下午好
xiàwǔ hǎo
The English phrase "hello good afternoon" is translated into Chinese as 下午好 (xiàwǔ hǎo).
下午好 is a polite greeting used to say hello to someone during the afternoon. It is typically used from around 1:00 PM until sunset.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 下午 (afternoon) and 好 (good).
Which one should you use?
下午好 is specifically used in the afternoon, whereas 早上好 is used for the morning and 晚上好 is used for the evening.
How do you pronounce it?
xiàwǔ hǎo
Did you know?
- In some regions, rather than using 下午好, people greet each other by asking 吃了吗 ('Have you eaten yet?'). This is not an invitation to lunch but a way to show care and social warmth.
- The character 好 is composed of the radicals for 'woman' and 'child', an ancient representation of a harmonious family.
- In professional contexts, 下午好 is rarely used alone. It is usually preceded by the person's surname and title, such as 王经理，下午好 ('Manager Wang, good afternoon'), to show proper respect.
Examples in context
- 你好，下午好！Hello, good afternoon!
- 嗨，下午好！Hi, good afternoon!
- 老师，下午好。Lǎoshī, xiàwǔ hǎo.Teacher, good afternoon.
- 王先生，下午好。Wáng xiānsheng, xiàwǔ hǎo.Mr. Wang, good afternoon.
- 大家下午好。Dàjiā xiàwǔ hǎo.Good afternoon, everyone.
Example conversation
Jia Yi and Zhi Qiang meet in a hallway during the afternoon.
- 佳怡 Jiayi志强，下午好！Zhìqiáng, xiàwǔ hǎo!Zhi Qiang, good afternoon!
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，下午好。Jiāyí, xiàwǔ hǎo.Jia Yi, good afternoon.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你今天怎么样？Nǐ jīntiān zěnmeyàng?How are you today?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我很好，谢谢。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie.I am very well, thank you.
