下午好
xiàwǔhǎo
good afternoon in Chinese is translated as 下午好 (xiàwǔhǎo). Wiktionary also lists 你好 (nǐhǎo) and 午安 (wǔ'ān).
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 下午好 | xiàwǔhǎo |
| 你好 | nǐhǎo |
| 午安 | wǔ'ān |
下午好 is used as a greeting from around 12 p.m. until the evening. While it is a standard way to greet someone in the afternoon, note that 中午好 is a different phrase specifically used during the midday hours.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 下午好 is composed of 下午 (afternoon) and 好 (good).
Which one should you use?
下午好 is a standard greeting specifically for the afternoon. In contrast, 你好 is a general-purpose 'hello' that can be used at any time of day.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
下午好 is a standard and commonly used formal way to say 'good afternoon'. For a more formal or literary tone, you may use 午安.
How do you pronounce it?
xiàwǔhǎo
Did you know?
- In many parts of China, you might hear people use 'lunch' as a greeting instead of 'afternoon'. Instead of saying 'good afternoon', colleagues often ask 'Have you eaten?' to acknowledge one another during the midday break.
- The character 下 in 下午 means 'down' or 'below', reflecting an ancient system where the day was divided into the 'upper' and 'lower' halves of the sun's path.
- The word 午 (wǔ) in both 下午 and 午安 originally refers specifically to the 'noon' position of the sun. It is one of the twelve earthly branches used in traditional Chinese timekeeping.
Examples in context
- 下午好。Good afternoon.This sentence demonstrates the use of 下午好.Tatoeba #812493 by fucongcong, translation #499689 by CK
- 当你碰到别人的时候，记得微笑并说：“下午好！”(dāng nǐ pèng dào bié rén de shí hòu, jì de wēi xiào bìng shuō: "xiàwǔ hǎo!")When you meet someone, remember to smile and say, 'Good afternoon!'
- 老师，下午好。Lǎoshī, xiàwǔ hǎo.Good afternoon, teacher.
- 各位同事，下午好。Gèwèi tóngshì, xiàwǔ hǎo.Good afternoon, colleagues.
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie meet in the office hallway during the afternoon.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，下午好。Jùnjié, xiàwǔ hǎo.Good afternoon, Junjie.
- 俊杰 Junjie雨婷，下午好。Yǔtíng, xiàwǔ hǎo.Good afternoon, Yuting.
- 雨婷 Yuting你今天忙吗？Nǐ jīntiān máng ma?Are you busy today?
- 俊杰 Junjie有一点点忙。Yǒu yī diǎndiǎn máng.A little bit busy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good afternoon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
