你好
nǐ hǎoeveryday, neutral
In Traditional Chinese "hello" is written 你好 (nǐ hǎo). The polite form is 您好 (nín hǎo), and in casual speech you will also see 哈囉 (hā luō).
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | everyday, neutral |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | polite |
| 哈囉 | hā luō | casual, Taiwan |
你好 works with almost anyone, from a shop clerk to a new colleague. Use 您好 (nín hǎo) for elders, customers and people you want to show respect to.
Which one should you use?
你好 looks exactly the same in Traditional and Simplified Chinese. The Traditional script is the one used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
How do you pronounce it?
Say 你好 (nǐ hǎo) with two third tones. In normal speech the first one becomes rising, so it sounds close to "nee how".
Did you know?
- 你好 is literally "you good", and it is the first phrase most learners of Chinese pick up.
Examples in context
- 你好，我叫小明。nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Xiǎomíng.Hello, my name is Xiaoming.
- 您好，請問有什麼可以幫您？nín hǎo, qǐngwèn yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nín?Hello, how can I help you?
- 哈囉，好久不見。hā luō, hǎojiǔ bújiàn.Hello, long time no see.
Example conversation
Mei-ling greets a new neighbor, Mr. Chen, in the stairwell of their apartment building in Taipei.
- Mei-ling陳先生，您好。Chén xiānsheng, nín hǎo.Hello, Mr. Chen.
- Mr. Chen你好，你是新搬來的嗎？nǐ hǎo, nǐ shì xīn bānlái de ma?Hello, did you just move in?
- Mei-ling是的，我住在三樓。shì de, wǒ zhù zài sān lóu.Yes, I live on the third floor.
