hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3好耐冇见
Jyutpinghou2 noi6 mou5 gin3
Yalehóu noih móuh gin
Definition
Long time no see; I have not seen you in a long time.
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
Used as a standard greeting when encountering someone you have not interacted with for a significant period. It functions as a complete sentence or an opening phrase, often followed by a question about the other person's recent life. While it translates directly to the English idiom, it feels much more natural and warm in a Cantonese social context.
Related words
Common phrases
Haven't seen you in so long!
Common mistake
Do not use this phrase with people you see every day or even every week, as it implies a genuine lapse in contact. It is also not appropriate for formal business introductions where a more polite or professional greeting should be used instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
