What does it mean word for word?
你好 literally means you good, and 再见 literally means again see.
Which one should you use?
拜拜 (bài bài) is an informal goodbye among friends, and 下次见 (xià cì jiàn) means see you next time. 多谢 (duō xiè) is a casual thank you, while 非常感谢 (fēi cháng gǎn xiè) shows deeper thanks. 谢谢你 (xiè xiè nǐ) adds a personal touch among friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
To greet an elder or superior respectfully, use 您好 (nín hǎo) instead of 你好. To thank someone more respectfully, say 谢谢您.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is nǐ hǎo, zàijiàn, xièxie. Both syllables of 你好 have a dipping tone, so the first one is said with a rising tone. The second syllable of 谢谢 is light and toneless.
When do people say it?
It is customary to answer thanks with 不用谢 (bú yòng xiè), which means you're welcome. When someone leaves on a trip, 祝您一路顺风 wishes them a smooth journey.
Did you know?
- In many parts of China, instead of saying 你好, people might greet you by asking 你吃了吗? ('Have you eaten?'). It is a friendly way to show care rather than a literal invitation to lunch.
- The phrase 拜拜 ('bài bài') is not a translation of the English 'bye-bye', but is a phonetic loan that happens to sound like the Chinese word for 'to worship' or 'pay respects'.
- When using the respectful form 您 ('nín'), the character is the same as the standard 'you' 你 but with an extra dot at the bottom. This small radical addition changes the entire level of politeness.
Examples in context
- 你会说你好，再见，谢谢吗？Nǐ huì shuō nǐhǎo, zàijiàn, xièxie ma?Do you know how to say hello, goodbye, and thank you?
- 请教我你好，再见，谢谢。Qǐng jiào wǒ nǐhǎo, zàijiàn, xièxie.Please teach me hello, goodbye, and thank you.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing basic Chinese phrases.
- 俊杰 Junjie梓涵，你会说你好，再见，谢谢吗？Zǐ hán, nǐ huì shuō nǐ hǎo, zài jiàn, xiè xie ma?Zihan, do you know how to say hello, goodbye, and thank you?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，俊杰，这些很简单。Shì de, Jùnjié, zhè xiē hěn jiǎn dān.Yes, Junjie, these are very simple.
- 俊杰 Junjie你能再说一遍吗？Nǐ néng zài shuō yí biàn ma?Can you say them one more time?
- 梓涵 Zihan没问题：你好，再见，谢谢。Méi wèn tí: nǐ hǎo, zài jiàn, xiè xie.No problem: hello, goodbye, and thank you.
