你好
nǐ hǎostandard, everyday
Hello in Mandarin Chinese is 你好 (nǐ hǎo). For an older person or someone you want to respect, use 您好 (nín hǎo), and on the phone people answer with 喂 (wéi).
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | standard, everyday |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | polite, respectful |
| 喂 | wéi | phone |
What does it mean word for word?
你 (nǐ) is "you" and 好 (hǎo) is "good", so the greeting literally means "you good".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
您 (nín) is the polite form of 你 (nǐ). Teachers, elders and customers are greeted with 您好 (nín hǎo).
How do you pronounce it?
In 你好 (nǐ hǎo) two third tones sit side by side, so the first one is spoken with a rising second tone: it sounds like "ní hǎo".
Did you know?
- Many Chinese speakers also greet with 吃了吗？ (chī le ma), "have you eaten?", a traditional way of showing care.
Examples in context
- 你好，我叫李明。nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Lǐ MíngHello, my name is Li Ming.
- 老师，您好！lǎoshī, nín hǎoHello, teacher!
- 喂，请问是王先生吗？wéi, qǐngwèn shì Wáng xiānsheng maHello, is this Mr. Wang?
Example conversation
Li Ming meets his new neighbor Mrs. Chen in a stairwell.
- Li Ming您好，陈阿姨。nín hǎo, Chén āyíHello, Mrs. Chen.
- Mrs. Chen你好，小李。nǐ hǎo, Xiǎo LǐHello, Xiao Li.
- Li Ming最近怎么样？zuìjìn zěnmeyàngHow have you been lately?
