欢迎光临
huānyíng guānglín
In Chinese, 'hello welcome' is translated as 欢迎光临 (huānyíng guānglín).
欢迎光临 is a standard, professional greeting used by service staff in shops, restaurants and hotels when a customer enters the establishment.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 欢迎 (welcome) and 光临 (to arrive or to grace with one's presence).
Which one should you use?
While 欢迎 (huānyíng) can be used generally to welcome someone, 欢迎光临 is specifically tailored for the commercial context of welcoming a customer to a place of business.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
欢迎光临 is more formal and professional than a simple 欢迎 (huānyíng), making it the standard for business settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien-speaking areas, people often say lí hó for 'hello' and huân yíng for 'welcome.'
How do you pronounce it?
huānyíng guānglín
Did you know?
- In many parts of mainland China, you might hear shopkeepers shout this phrase rhythmically as a group. It is common for an entire staff to shout 欢迎光临 in unison as a single customer walks through the door.
- The word 光临 literally means 'light' and 'arrive'. It implies that the customer is bringing light into the store, treating the visit as an honor rather than a simple transaction.
- If you use 欢迎光临 to welcome a friend into your own home, it will sound like a joke because the phrase is so strictly tied to commercial businesses.
Examples in context
- 欢迎光临，请进。Huānyíng guānglín, qǐng jìn.Welcome, please come in.
- 欢迎光临，请坐。Huānyíng guānglín, qǐng zuò.Welcome, please have a seat.
Example conversation
A male customer enters a small boutique managed by a female staff member.
- 雨婷 Yuting欢迎光临！Huānyíng guānglín!Welcome!
- 伟 Wei你好。Nǐ hǎo.Hello.
- 雨婷 Yuting请随便看看。Qǐng suíbiàn kànkan.Please feel free to look around.
- 伟 Wei好的，谢谢。Hǎo de, xièxiè.Okay, thank you.
