你好
nǐ hǎo/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
In Chinese, hi is translated as 你好 (nǐ hǎo). Wiktionary also lists 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰 (hāi).
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | /ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ni⁵³ xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰 | hāi | slang | |
| 你好 | lí hó | /li⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hɤ⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) /li⁵³⁻⁴⁴ ho⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
Ni hao (你好) is a common way to say 'hi' in Chinese. For a more casual 'hey' or 'hi', you can use the slang versions 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰. Another casual way to get someone's attention is 嘿, which is the equivalent of saying 'hey' in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你好 literally means 'you good'.
Which one should you use?
Use 您好 instead of 你好 when addressing someone of higher status, an elder or in a formal professional setting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For extra respect in formal situations, use 您好. The terms 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰 are considered slang.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Southern regions, particularly Cantonese-speaking areas, 早 is used to mean 'good morning'. The form сэляму is used in Dungan, and 你好 is used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 你好 is nǐ hǎo.
Did you know?
- In many Chinese-speaking social circles, people often skip 'hi' entirely and instead ask 'Have you eaten?' (你吃了吗?) as a way to show care and greet someone.
- When using 您好 for high-status individuals, the 'you' part is replaced with a character that incorporates the 'heart' radical, literally addressing the person's heart.
- The character 海 in the phonetic construction of 嗨 means 'sea' or 'ocean', which has nothing to do with the concept of a greeting.
Examples in context
- 你好！我叫汤姆。你叫什么？Hi, my name is Tom. What is yours?This sentence is useful for introducing yourself using 你好.Tatoeba #10019632 by GlossaMatik, translation #7519132 by CK
- 你好。Hi.This sentence shows a simple use of 你好.Tatoeba #4857568 by musclegirlxyp, translation #538123 by CM
- 你好，好久不見。Hi, long time no see.This sentence shows how to use 你好 when greeting someone after a long time.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jia Yi meets Wei on the street.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你好，伟！Nǐ hǎo, Wěi!Hi, Wei!
- 伟 Wei你好，佳怡。Nǐ hǎo, Jiāyí.Hi, Jia Yi.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你最近怎么样？Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?How have you been lately?
- 伟 Wei我很好，谢谢。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè.I am very well, thanks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries 你好, 你好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 哈囉, 嗨, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
