# long time no see

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/long-time-no-see
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

I (or we) have not seen you for a long time.

## Examples

- Long time no see, how are you?
- Long time no see, do you still work at the library?
- I ran into an old classmate at the grocery store and said, long time no see.
- My former neighbor knocked on my door to return some mail and greeted me with a friendly long time no see.
- I saw my cousin at the wedding for the first time in a decade and shouted long time no see across the room.
- When my old boss walked into the coffee shop, I smiled and said long time no see before asking about his new business.
- After years of living in different cities, they embraced warmly and remarked, long time no see, before catching up on their lives.

## Origin

Uncertain. Possibly a calque of Cantonese 好耐冇見 /好耐冇见 (hou² noi⁶ mou⁵ gin³) or Chinese 很久沒見 /很久没见 (hěnjiǔméijiàn) or Chinese 好久不见 (hǎojiǔbùjiàn), comparable to no can do or chop-chop – if so, most likely US Chinatown origin, alternatively British Far East such as Hong Kong. Alternatively, native American origin, or native coinage as pidgin, particularly in cinematic portrayals of native Americans; compare language used by Tonto (1930s). (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.