Definition
告辞 (gào cí) is a formal, literary way to say 'take one's leave' — it's used when you say goodbye to a host after a visit or event. It's more formal than the everyday 告别 (gào bié), and unlike 道别 (dào bié), which means 'bid farewell', 告辞 implies you are excusing yourself from a specific person or setting. Think of it as politely leaving someone's company.
verb
to take one's leaveto say goodbye (formal/literary)
Examples
- ，告辞。Yànxí jiéshù hòu, kèrén fēnfēn qǐshēn gào cí.After the banquet ended, the guests rose one after another to take their leave.
- 告辞，。Tā gǒngshǒu xiàng zhǔrén gào cí, zhuǎnshēn líkāi le yuànzi.He cupped his hands to bid farewell to the host, then turned and left the courtyard.
- ，告辞。Mǔqīn zhàn zài ménkǒu, mùsòng wǒ gào cí yuǎn qù.Mother stood at the door, watching me as I said goodbye and walked away.
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