你好
nǐ hǎo/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Hello in Chinese is said as 你好 (nǐ hǎo). Wiktionary also lists ни хо (ni ho) and сэляму (seliamu).
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ни хо | ni ho | Dungan | |
| сэляму | seliamu | Dungan | |
| хома | homa | Dungan | |
| 汝好 | lí hó | /nˡy³³ ho³³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɤ⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /li⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Jinjiang, Philippines, Sinological IPA) /lɯ⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Sinological IPA) /lu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Taipei, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lɯ⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /lu⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²⁻²¹/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | /ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³ xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) /ni⁴⁴ xɔ⁴⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) /nei̯¹³ hou̯³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /ŋi¹¹ ho³¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /ni¹¹ ho³¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /n¹¹ ho³¹/ (Hakka, Northern, Sixian, Miaoli, Sinological IPA) /ŋi¹¹ ho³¹/ (Hakka, Southern, Sixian, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /ŋ̍¹¹ ho³¹/ (Hakka, Southern, Sixian, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /n¹¹ ho³¹/ (Hakka, Southern, Sixian, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /ŋi¹¹ hau³¹/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /n̩¹¹ hau³¹/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /ni⁴² xau²¹/ (Min Bei, Jian'ou, Sinological IPA) /nˡy³³ ho³³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɤ⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /li⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Jinjiang, Philippines, Sinological IPA) /lɯ⁵⁵⁴ ho⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Sinological IPA) /lu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Taipei, Sinological IPA, Magong) /lɯ⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /lu⁵²⁻³⁵ ho⁵²⁻²¹/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 您好 | nín hǎo | /nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /nei̯¹³ hou̯³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
polite |
| 你們好 / 你们好 | nǐmen hǎo | ||
| 好 | hǎo | /xɑʊ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) /xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) /xɔ¹¹/ (Mandarin, Nanjing, Sinological IPA) /xɔ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) /hou̯³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /hɔu³⁵/ (Cantonese, Dongguan, Sinological IPA, Guancheng) /hau⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Taishanese, Taicheng, Sinological IPA) /hou²¹/ (Cantonese, Sinological IPA, Yangjiang Yue, Jiangcheng) /hau²¹³/ (Gan, Nanchang, Sinological IPA) /ho³¹/ (Hakka, Sixian, Miaoli, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /ho²⁴/ (Hakka, Hailu, Zhudong, Sinological IPA) /hau³¹/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /xau⁵³/ (Jin, Taiyuan, Sinological IPA, dated) /xau²¹/ (Min Bei, Jian'ou, Sinological IPA) /ho³³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /ho⁴⁵³/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Putian) /ho³³²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Xianyou) /hɒ⁴⁵³/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Putian) /hɒ³³²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Xianyou) /hɒ̃³³²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Xianyou) /ho⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /hɤ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /hɤ⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /ho⁵⁵/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /hɔu⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Zhangpu, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou like accent in Taiwan) /hɔ⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Zhangpu, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou like accent in Taiwan) /hɔ̃⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) /hɔ̃⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Xiamen, Sinological IPA) /ho⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /hoʔ²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /hau⁵²/ (Teochew, Sinological IPA) /hɔ³¹/ (Leizhou, Sinological IPA) /hau³¹/ (Leizhou, Sinological IPA) /hau³³/ (Southern Pinghua, Nanning, Southern Pinghua, Tingzi, Sinological IPA) /hɔ³⁴/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Sinological IPA) /hæ⁵¹/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA, Jingjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing) /haɯ⁴⁵/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA, Jingjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Changzhou) /hɔ³⁵/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA, Jingjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing) /hɔ⁴³³/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA, Jingjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Jiaxing) /hɔ⁵³/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA, Jingjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing) /hɒ³³⁵/ (Wu, Northern, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Sinological IPA, Jingjiang, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Shaoxing) /hɔ⁵²/ (Wu, Northern, Ningbo, Sinological IPA) /xɒu̯⁴¹/ (Xiang, Changsha, Sinological IPA) /xɤ⁴²/ (Xiang, Loudi, Sinological IPA) /xɑʊ̯³³/ (Xiang, Sinological IPA, Hengyang) /xɑʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /xau⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) /hou̯³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /hɔu³²/ (Cantonese, Dongguan, Sinological IPA, Guancheng) /hau̯⁵⁵/ (Hakka, Sixian, Miaoli, Neipu, Sinological IPA) /hau¹¹/ (Hakka, Hailu, Zhudong, Sinological IPA) /hau⁵³/ (Hakka, Meixian, Sinological IPA) /xau⁴⁵/ (Jin, Taiyuan, Sinological IPA, dated) /hɔ²¹³/ (Min Dong, Fuzhou, Sinological IPA) /hɒ⁴²/ (Puxian Min, Sinological IPA, Putian, Xianyou) /hɔ̃¹¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /hɔ̃⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /hɔ̃²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /hãũ²¹³/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /hau²¹/ (Min Nan, Leizhou, Sinological IPA) /hau⁵⁵/ (Southern Pinghua, Nanning, Southern Pinghua, Tingzi, Sinological IPA) /xɒu̯⁴⁵/ (Xiang, Changsha, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 嗨 | hāi | /xaɪ̯⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /haːi̯⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /hei̯⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /hɔːi̯⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) /hai²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /hai⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) /hai²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Zhangzhou) /hai¹¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Taipei) /hai²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung) /hai⁵²/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /hai³³/ (Min Nan, Teochew, Sinological IPA) /he/ (Wu, Northern, Shanghai, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 哈囉 / 哈啰 | hāluó | ||
| ciallo | /t͡ɕʰi̯ä⁵¹ loʊ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) | slang |
你好 is the most common way to say hello in Chinese. Other ways to greet include the casual loanwords 嗨 (hi) and 哈啰 or 哈啰 (hello), which are common among friends and young people. To greet a group of people informally, you can use 你們好 or 你们好 (hello everyone).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你好 is composed of 你, meaning 'you' and 好, meaning 'good'.
Which one should you use?
While 你好 is the standard greeting, 您好 is used specifically to show respect to elders, superiors or in formal business settings. For a group of people, use 你們好 or 你们好.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For higher levels of respect, use the polite form 您好. For highly informal or colloquial settings, you may use 嗨, 哈啰 or 哈啰, as well as the slang term ciallo.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Hokkien dialect, hello is said as 汝好. In the Dungan language, hello can be said as ни хо, сэляму or хома.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ hǎo /ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Did you know?
- The character 您 in 您好 is essentially the character 你 with a 'heart' radical 心 added underneath it. This visual addition physically embeds the concept of the 'heart' into the word for 'you' to show respect.
- In many parts of China, people traditionally greet each other by asking 'Have you eaten?' rather than saying 'hello'. This stems from a time when food security was a primary concern and showing care meant ensuring someone was well-fed.
- The slang term ciallo is not native to China but originated from a Japanese anime-style greeting that became a viral internet meme among Chinese youth.
Examples in context
- 你好，汤姆。Hello, Tom.This is useful for a simple greeting to Tom using 你好.Tatoeba #5092241 by mirrorvan, translation #54604 by Zifre
- 你好！林峰。Hello! Linfeng.This is useful for a greeting to Linfeng using 你好.Tatoeba #6149244 by xjjAstrus, translation #6276580 by Kiwi
- 你好！明惠。Hello! Minghui.This is useful for a greeting to Minghui using 你好.Tatoeba #6149245 by xjjAstrus, translation #6276550 by Kiwi
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students meet on campus.
- 浩然 Haoran你好，梓涵！Nǐ hǎo, Zǐhán!Hello, Zihan!
- 梓涵 Zihan你好，浩然！Nǐ hǎo, Hàorán!Hello, Haoran!
- 浩然 Haoran你怎么样？Nǐ zěnmeyàng?How are you doing?
- 梓涵 Zihan我很好，谢谢。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie.I am doing well, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 汝好, 你好, 您好, 好, 嗨, ciallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
