拜
拜

About

The word 拜拜 is formed by duplicating the character 拜, which is used purely for its phonetic value to mimic the sound of the English "bye-bye". This repetition creates a loanword for saying goodbye, where the characters' original meaning of "to worship" is irrelevant, and the doubled structure conveys a casual farewell.

Example Sentences Hide

宝宝和妈妈说拜拜。

Bǎobao hé māma shuō báibái.

The baby says bye-bye to mom.

他在电话里说了声拜拜就挂了。

Tā zài diànhuà li shuō le shēng báibái jiù guà le.

He said "bye-bye" on the phone and hung up.

我跟朋友们挥手告别，说了声拜拜。

Wǒ gēn péngyoumen huīshǒu gàobié, shuō le shēng báibái.

I waved goodbye to my friends and said bye-bye.

他们每次见面和分开时都会互相说拜拜。

Tāmen měi cì jiànmiàn hé fēnkāi shí dōu huì hùxiāng shuō báibái.

They always say bye-bye to each other every time they meet and part.

小时候，我以为说完拜拜第二天就能再见。

Xiǎoshíhou, wǒ yǐwéi shuō wán báibái dì èr tiān jiù néng zàijiàn.

When I was little, I thought after saying bye-bye, we would see each other again the next day.

Word Definition - 拜拜

bài bai (loanword) bye-bye; also pr. [bāi bāi] etc; (coll.) to part ways (with sb); (fig.) to have nothing further to do (with sb or sth); to pay one's respects by bowing with hands in front of one's chest clasping joss sticks, or with palms pressed together; (Tw) religious ceremony in which offerings are made to a deity

Individual Character Details

拜 bài
拜 bài