你好，你按怎？
lí-hó, lí án-chóaⁿ?
你好，你按怎？ (lí-hó, lí án-chóaⁿ?) is the Hokkien phrase for "hello how are you".
This phrase is a standard way to initiate a conversation with an acquaintance in Hokkien-speaking communities.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of lí-hó (you good) and lí án-chóaⁿ? (you how/how are you?).
Which one should you use?
While lí is the most common way to write "you" in many Hokkien romanization systems, 汝 is the traditional character used for the same pronoun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word lí is the second-person singular pronoun used in this greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
lí-hó, lí án-chóaⁿ?
Did you know?
- In many Hokkien-speaking communities, people often skip lí-hó and instead ask lí chia̍h-pá-buē?, which means 'have you eaten yet?' This acts as a greeting and a way to show care rather than a literal question about hunger.
- Because Hokkien is a tonal language, changing the pitch of lí or hó can completely change the meaning of the greeting into an entirely different word.
- When greeting someone older or of higher status, using the standard lí for 'you' can actually be seen as rude or blunt. Speakers often swap it for more respectful honorifics to avoid sounding overly familiar.
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a park.
- 志明 Chi-ming佳怡，你好，你按怎？Ka-î, lí hó, lí án-chuán?Jiayi, hello, how are you?
- 佳怡 Chia-yi志明！我很好，感謝你。Tì-bîng! Góa hěn hó, kám-siā lí.Zhiming! I am very well, thank you.
- 志明 Chi-ming你最近在做什麼？Lí zuì-jìn chē-siàng chò siá-mih?What have you been up to lately?
- 佳怡 Chia-yi我最近在讀書。Góa zuì-jìn chhai thók-su.I have been studying lately.
