您好
nín hǎo/nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
In Chinese, "hello to elders" is expressed as 您好 (nín hǎo).
您好 is a polite greeting used when speaking to an older person or someone in a higher position. While 您好 is a respectful way to say hello to elders, you may also encounter other informal ways to address older individuals, such as using Lǎo lǐ for a friendly greeting to an elder with the surname Li or Wáng āyí to greet an older female with the surname Wang. The term āyí specifically means aunt and is used to address older females politely.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the honorific second-person pronoun 您 (you) and the adjective 好 (good).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
您好 is a formal and polite way to greet an individual. For standard, neutral greetings with peers, the version 你好 is typically used instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The character 您 is the respectful form of the pronoun 你 (nǐ) and is specifically used to address someone with higher social status or age.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is nín hǎo. The IPA is /nin³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/.
Did you know?
- In many Chinese cultures, it is common to greet an elder by asking if they have eaten yet, 吃了吗 (chī le ma), rather than using a formal 您好. This acts as a proxy for 'hello' and shows care for the person's well-being.
- The character 您 is visually created by adding the radical for 'heart' 心 to the bottom of the character for 'you' 你, literally placing the heart beneath the person.
- In some regions of China, using 您好 with a family member can actually be seen as cold or overly distant, as it creates a formal barrier between people who should be close.
Examples in context
- Nín hǎo, lǎoshī (您好，老师)Hello, teacher.
- Lǎo lǐ, zǎoshang hǎo (老李，早上好)Good morning, Mr./Ms. Li.
- Wáng āyí, zǎoshang hǎo (王阿姨，早上好)Good morning, Auntie Wang.
- 王经理，您好。Wáng jīnglǐ, nínhǎo.Hello, Manager Wang.
- 奶奶，您好！Nǎinai, nínhǎo!Hello, Grandma!
Example conversation
A student greets an elderly professor at a community center.
- 伟 Wei教授，您好。Jiàoshòu, nínhǎo.Hello, Professor.
- 雨婷 Yuting你好，伟。你身体好吗？Nǐ hǎo, Wěi. Nǐ shēntǐ hǎo ma?Hello, Wei. How are you doing?
- 伟 Wei我很好，谢谢您。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè nín.I am very well, thank you.
- 雨婷 Yuting那就好。Nà jiù hǎo.That's good to hear.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 您好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
