English:
"Long time no see" is a greeting used when meeting someone after a long period. It is a direct calque of the Chinese phrase "好久不见" (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn). Unlike any other Chinglish phrase, this one has been fully absorbed into standard English — most native speakers have no idea it originated from Chinese Pidgin English.
中文:
"Long time no see" 是中文"好久不见"的直译。与其他中式英语不同,它已经完全融入了标准英语——大多数母语者根本不知道它源自中国洋泾浜英语。
The Oxford English Dictionary traces "long time no see" to Chinese Pidgin English, with the earliest recorded use found in W.F. Drannan's 1901 book "Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains." The phrase likely originated from Chinese immigrants in the United States in the late 19th century. It gradually entered mainstream American English through Western films and cowboy culture.
Source: Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "long time no see" (phr.). <a href="https://www.oed.com/dictionary/long-time-no-see_adv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.oed.com/dictionary/long-time-no-see_adv</a>
中文:牛津英语词典将"long time no see"追溯到中国洋泾浜英语,最早记录出现在1901年W.F. Drannan的书中。这个短语可能源于19世纪末在美国的中国移民,通过西部片和牛仔文化逐渐进入主流美式英语。
📌 Example 1
Meeting an old friend:
"Hey John! Long time no see! How have you been?"
"Mike! It's been years! I'm doing great!"
遇到老朋友:
"嘿约翰!好久不见!你还好吗?"
"迈克!好几年了!我挺好的!"
📌 Example 2
Running into a classmate:
"Wow, long time no see! It's been like five years!"
"I know! We should grab coffee sometime."
碰到同学:
"哇,好久不见!得有五年了吧!"
"是啊!改天一起喝咖啡。"
📌 Example 3
Email to an old colleague:
"Long time no see! Hope this email finds you well."
"I'll be in town next week, want to meet up?"
给老同事的邮件:
"好久不见!希望你一切顺利。"
"我下周到城里,想见个面吗?"
📌 Example 4
Caption on a reunion photo:
"Long time no see, old friends!"
"Some bonds never fade."
聚会照配文:
"好久不见,老朋友们!"
"有些感情永远不会淡去。"
📌 Example 5
In a store:
"Hey! Long time no see! I thought you moved away!"
"I did! Just visiting for the holidays."
在商店里:
"嘿!好久不见!我以为你搬走了!"
"是搬了!只是回来度假。"
📌 Example 6
Message on social media:
"Long time no see! I was just thinking about you."
"What a coincidence! I was about to message you too!"
社交媒体留言:
"好久不见!我刚刚还在想你。"
"太巧了!我正准备给你发消息呢!"
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