The long British goodbye
Informal Neutral
What it really means
Leaving a British social event takes several rounds: announcing you're off, twenty more minutes of chat, goodbyes in the hallway, more chat at the door, and sometimes a final conversation by the car. Leaving instantly after saying goodbye can feel abrupt. Budget 15-30 minutes between "we should go" and actually going.
Chinese explanation
从英国的社交场合告辞要经历好几轮：宣布要走、又聊二十分钟、在走廊道别、在门口再聊、有时车旁还有最后一轮。说完再见立刻走人会显得生硬。从"我们该走了"到真正离开，请预留15到30分钟。
Example conversation
A: Right, we'd better make a move.
B: (forty minutes later, at the door) Anyway... as I was saying...
A: We really are going this time!
A：好了，我们真得走了。
B：（四十分钟后，在门口）话说回来……我刚才讲到……
A：这次我们是真的要走了！
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Go deeper
All Customs & Etiquette
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake