cinema.long time no see.

cinema,好久不见。

Long time no see is often attributed as an example of Chinglish being used by native English speakers. The phrase is said to have originated from 好耐冇见(喇)(Cantonese)/好久不见(了)(Mandarin). These Chinglish phrases were used by dock workers to greet sailors from overseas.

It began in the early 1900s when British and American warships and trading ships often stayed at Chinese docks, and through pidgin communications with dock workers, started to communicate in what is now known as Chinglish. The sailors used the phrase long time no see as a joke when they got home and somehow the phrase became widely used even in English-speaking countries. A more grammatically correct phrase of English should be I haven't seen you for a long time.

hope this helps.