native
How do I say ‘long time no see’?
Completely natural as a greeting when you genuinely have not seen someone for a while.
好久不见
Long time no see.
LITERAL
A long time without seeing each other.
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS
Long time no see.
WHEN IT FITS
Greeting a friend, acquaintance, or former coworkerBoth spoken and written messagesUsually followed by a personal question or observation
Unlike many textbook expressions, 好久不见 is still normal everyday Chinese. The phrase itself is not the problem.
Native warmth comes from the next line: ask how the person has been, notice a change, or mention how long it has actually been.
HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY IT
好久不见，你最近怎么样？
Long time no see. How have you been lately?
Standard friendly reunion真的好久没见了，你一点都没变。
It really has been ages. You haven’t changed at all.
Warmer, more conversational reunionCHOOSE BY SITUATION
好久没见了
It’s been a long time since we met.
You want a more conversational sentence rather than a set greeting最近还好吗
Have you been doing okay lately?
Following up with genuine interest after the greeting