送别

• Pinyin: sòng bié
• Hanzi breakdown: 送 = 关 + 辶 (to send off, escort); 别 = 刀 + 口 + 力 (to separate, to part)

Meaning

To see someone off; to bid farewell to someone who is departing. A formal or emotionally significant act of accompanying a person to the point of their departure.

Used in literary, ceremonial, and everyday contexts for farewell scenes — at train stations, airports, or after extended visits. Often carries emotional weight and appears frequently in poetry, song lyrics, and formal speeches. The word implies a meaningful parting rather than a casual goodbye.

Examples

1. 清晨，整个村子的人聚集在渡口，为即将踏上求学之路的年轻人举行了一场简单而庄重的送别仪式。 At dawn, the whole village gathered at the ferry crossing for a simple yet solemn farewell ceremony for the young person about to leave to pursue an education.
2. 他在机场送别了最后一位同事，目送飞机缓缓升空，心中涌起一股难以名状的惆怅与不舍。 He saw off the last colleague at the airport and watched the plane slowly lift into the sky, a hard-to-name sadness and reluctance rising in his chest.
3. 这首古诗以送别为主题，以黄昏的山河为背景，道尽了离别之际的无限依恋与深深祝愿。 This ancient poem centers on farewell; set against rivers and mountains at dusk, it fully expresses the deep attachment and heartfelt good wishes at the moment of parting.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, social, ceremony, emotional

Tone: emotional

Do Say

• 同学们在毕业典礼后自发聚集，为即将赴海外深造的好友举办了一场充满温情的送别晚宴，席间笑声与泪水交织。(After the graduation ceremony, classmates spontaneously gathered to hold a warm farewell dinner for their friend about to study abroad; laughter and tears mingled throughout the evening.)
• 老一辈人送别亲人时往往沉默寡言，仅凭一个深沉的凝视便将千言万语尽数传递，令旁观者心生动容。(The older generation would often see off loved ones in near silence, conveying volumes through a single lingering gaze — a sight that moved all who witnessed it.)

Don't Say

• 避免将 送别 用于轻松随意的短暂道别 — 不说'我送别了他，明天再见'；短暂告别用 道别 或 告别，送别 专指有分量的离别时刻

Origin & History

送 (to accompany, to escort) + 别 (to part, to separate) — to escort someone as they depart

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal