你好
nǐhǎo
The English phrase 'good day' can be translated into Mandarin as 你好 (nǐhǎo) or 日安.
Meaning: greeting between sunrise and sunset (intj)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐhǎo |
| 日安 | rì'ān |
The phrase is used as a greeting between sunrise and sunset. While 你好 is the standard way to say hello or good day, you may use more specific formal greetings depending on the time, such as 早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo) for 'Good Morning' or 下午好 (xià wǔ hǎo) for 'Good Afternoon'.
Which one should you use?
你好 is the standard, everyday greeting, whereas 日安 is much more formal and literary.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
你好 is the most common, neutral way to greet someone at any time of day. In contrast, 日安 is a formal, somewhat old-fashioned or literary way to say 'good day' and is rarely used in casual spoken conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐhǎo
Did you know?
- In many parts of China, instead of saying 'good day', people may simply ask 'Have you eaten?' (吃了吗?).
- To show extra respect to an elder or superior, 你好 is changed to 您好, replacing the standard 'you' with the honorific form 您.
- If you use the formal 日安 in a casual setting, like a coffee shop, it may sound as dramatic or archaic as an actor from a period drama.
Examples in context
- 你好，怎么样？Good day, how are you?This sentence shows how to use 你好 in a casual greeting.Tatoeba #392248 by fucongcong, translation #415678 by blay_paul
- 早上好！请问您需要帮忙吗？(Zǎo shàng hǎo! Qǐng wèn nín xūyào bāngmáng ma?)Good morning! May I help you?
- 下午好！有什么我可以帮您的吗？(Xià wǔ hǎo! Yǒu shénme wǒ kěyǐ bāng nín de ma?)Good afternoon! How can I assist you?
- 你好！最近过得怎么样？(Nǐ hǎo! Zuìjìn guò de zěnmeyàng?)Hello! How have you been lately?
- 你好，很高兴见到你。Nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ.Hello, it is nice to meet you.
- 你好，请问你是张老师吗？Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn nǐ shì Zhāng lǎoshī ma?Hello, excuse me, are you Teacher Zhang?
Example conversation
Jiayi and Haoran meet in a sunny park during the afternoon.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你好，浩然！Nǐ hǎo, Hàorán!Hello, Haoran!
- 浩然 Haoran你好，佳怡。Nǐ hǎo, Jiāyí.Hello, Jiayi.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你今天过得好吗？Nǐ jīntiān guò de hǎo ma?Are you having a good day?
- 浩然 Haoran我很好，谢谢。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè.I am very well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good day” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
