你好
lí-hó
Hello in Hokkien is 你好 (lí-hó).
The phrase is used as a greeting to say hello.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of lí (you) and hó (good/well).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase functions as a statement of well-being that serves as a greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
lí-hó
Did you know?
- In daily life, Hokkien speakers often skip 你好 and instead greet people by asking 吃饱未, which means 'Have you eaten yet?'
- Hokkien uses a complex system of tone sandhi, meaning the tone of lí can actually change based on the word that follows it.
- Because Hokkien was spoken primarily as a vernacular, it was historically written using 'literary' forms that differed from the spoken 你好.
Examples in context
- 你好。Lí hó.Hello.
- 你好，請問你姓什麼？Lí hó, chhiáⁿ-mn̄g lí sèn siáⁿ mi̍h?Hello, may I ask what your surname is?
Example conversation
Two neighbors meet on the street.
- 淑芬 Siok-fun志明，你好！Chì-bîng, lí hó!Hello, Zhiming!
- 志明 Chi-ming淑芬，你好！Siuk-hun, lí hó!Hello, Shufen!
- 淑芬 Siok-fun你最近好嗎？Lí zuè-jìn hó-bô?How have you been lately?
- 志明 Chi-ming我很好，謝謝。Guá chin hó, xiè-sià.I am very well, thank you.
