阿姨好
āyí hǎo
The English phrase "hi aunt" is translated into Chinese as 阿姨好 (āyí hǎo).
阿姨好 is a polite greeting used when speaking to an aunt or an older woman. While the term 阿姨 (āyí) refers to an aunt, it is also used as a respectful way to address women of your parents' generation who are not biologically related to you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 阿姨 (āyí), meaning "aunt" or "auntie" and 好 (hǎo), meaning "good". Combining them is a standard way to form a greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, the person being addressed is placed before the greeting word 好 to form a polite greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
āyí hǎo
When do people say it?
Using a kinship term like 阿姨 to address a stranger is a sign of respect and friendliness in Chinese culture. Using only the word "you" (你) can seem blunt.
Did you know?
- In modern urban China, 阿姨 (āyí) is the standard term for a female domestic helper or nanny, regardless of the employer's family relation.
- While it translates to 'aunt', using 阿姨 for a stranger can sometimes backfire if the woman feels she is being called 'old'.
- In some social contexts, the 'aunt' greeting is used by children to address female shopkeepers or street vendors to build instant rapport and potentially get a better price.
Examples in context
- 阿姨，您好！Hello, aunt!
- 伯母，早安！Good morning, aunt!
- 姨母，晚上好！Good evening, aunt!
- 舅妈，我想你了！Aunt, I miss you!
- 张阿姨好，请进。Zhāng āyí hǎo, qǐng jìn.Hello Aunt Zhang, please come in.
- 王阿姨好，好久不见。Wáng āyí hǎo, hǎojiǔ bùjiàn.Hi Aunt Wang, long time no see.
Example conversation
A child greets his mother's friend at the door.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，快来打招呼。Hào rán, kuài lái dǎ zhāo hū.Haoran, come and say hello.
- 浩然 Haoran阿姨好！Āyí hǎo!Hello, auntie!
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然真懂礼貌。Hào rán zhēn dǒng lǐ mào.Haoran is very polite.
- 浩然 Haoran谢谢阿姨。Xiè xiè āyí.Thank you, auntie.
