久违
jiǔ wéi · HSK 7
a long time since we last met
⏳👋 久 = long time + 违 = be apart, so 久违 = long time apart / long time no see
久 means a long time; 违 means to part or be away from. Together they mark a gap since you last did or saw something. The set phrase 久违了 is the Mandarin equivalent of long time no see.
久 — person 人 with a stroke marking the back
Originally a pictograph showing a person from behind with a mark indicating moxibustion treatment applied to the back, the original sense of 'cauterize' (now written 灸). It was borrowed phonetically to mean 'long time' or 'enduring,' which became its standard meaning.