nǐ hǎo yùn, wish you good luck)
The website Mandarin Me has a comprehensive basic lesson about wishing someone well in Chinese. This phrase is useful because it, of course, not only applies to fond farewells but also to nearly any situation where you want to show a pal some support and wish them good luck. The website also has a useful audio stream, to help you get the pronunciation down pat.

旅途愉快! (lǚtú yúkuài, have a good trip!)
Rocket Languages is another website with a list of useful Mandarin phrases and an audio tab for anyone concerned about pronunciation. This list is less specific and essentially covers several basic phrases, but several of them do pertain to this topic of seeing your friend off.

 一路平安 (yílù píngān, have a safe journey)
After your friend has packed their bags and is ready to go, this phrase can be one of the simplest, and also most applicable, things to say. The website Standard Mandarin has several useful notes on this phrase, including a short and sweet explanation and, for the Chinglish curious, a literal translation ("whole way peace"). Phrases that fall into several other categories are conveniently listed in the left margin, including "asking directions," "in an airport," and more.

一帆风顺 (yī fān fēng shùn, may you have smooth sailing)
This phrase is a bit more advanced and eloquent, and is sure to bring a sentimental tear to your friend's eye as you say your goodbyes and they leave for the departure gate. It is listed as part of "35 Ways to Wish Someone Well in Chinese" on a blog called The China Culture Corner. While this "smooth sailing" phrase is easily our favorite of the bunch on Culture Corner (because it's so succinctly classy), the entire list is worth a look, in part because it is divided into comprehensive categories like "wishing business success" and "wishing a long life."

再联系 (zài lián xì, let’s stay in touch)
Lastly, perhaps the most useful goodbye phrase of all on this list, courtesy of Fluentu. We like it best because it'll end your farewell on a positive, upbeat note, rather than leaving your both feeling melancholy. Fluentu's list has a range of other goodbye phrases, though most of them are better for short term partings, such as 有空再聊 (yǒu kòng zài liáo, when you’re free, let’s chat again); 明天见 (míng tiān jiàn, see you tomorrow); and the cutest and easiest to use of all: 拜拜啦! (bài bài la, Bye bye!).

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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