How to pronounce “Zai jian” (goodbye)

再见zài jiàn

Literally: again see.

❌ What English speakers usually say

“zye-JEE-an”, three syllables

✅ What to say instead

dzye-JYEN — two syllables, both falling; -ian sounds like the word “yen”

The shape of the word

Tap any syllable to hear it. The curve above each one is the tone you are aiming for.

Syllable	Tone	Practise it
再 zài	Fourth tone — sharp fall	zai — open drill →
见 jiàn	Fourth tone — sharp fall	jian — open drill →

How do you pronounce Zai jian?

Zai jian is 再见, zài jiàn — dzye-JYEN — two syllables, both falling; -ian sounds like the word “yen”. Literally it means again see.

What is the most common mistake with Zai jian?

“zye-JEE-an”, three syllables

Can you actually say it?

Reading a respelling is not the same as producing the tones. The free 2-minute check listens to you and shows which syllables land wrong.