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 |
The most common and standard way to say 'hi' is 你好. If you wish to ask someone how they are doing while greeting them, you can use 你好嗎. You may also encounter 嗨 or 哈囉 / 哈啰, which are informal versions or phonetic transliterations of the English 'hi' or 'hello' used among friends and peers.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你好 is composed of 你 (you) and 好 (good/well), literally meaning 'you good'.
Which one should you use?
While 你好 is the standard greeting, 您好 is a more polite version used specifically to show respect to elders or people of higher status. For a more casual, slang-heavy approach, 嗨 or 哈囉 / 哈啰 are used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations involving elders or superiors, use 您好. In very informal settings, such as among friends, you can use 嗨 or 哈囉 / 哈啰.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, 你好 is pronounced as Léih hó. Additionally, the form сэляму is used in Dungan.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 你好 is nǐ hǎo.
Did you know?
- While 你好 is the standard 'hi', Chinese speakers often greet acquaintances by asking if they have eaten yet 你吃了吗, which functions as a friendly greeting rather than a literal invitation to dinner.
- The Dungan language uses the form сэляму, which is a reflection of the influence of Islamic greetings like 'As-salamu alaykum' on this Sinitic language.
- In some regions, the phrase 你好 is not used as a greeting among close friends, as it can sound unexpectedly formal or distant, almost like a 'cold' 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 demonstrates 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 you haven't seen in a while.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Haoran run into each other at a cafe.
- 梓涵 Zihan你好，浩然！Nǐ hǎo, Hàorán!Hi, Haoran!
- 浩然 Haoran你好，梓涵。最近怎么样？Nǐ hǎo, Zǐhán. Zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?Hi, Zihan. How have you been lately?
- 梓涵 Zihan还不错，谢谢。Hái bùcuò, xièxiè.Not bad, thanks.
- 浩然 Haoran那就好。Nà jiù hǎo.That's good to hear.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries 你好, 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.
