Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | /ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³ xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, 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) |
|
| 嗨 | hāi | /xaɪ̯⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /haːi̯⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 哈囉 / 哈啰 | hāluó | ||
| 汝好 | lí hó | /li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɤ⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
For a very casual atmosphere, you can use the phonetic transliterations 嗨 (hi) or 哈啰 (hello), which are common among friends. In certain internet contexts, the slang ciallo is also used. If you are answering the phone, you would typically use 喂 to say 'hey' or 'hello'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你好 literally means 'you good'. It is composed of 你 (you) and 好 (good/well).
Which one should you use?
While 你好 is the standard greeting, 您好 is used specifically to show respect. For a group of people, you should use the plural form 你们好 instead of the singular 你好.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
您好 is the polite version used to show respect to elders, superiors or anyone you wish to address formally. For informal settings with peers or friends, you can use the loanwords 嗨 or 哈啰.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese-speaking regions like Hong Kong and parts of Guangdong Province, you may hear the equivalent 你好 (Néih hóu). In the Dungan language, forms such as ни хо, сэляму and хома are used. In Hokkien, the phrase is 汝好.
How does it change in a sentence?
To address multiple people at once, use the plural form 你们好 (nǐmen hǎo) instead of the singular 你好 (nǐ hǎo).
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ hǎo (IPA: /ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/)
Did you know?
- In the Dungan language, the greeting сэляму is a phonetic adaptation of the Arabic 'as-salamu alaykum' written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
- In many Chinese-speaking cultures, a common way to greet someone is not to say 'hello' at all, but to ask 'Have you eaten yet?' (你吃了吗?).
- The internet slang ciallo is not originally Chinese but comes from a character in a Japanese game and was adopted by Chinese youth via internet subcultures.
Examples in context
- 你好，汤姆。Hello, Tom.This sentence shows how to use 你好 when greeting Tom.Tatoeba #5092241 by mirrorvan, translation #54604 by Zifre
- 你好！林峰。Hello! Linfeng.This sentence shows how to use 你好 when greeting Linfeng.Tatoeba #6149244 by xjjAstrus, translation #6276580 by Kiwi
- 你好！明惠。Hello! Minghui.This sentence shows how to use 你好 when greeting Minghui.Tatoeba #6149245 by xjjAstrus, translation #6276550 by Kiwi
- Nín hǎo, xiānsheng (您好, 先生)Hello, sir.
- Hāi, chīfàn le ma (嗨, 吃饭了吗)Hi, have you eaten?
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting meets Wei in a cafe.
- 雨婷 Yuting你好，伟。Nǐ hǎo, Wěi.Hello, Wei.
- 伟 Wei你好，雨婷。Nǐ hǎo, Yǔtíng.Hello, Yuting.
- 雨婷 Yuting你最近好吗？Nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma?How have you been lately?
- 伟 Wei我很好，谢谢。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè.I am very well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries 你好, 您好, 好, 嗨, 汝好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
