喂
wéiphone
When you pick up the phone in Chinese you say 喂 (wéi). It works like "hello" at the start of a call and is not used for greeting people face to face. It is also called 你好 (nǐ hǎo) and 您好 (nín hǎo).
Meaning: greeting when answering the phone (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 喂 | wéi | phone |
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | neutral |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | formal |
Both the person calling and the person answering say 喂 (wéi), often twice, as in 喂喂 (wéi wéi), to check that the line works. After that people add 你好 (nǐ hǎo) or say who they are.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
At work or when answering a business line, use 您好 (nín hǎo) after the first 喂 (wéi).
How do you pronounce it?
The character 喂 is listed with the fourth tone (wèi) in dictionaries, but on the phone most speakers say it with the second tone (wéi).
Did you know?
- A Chinese caller does not need to say a name first. 喂 (wéi) is enough to open the call.
Examples in context
- 喂，你好，请问是王先生吗？wéi, nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn shì Wáng xiānsheng ma?Hello, may I ask if this is Mr. Wang?
- 喂，我是小李。wéi, wǒ shì Xiǎo Lǐ.Hello, this is Xiao Li.
- 喂喂，听得到吗？wéi wéi, tīng de dào ma?Hello, can you hear me?
Example conversation
Ming calls his friend Jun and Jun answers.
- Jun喂？wéi?Hello?
- Ming喂，小军，我是小明。wéi, Xiǎo Jūn, wǒ shì Xiǎo Míng.Hello, Jun, it is Ming.
- Jun哦，你好，有什么事吗？ò, nǐ hǎo, yǒu shénme shì ma?Oh, hi, what is up?
