侬好
nong haoShanghainese, everyday
In Shanghainese, the best known Wu Chinese variety, "hello" is 侬好 (nong hao). It is the Wu counterpart of Mandarin 你好.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Which one should you use?
Wu has its own word for "you", 侬 (nong), where Mandarin uses 你 (nǐ). The second word 好 means "good" in both.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Wu Chinese is spoken around Shanghai and in Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu. Local varieties differ, and the romanization of Wu has no single standard, so nong hao is only one common spelling.
Did you know?
- Wu Chinese is not understood by Mandarin speakers without study, although both are written with the same characters.
Examples in context
- 侬好，侬叫啥名字？nong hao, nong jiao sa ming zi?Hello, what is your name?
- 侬好，老朋友。nong hao, lao bang you.Hello, old friend.
Example conversation
Ah Ming greets Mrs. Zhou at a market stall in Shanghai.
- Ah Ming周阿姨，侬好。Zhou a yi, nong hao.Hello, Auntie Zhou.
- Mrs. Zhou侬好，侬好。nong hao, nong hao.Hello, hello.
- Ah Ming再会，周阿姨。zai wei, Zhou a yi.Goodbye, Auntie Zhou.
