Meaning
"Don't be a stranger" is a warm goodbye. It means "come back and see us" or "keep in contact". You say it to someone you like but don't see often: an old neighbor who visited, a coworker who moved to another office, a friend who got busy. The picture is gentle: a stranger is someone you don't know, so you are asking them not to drift so far away that you become strangers.
It is informal and friendly, a little old-fashioned in a cozy way. It works at the door, at the end of a call, or at the bottom of a message. There is sometimes a soft complaint hidden inside it: "we haven't seen you in a while." The reply is usually a promise, even a small one: "I won't. See you soon."
In a conversation
- George
- Mei
- George
- Mei
- George
- Mei
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
"Be a stranger" alone describes someone who hasn't visited in a while.
Check yourself
Practice · 3 min
Listen, then repeat. The stress lands on "stranger". Say it warmly, the way you'd say it at a front door.
Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.