Japanese: How to Say "Long Time No See" with お久しぶりです and 久しぶり
Learn the standard Japanese greeting お久しぶりです for reunions, the casual 久しぶり among friends, and how to add ぶり and ですね naturally in everyday conversation.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
The direct answer is お久しぶりです (o-hisashiburi desu). It is the standard polite way to say "long time no see" when you meet someone after a long gap. Between close friends, 久しぶり (hisashiburi) alone is common and natural. In this lesson you will learn both registers, how to add a follow-up question, and how to respond when someone greets you this way.
By the end, you can…
- greet someone I have not seen in a long time using お久しぶりです or 久しぶり.
- respond naturally and ask a follow-up question after a long-time-no-see greeting.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
お久しぶりです。
Long time no see. (polite)
o-hi-sa-shi-bu-ri-desu
Safe default with acquaintances, coworkers, teachers, or anyone you address politely. The お- prefix raises the tone slightly; です makes it a complete polite sentence.
久しぶり。
Long time no see. (casual)
hi-sa-shi-bu-ri
Use with close friends, family, or people you normally speak to casually. Dropping お and です is not rude in this register; it simply matches an informal relationship.
お久しぶりですね。
It's been a long time, hasn't it?
o-hi-sa-shi-bu-ri-desu-ne
Adding ね invites agreement and softens the greeting. Useful when you want the other person to respond rather than just acknowledge you.
久しぶりじゃん。
Hey, long time no see. (very casual)
hi-sa-shi-bu-ri jan
じゃん is a casual sentence-ending particle common in informal speech, especially in the Kantō region. Use only with people you know well; it sounds friendly, not formal.
お元気でしたか。
Have you been well?
o-gen-ki-deshi-ta-ka
A natural follow-up after お久しぶりです. The past tense でしたか asks about the period since you last met, which fits the reunion context.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core word is 久しぶり (hisashiburi), which describes a long interval since the last time. Add お- and です for politeness: お久しぶりです。 For a softer, shared feeling, add ね: お久しぶりですね。 In casual speech, use 久しぶり by itself, or extend it with a particle such as 久しぶりじゃん or 久しぶりだね. The pattern does not change with the length of time; it works for weeks, months, or years. To ask a follow-up, combine it with a question: お久しぶりです。お元気でしたか。
When to use it
Choose お久しぶりです when you are unsure about the relationship or when the setting is formal, such as an office, a class reunion with a former teacher, or a first meeting after a long absence. Choose 久しぶり with close friends and family. If someone greets you first, you can reply with the same phrase plus a short answer: お久しぶりです。元気です。 A common natural reply is こちらこそ、お久しぶりです, meaning "Likewise, long time no see." Avoid using お久しぶりです with very close friends if you normally speak casually; it can sound distant, though it is not grammatically wrong.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
あ、田中さん、お久しぶりです。
Oh, Tanaka-san, long time no see.a, ta-na-ka-san, o-hi-sa-shi-bu-ri-desuこちらこそ、お久しぶりです。お元気でしたか。
Likewise, long time no see. Have you been well?kochira koso, o-hi-sa-shi-bu-ri-desu. o-gen-ki-deshi-ta-kaはい、元気です。田中さんもお元気そうですね。
Yes, I'm well. You look well too, Tanaka-san.hai, gen-ki-desu. ta-na-ka-san mo o-gen-ki sō-desu neありがとうございます。またお会いできてうれしいです。
Thank you. I'm glad we could meet again.a-ri-ga-tō go-zai-masu. ma-ta o-ai de-ki-te u-re-shii-desuA little context goes a long way
Register matters more than the literal words. お久しぶりです is the safe polite choice in most public situations, while 久しぶり signals closeness. Japanese speakers often pair the greeting with a light bow and a follow-up about the other person's well-being. The particle ね after ですね invites shared feeling, so it can make a reunion warmer. If you are unsure which level to use, start with お久しぶりです and switch to casual only if the other person does.
One thing to watch for
Using お久しぶりです with a close friend in a casual setting and sounding distant.
Try this instead: With close friends, 久しぶり or 久しぶりだね is usually more natural. For example, say 久しぶり！元気だった？ rather than お久しぶりです。元気でしたか。 Both are grammatically correct, but the casual version matches the relationship.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You meet your former teacher at a reunion. Which greeting is the best default?
Show a sample answer
お久しぶりです。
This is the polite standard and fits a former teacher. 久しぶり is also possible if you had a very casual relationship, but お久しぶりです is the safer choice.
2Your close friend says 久しぶり！ How can you reply naturally?
Show a sample answer
久しぶり！元気だった？
Matching the casual register is natural here. お久しぶりです would be grammatically fine but may sound too formal for a close friend.
3How do you add a follow-up question to お久しぶりです?
Show a sample answer
お久しぶりです。お元気でしたか。
The past tense でしたか asks about the time since you last met. お元気ですか is also possible, but it asks about the present rather than the interval.
Use お久しぶりです as your polite default for "long time no see," and 久しぶり with close friends. Add ね for warmth and a follow-up question to keep the reunion going.
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