сэляму
seliamuDungan
The English phrase "hi" can be expressed in Chinese using several forms, including сэляму (seliamu). If unsure, use сэляму. Wiktionary also lists 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰 (hāi) and 你好 (lí hó).
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| сэляму | seliamu | Dungan | |
| 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰 | hāi | slang | |
| 你好 | lí hó | /ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³ xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
The phrase is used as a friendly, informal greeting.
Which one should you use?
While 嗨 (hāi) is a casual loanword, 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the standard, most common way to say 'hello' or 'hi' in Mandarin. The Dungan form сэляму is also available.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word 嗨 is a common way to say "hi" in a casual and informal setting. 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the standard, most common way to say 'hello' or 'hi' in Mandarin, while the polite form 您好 (nín hǎo) should be used to show more respect or in formal situations.
Is it said differently in some regions?
сэляму is a Dungan form, and 你好 is used in Hokkien.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the greeting 你好 (nǐ hǎo) more respectful or formal, you change 你 (nǐ) to the polite form 您 (nín).
How do you pronounce it?
seliamu
Did you know?
- While 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the standard 'hi', many people in China now use 'the food question' as a greeting, such as asking 你吃了吗? (nǐ chī le ma?), which means 'Have you eaten?'
- The Dungan greeting сэляму reflects a unique linguistic blend, as the Dungan people speak a dialect of Chinese but use the Cyrillic alphabet for writing.
- The standard greeting 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is rarely used between close friends or family members. They typically use more specific greetings or omit the formal 'hello' entirely to avoid sounding distant.
Examples in context
- 你好！我叫汤姆。你叫什么？Hi, my name is Tom. What is yours?The first example uses 你好 to introduce oneself.Tatoeba #10019632 by GlossaMatik, translation #7519132 by CK
- 你好。Hi.The second example uses 你好 as a simple greeting.Tatoeba #4857568 by musclegirlxyp, translation #538123 by CM
- 你好，好久不見。Hi, long time no see.The third example uses 你好 to greet someone after a long time.
- 当你见到一个陌生人时，你可以说“你好！”When you meet a stranger, you can say "hi!"
- 当你与朋友相遇时，你可以大声地说"嗨!"When you meet a friend, you can say "hi!" loudly.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues meet in the office hallway.
- 佳怡 Jiayiсэляму，志强！selyamu, Zhiqiang!Hi, Zhiqiang!
- 志强 Zhiqiangсэляму，佳怡。你早！selyamu, Jiayi. Ni zao!Hi, Jiayi. Good morning!
- 佳怡 Jiayi你今天忙吗？Ni jintian mang ma?Are you busy today?
- 志强 Zhiqiang不太忙，我们可以聊聊。Butai mang, women keyi liaoliao.Not too busy, we can chat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries 你好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
