您好
/nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
The Chinese phrase for hello formally is 您好.
您好 is a polite way to say hello. While Nǐ hǎo (你好) is the most common and standard way to say hello in Chinese, 您好 is used when you need to be more respectful.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'you good'. The word 您 (nín) is the polite form of 'you' and 好 (hǎo) means 'good'.
Which one should you use?
您好 is the polite version of 你好 (nǐ hǎo). It is used specifically to show respect to elders, superiors or strangers.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
您好 is the standard formal way to greet an individual in professional or respectful social settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese-speaking regions, local residents use Néih hóu (你好) instead of Nǐ hǎo.
How do you pronounce it?
/nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Did you know?
- The character 您 includes the radical for 'heart' (心) at the bottom, visually implying that the respect is being offered 'from the heart'.
- If you use 您好 with a close friend or someone of equal social status, it can actually come across as sarcastic or mockingly formal.
- In traditional Chinese etiquette, a slight nod of the head often accompanies 您好, but a full bow is rare in modern mainland China compared to other East Asian cultures.
Examples in context
- 您好，请坐。Nín hǎo, qǐng zuò.Hello, please have a seat.
- 老师，您好。Lǎoshī, nín hǎo.Hello, teacher.
- 王经理，您好。Wáng jīnglǐ, nín hǎo.Hello, Manager Wang.
Example conversation
A young woman meets her new male boss at a business meeting.
- 雨婷 Yuting王先生，您好。Wáng xiānshēng, nín hǎo.Hello, Mr. Wang.
- 伟 Wei你好，雨婷。Nǐ hǎo, Yǔtíng.Hello, Yuting.
- 雨婷 Yuting很高兴见到您。Hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nín.It is a pleasure to meet you.
- 伟 Wei我也一样。Wǒ yě yīyàng.Likewise.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 您好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
