你好
nǐ hǎoeveryday
In Simplified Chinese "hello" is 你好 (nǐ hǎo). The polite form is 您好 (nín hǎo), and to greet a group you say 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo), "hello everyone".
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | everyday |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | polite |
| 大家好 | dàjiā hǎo | hello everyone |
Use 您好 (nín hǎo) for teachers, elders and customers. Use 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo) when you start a talk or step into a room.
Which one should you use?
你好 looks the same in Traditional Chinese. Simplified Chinese is the script used in mainland China and Singapore.
Did you know?
- 您 (nín) is the polite form of 你 (nǐ), and its extra heart radical is a visual hint of respect.
Examples in context
- 你好，很高兴认识你。nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.Hello, nice to meet you.
- 您好，请坐。nín hǎo, qǐng zuò.Hello, please sit down.
Example conversation
Xiao Li begins a presentation in a classroom in Beijing and greets her teacher Zhang.
- Xiao Li大家好，我是小李。dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Xiǎo Lǐ.Hello everyone, I am Xiao Li.
- Zhang你好，小李，请开始。nǐ hǎo, Xiǎo Lǐ, qǐng kāishǐ.Hello, Xiao Li, please begin.
- Xiao Li您好，张老师，谢谢。nín hǎo, Zhāng lǎoshī, xièxie.Hello, Teacher Zhang, thank you.
