88: It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

An SMS and online spin on a contemporary form of farewell

Before your first visit to China you ask your Chinese-speaking friend for a quick lesson in Mandarin Chinese. She tells you:

“你好” ni hao.
Hello.

“谢谢” xie xie.
Thank you.

“再见” zai jian.
Goodbye.

After you arrive in Beijing, you are eager to start practicing the only three phrases you know with every Chinese person you meet. On your way to the Sanlitun bar district you get lost and have to stop to ask a Chinese college student for directions.

This is the conversation between YOU (Y) and the STUDENT (S):

Y: “nihao.”
S: “Oh, your Chinese is so good. Can I help you?” he says in broken English.
(You say “Sanlitun” and take out your Beijing city map. The student points to the Dongsishitiao subway stop on line 2)
Y: “xie xie.”
S: “bu yong xie (You’re welcome).”
Y: “zai jian.”
S: “BYE BYE”
Y: (Thinking to yourself) “Why did he say “bye bye?” I thought it was “zai jian?”

“Bye bye” has replaced “zaijian” as the more commonly used form of farewell among young Chinese people. It is also interesting to make note of the way “bye bye” (Chinese characters: 拜拜) is abbreviated both online and via text message.

To say goodbye to your Chinese friend using your mobile phone you can text the number 88.

The Chinese for the number 8 is 八, pronounced “ba”

Two ba’s together would then be “ba ba” which kind of sounds like “bye bye”.

Young Chinese women will often add the number six (六liu) because it sounds similar to the Chinese exclamatory particle “lou” and therefore sounds more cute: 886  = “拜拜喽”

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