We must get together sometime

Neutral Polite

What it really means

A warm-sounding phrase that is often just a polite way to end a conversation, not a real plan. If no date is suggested, it may never happen. A real invitation usually includes a specific time.

Chinese explanation
听起来很热情,但常常只是礼貌地结束对话,并不是真的约定。如果没提具体日期,多半不会发生。真正的邀请通常会给出明确时间。

Context, tips & common mistakes

"We must get together sometime" — like "we should do this more often" and "let's grab a coffee at some point" — expresses warmth, not scheduling. It is the conversational equivalent of a wave: the correct reply is equal warmth ("yes, definitely!") with no diary consulted, and neither party is lying, because the sentence was never an offer.

The useful trick is conversion: if you would actually like to meet, answer the ritual with a concrete proposal — "I'd love that; how's next Thursday?" A Brit who meant it will engage with the date; one who did not will produce a vaguer deferral, and you have your answer either way, gracefully. Newcomers who learn to tell ritual warmth from real invitations save themselves months of quiet confusion about British friendliness.

Example conversation

A: Lovely to bump into you! We must get together sometime. B: Definitely! Let's do that. A: (Neither of them ever calls.)
A:碰到你太好了!我们改天一定聚聚。 B:一定一定!就这么说定了。 A:(然后谁也没再联系谁。)

What you could say back

“Yes, let's! I'll message you.”

Related phrases

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
All Politeness Decoder
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 17 August 2026 · Report a mistake