When you’re talking to chinese online, it’s easy to say goodbye with “81.” Why? Well, in Chinese, 8 is ba, and 1 is yi. Put them together, and you have “bayi”, which sounds a lot like our “bye,” just cuter. You can also say, “881″ which translates to “BuhBye!”

(18:48:37) ?Random Friend: 81
(18:48:41) ?Random Friend: oh no
(18:48:45) ?Random Friend: bye
(18:48:48) ?Random Friend: I cant use 81
(18:48:52) Elliott Brook: what is 81?
(18:49:33) ?Random Friend: try to pronounce 81
(18:49:35) ?Random Friend: in chinese
(18:49:44) ?Random Friend: you’ve learned numbers right?
(18:49:45) Elliott Brook: AHHHH
(18:49:47) Elliott Brook: HAHAHAHA
(18:49:48) Elliott Brook: ba yi
(18:49:54) Elliott Brook: That’s hilarious
(18:50:06) Elliott Brook: It’s really ba shi yi, tho
(18:49:52) ?Random Friend: 81 sounds like ba yi
(18:50:08) ?Random Friend: so we usually say 81
(18:50:12) ?Random Friend: instead of bye
(18:50:20) ?Random Friend: you can use it to chinese
(18:50:34) ?Random Friend: they’ll be amazed
(18:50:45) ?Random Friend: and
(18:50:48) ?Random Friend: you can say
(18:50:48) ?Random Friend: 881
(18:50:51) ?Random Friend: byebye
(18:50:53) Elliott Brook: ba ba yi
(18:50:56) ?Random Friend: yes!
(18:50:58) ?Random Friend: ha

4 Responses to “Saying Goodbye in Chinese online”

1. cs says:

   11/13/2005 at 1:06 pm

   then what would 886 indicate in talking online?

   Reply
2. cs says:

   11/13/2005 at 1:13 pm

   then what would 886 translate

   Reply
3. timothy mercurio/mai jian ming says:

   12/2/2005 at 7:50 pm

   ni hao!

   hey whats up! hows it going peeps

   well actually instead of using the term 81! lol well type either zai jian! or 88

   these are most common infact when speaking formally to some one of chinese esp. those who are/live in china and is /would allso be respectable for both partys

   well.

   zai jian!

   remember though 88 is concidered bye in two different cultures/political view’s

   while 88 can stand for bye in chinese it is formal for the right wing/old/neo nazi party as a greeting and or to say bye

   Reply
4. timothy mercurio/mai jian ming says:

   9/5/2008 at 1:30 am

   its never 81 its allways 88 i know i live in mainland china

   http://www.myspace.com/timswebpage4foreigners

   btw orignally from boston ma. now live in china which is a whole lot better

   Reply