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 |
你好 is a versatile greeting used both as a standalone greeting and as an opening to a sentence. For more specific time-based greetings in formal settings, you might use 早上好 (good morning), 下午好 (good afternoon) or 晚上好 (good evening). You can also ask someone how they have been lately by saying 你最近好吗.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你好 consists of 你 (you) and 好 (good/well).
Which one should you use?
While 你好 is the standard greeting, 您好 is used to show respect to elders or superiors by using the polite form of 'you'. In slang contexts, 嗨 哈囉 / 哈啰 is used to say 'hi'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more informal 'hey' among friends or when addressing someone younger, you can use 嘿. For formal time-specific greetings, use 早上好 (good morning), 下午好 (good afternoon) or 晚上好 (good evening).
Is it said differently in some regions?
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?
- While 你好 is the standard translation for 'hi', native speakers often greet friends by asking 吃了吗 ('Have you eaten?'). In this context, the question is a friendly greeting rather than a literal inquiry about your meal.
- The Dungan word сэляму used for greeting is actually a phonetic adaptation of the Arabic greeting 'Salam', reflecting the Islamic heritage of the Dungan people.
- The word 嗨 is not only a borrowing from 'hi' but can also be a borrowing from the English word 'high', often used in slang to describe a state of excitement or euphoria.
Examples in context
- 你好！我叫汤姆。你叫什么？Hi, my name is Tom. What is yours?This example shows how to use 你好 to introduce yourself.Tatoeba #10019632 by GlossaMatik, translation #7519132 by CK
- 你好。Hi.This is a simple use of 你好 as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #4857568 by musclegirlxyp, translation #538123 by CM
- 你好，好久不見。Hi, long time no see.This example uses 你好 to greet someone after a long time.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Zhiqiang meet in a coffee shop.
- 梓涵 Zihan你好，志强！Nǐ hǎo, Zhìqiáng!Hi, Zhiqiang!
- 志强 Zhiqiang你好，梓涵。Nǐ hǎo, Zǐhán.Hi, Zihan.
- 梓涵 Zihan你最近怎么样？Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?How have you been lately?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我还好，谢谢。Wǒ hái hǎo, xièxiè.I'm doing 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.
