Chinese for Leaving Someone's Home: Farewell Phrases for Guests
Learn Mandarin phrases to say when leaving a friend's or host's home, including thanks for hosting and suggestions to meet again. Beginner level, simplified Chinese with pinyin.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In Mandarin Chinese, leaving someone's home after a visit calls for more than a simple 'goodbye.' Hosts often expect a brief expression of thanks and a friendly wish to meet again. This lesson teaches five key phrases for that moment. You will learn how to thank your host for having you, compliment the meal or time together, and propose a future get-together. All phrases use everyday polite language suitable for friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. Pay attention to the pinyin tone marks, and practice saying each phrase aloud. By the end, you will be able to end a home visit smoothly and warmly in Mandarin.
By the end, you can…
- thank a host for having me in Mandarin when leaving their home.
- suggest meeting again soon using a natural Chinese phrase.
- use two or three farewell phrases appropriately in a short departure conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
谢谢你的招待。
Thanks for having me. / Thanks for your hospitality.
Xièxie nǐ de zhāodài.
Use this as a direct thank-you to your host when you are about to leave. It works for a meal, an overnight stay, or a simple visit.
今天很开心。
I had a great time today. / Today was very enjoyable.
Jīntiān hěn kāixīn.
A warm, general compliment you can say while putting on your shoes or standing at the door. It focuses on your positive feeling, not on the host's effort.
下次再来。
I'll come again next time. / Let's do this again soon.
Xià cì zài lái.
Said by the guest to the host. It expresses your intention to visit again. Use it with friends and familiar hosts.
改天再聚。
Let's get together again another day.
Gǎitiān zài jù.
A friendly, slightly more social phrase. It can be used by either the guest or the host. It suggests meeting again without fixing a date.
我先走了，再见。
I'm heading off now, goodbye.
Wǒ xiān zǒu le, zàijiàn.
A natural way to announce your departure before the final goodbyes. '我先走了' softens the exit; '再见' is the standard goodbye.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A common pattern for thanking a host is 谢谢你的 + noun, meaning 'thank you for your + noun.' For example, 谢谢你的招待 (Xièxie nǐ de zhāodài) means 'thanks for your hospitality.' You can also use 谢谢你的晚饭 (Xièxie nǐ de wǎnfàn) for 'thanks for dinner.' To suggest meeting again, use 下次 (xià cì, 'next time') or 改天 (gǎitiān, 'another day') followed by a verb phrase, as in 下次再来 (xià cì zài lái, 'come again next time') or 改天再聚 (gǎitiān zài jù, 'get together another day'). The adverb 再 (zài) means 'again' and is very common in these farewell wishes.
When to use it
Use 谢谢你的招待 when you are the guest and want to thank your host directly. It fits both casual and somewhat formal home visits. Use 今天很开心 as a warm closing compliment, especially after a meal or a long chat. Use 下次再来 when you are the guest and plan to visit again; it is friendly and common among friends. Use 改天再聚 when you want to suggest a future meeting without setting a specific time. Finally, 我先走了，再见 is your practical exit line. Say it as you gather your things, then follow with one of the thank-you or see-you-again phrases.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
谢谢你的招待，今天很开心。
Thanks for having me, I had a great time today.Xièxie nǐ de zhāodài, jīntiān hěn kāixīn.不客气，欢迎下次再来。
You're welcome, you're welcome to come again next time.Bú kèqi, huānyíng xià cì zài lái.好的，改天再聚。我先走了，再见。
Okay, let's get together again another day. I'm heading off now, goodbye.Hǎo de, gǎitiān zài jù. Wǒ xiān zǒu le, zàijiàn.好，路上小心，再见。
Okay, take care on the way, goodbye.Hǎo, lùshang xiǎoxīn, zàijiàn.A little context goes a long way
In many Chinese-speaking contexts, a guest often offers a brief thanks and a wish to meet again rather than a long, emotional goodbye. Hosts may politely say 不客气 (bú kèqi, 'you're welcome') or 慢走 (màn zǒu, 'take your time leaving') as you go. The phrase 改天再聚 is usually a friendly gesture, not a firm appointment; if you want to set a date, follow up later with a specific time. Regional and family customs vary, so observe your host's cues.
One thing to watch for
Using 再见 (zàijiàn) alone as the whole farewell when leaving a host's home.
Try this instead: 再见 is correct as a final goodbye, but it does not express thanks or a wish to meet again. Add a host-focused phrase first, for example: 谢谢你的招待，再见。 (Xièxie nǐ de zhāodài, zàijiàn.) This thanks your host and then says goodbye.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are leaving a friend's home after dinner. Which phrase thanks your host for having you?
Show a sample answer
谢谢你的招待。 (Xièxie nǐ de zhāodài.)
This directly thanks the host for their hospitality. 今天很开心 is also a warm closing line, but it does not specifically say 'thanks for having me.'
2How would you suggest meeting again another day without setting a date?
Show a sample answer
改天再聚。 (Gǎitiān zài jù.)
This means 'let's get together again another day.' 下次再来 is also possible, but it emphasizes you will come again rather than a mutual get-together.
3What should you say right before the final goodbye to announce that you are leaving?
Show a sample answer
我先走了，再见。 (Wǒ xiān zǒu le, zàijiàn.)
This announces your departure and then says goodbye. You could also say 我先走了 and follow with a thank-you phrase, but this answer is complete and natural.
When leaving a Chinese-speaking host's home, thank them first, add a warm wish to meet again, then say your final goodbye. Keep it brief and friendly.
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