Yuliya Geikhman
Last updated:
Say I Miss You in Chinese with 11 Heartfelt Expressions
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.
But telling someone “I miss you” in Chinese can make your language skills grow stronger!
Learn some common—and some poetic—ways to tell someone that you’re thinking of them and missing them in Chinese.
Contents
- How to Say “I Miss You” in Chinese
-
- 我想你 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ) — I think of you
- 我好想你 (wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ) — I miss you so much
- 我想念你 (wǒ xiǎng niàn nǐ) — I think of you with fondness and yearning
- 我思念你 (wǒ sī niàn nǐ) — I think of you with deep affection and longing
- 我念(着)你 (wǒ niàn (zhe) nǐ) — I think of you (in my heart)
- 我很想见到你 (wǒ hěn xiǎng jiàn dào nǐ) — I really want to see you.
- 我离不开你 (wǒ lí bù kāi nǐ) — I can’t live without you
- 我记挂你 (wǒ jì guà nǐ) — I keep you in my mind
- 我对你朝思暮想 (wǒ duì nǐ zhāo sī mù xiǎng) — I think of you morning and evening
- 我把你放在心上 (wǒ bǎ nǐ fàng zài xīnshàng) — I put you in my heart
- 我每天都在数着日子盼望和你见面 (wǒ měi tiān dōu zài shǔ zhe rì zi pàn wàng hé nǐ jiàn miàn) — I’m counting down the days until I can see you again
- How to Respond to “I Miss You” in Chinese
- And One More Thing...
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How to Say “I Miss You” in Chinese
我想你 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ) — I think of you
This is the most common and direct way to say “I miss you.” It literally translates to “I think of you,” but the meaning conveys longing and missing someone’s presence.
You can add more context to your sentence to describe what you miss about the person. For example, 我想你的笑声 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ de xiào shēng) means “I miss your laughter.”
Examples:
我每天都想你。 (wǒ měi tiān dōu xiǎng nǐ.) — I miss you every day.
Find even more examples of this phrase (and many other phrases and vocabulary words) in use naturally on the FluentU program.
我好想你 (wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ) — I miss you so much
To express stronger feelings of missing someone, you can add the adverb 好 (hǎo) before 想, to convey a stronger sense of missing someone.
Examples:
我好想你，恨不得马上见到你。 (wǒ hǎo xiǎng nǐ, hèn bùdé mǎshàng jiàn dào nǐ.) — I miss you so much, I can’t wait to see you soon.
我想念你 (wǒ xiǎng niàn nǐ) — I think of you with fondness and yearning
This is a more poetic way to say “I miss you” in Chinese. It literally translates to “I think of you with longing,” which conveys a more intense and lasting feeling of missing someone. The phrase is often used in romantic relationships, but it can also be used to express missing a friend, family member or even a pet.
Examples:
我在异乡时，经常想念你。 (wǒ zài yì xiāng shí, jīng cháng xiǎngniàn nǐ.) — When I was abroad, I often missed you.
我一直在想念你，希望能早日再见到你。 (wǒ yì zhí zài xiǎng niàn nǐ, xī wàng néng zǎo rì zài jiàn dào nǐ.) — I’ve been thinking of you all the time, and I hope to see you again soon.
我思念你 (wǒ sī niàn nǐ) — I think of you with deep affection and longing
This phrase is a more formal way to say “I miss you” in Chinese. It’s generally considered to be more elegant and dignified and is often used in written communication or when speaking to elders or people in authority.
Example:
我思念你，就像思念故乡一样。 (wǒ sī niàn nǐ, jiù xiàng sī niàn gù xiāng yí yàng.) — I miss you as much as I miss my hometown.
我思念你，我的亲人。 (wǒ sī niàn nǐ, wǒ de qīn rén.) — I miss you, my loved ones.
我念(着)你 (wǒ niàn (zhe) nǐ) — I think of you (in my heart)
This phrase has a more nuanced meaning than a simple “I miss you.” It can also be used to express longing, love or even obsession.
The word 念 (niàn) has a wide range of meanings, including “to think,” “to remember,” “to miss,” “to long for” and “to love.” In the context of 我念(着)你, the word 念 is usually interpreted as a combination of “to think of” and “to miss.”
Example:
我工作的时候也经常想着你。 (wǒ gōng zuò de shí hòu yě jīng cháng xiǎng zhe nǐ.) — I often think of you even when I’m working.
我很想见到你 (wǒ hěn xiǎng jiàn dào nǐ) — I really want to see you.
This is a simple and straightforward way to express your desire to be reunited with someone you miss. It emphasizes the desire to see the person again.
Examples:
我很想见到你，我们什么时候能见面？ (wǒ hěn xiǎng jiàn dào nǐ, wǒmen shénme shíhòu néng jiànmiàn?) — I really want to see you, when can we meet?
我很想见到你，我们一起去看电影吧。 (wǒ hěn xiǎng jiàn dào nǐ, wǒ men yì qǐ qù kàn diàn yǐng ba.) — I really want to see you, let’s go watch a movie together.
我离不开你 (wǒ lí bù kāi nǐ) — I can’t live without you
This is a strong and emotional way to express your dependence on or attachment to someone. It’s a more powerful way to communicate your feelings of missing someone, most often in a romantic relationship.
Example:
我离不开你，你就像我的空气一样重要。 (wǒ lí bù kāi nǐ, nǐ jiù xiàng wǒ de kōng qì yí yàng zhòng yào.) — I can’t live without you, you are as important as air to me.
我记挂你 (wǒ jì guà nǐ) — I keep you in my mind
This phrase can be used in a variety of contexts, such as when you are thinking about someone who is far away, or when you’re missing someone who isn’t with you. It can also be used in a more general sense to express your care or concern for someone.
Example:
我在忙的时候也会记挂你，希望你一切顺利。 (wǒ zài máng de shí hòu yě huì jì guà nǐ, xī wàng nǐ yí qiè shùn lì.) — I still think of you even when I’m busy, I hope everything is going well for you.
我记挂你，希望你能早日回来。 (wǒ jì guà nǐ, xī wàng nǐ néng zǎo rì huí lái.) — I miss you, I hope you can come back soon.
我对你朝思暮想 (wǒ duì nǐ zhāo sī mù xiǎng) — I think of you morning and evening
This phrase can be used to convey gentle longing, physical absence or deeper emotions like concern and worry.
It’s a relatively formal phrase, suitable for most situations and slightly less intense than other ways of saying you miss someone. This makes it a versatile and emotionally rich way to express missing someone in Chinese.
Examples:
我对你朝思暮想，一刻也忘不了你。 (wǒ duì nǐ zhāo sī mù xiǎng, yí kè yě wàng bù liǎo nǐ.) — I think of you constantly, I can’t forget you for a moment.
我一直记挂着你，希望你一切都好。 (wǒ yì zhí jì guà zhe nǐ, xī wàng nǐ yí qiè dōu hǎo.) — I’ve been thinking of you all the time, I hope you’re doing well.
我把你放在心上 (wǒ bǎ nǐ fàng zài xīnshàng) — I put you in my heart
This literally translates to “I put you in my heart” and is a way to express your love, care and concern for someone. It expresses that the person you’re talking to holds a special place in your heart.
In a romantic relationship, it can be a very intimate and loving expression, but in a family or friendly relationship, it’s a heartfelt way to show your support and care.
Examples:
我把你放在心上，你是世界上我最爱的人。 (wǒ bǎ nǐ fàng zài xīn shàng, nǐ shì shì jiè shang wǒ zuì ài de rén.) — I put you in my heart, you are the one I love most in the world.
我把你放在心上，祝你一切都好。 (wǒ bǎ nǐ fàng zài xīn shàng, zhù nǐ yí qiè dōu hǎo.) — I put you in my heart, I hope you’re doing well.
我每天都在数着日子盼望和你见面 (wǒ měi tiān dōu zài shǔ zhe rì zi pàn wàng hé nǐ jiàn miàn) — I’m counting down the days until I can see you again
This phrase expresses a strong anticipation and desire to reunite. It’s a way to show someone that you’re thinking of them and that you can’t wait to be together again.
Example:
我每天都在数着日子盼望和你见面，和你在一起的时光总是那么美好。 (wǒ měi tiān dōu zài shǔ zhe rì zi pàn wàng hé nǐ jiàn miàn, hé nǐ zài yìqǐ de shí guāng zǒng shì nà me měi hǎo.) — I’m counting down the days until I can see you again, the time with you is always so wonderful.
How to Respond to “I Miss You” in Chinese
Has someone let you know that they’re thinking of you and missing you in Chinese? Here’s the simplest and most common response:
- 我也想你 (wǒ yě xiǎng nǐ) — I miss you, too
If you’re looking for something more involved, here are some other ways to respond when someone tells you that they miss you:
- 我知道，我也很想见到你 (wǒ zhī dào, wǒ yě hěn xiǎng jiàn dào nǐ) — I know, I miss you too
- 别担心，很快我们就能见面了 (bié dān xīn, hěn kuài wǒ men jiù néng jiàn miàn le) — Don’t worry, we’ll see each other soon
- 我一直都在想你 (wǒ yì zhí dōu zài xiǎng nǐ) — I’ve been thinking of you all the time.
- 谢谢你想我 (xiè xie nǐ xiǎng wǒ) — Thank you for thinking of me.
- 为了我们能早点见面，我会努力工作 (wèi le wǒ men néng zǎo diǎn jiàn miàn, wǒ huì nǔ lì gōng zuò) — I’m also looking forward to seeing you again.
- 不管距离多远，我们的心都紧紧相连 (bù guǎn jù lí duō yuǎn, wǒ men de xīn dōu jǐn jǐn xiāng lián) — No matter how far apart we are, our hearts are always connected.
Let someone know that you love and miss them in Chinese and practice your language skills at the same time.
Are you done with this post? I miss you, already!
And One More Thing...
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