你好
nǐ hǎo/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
The English phrase "hola" is translated into Chinese as 你好 (nǐ hǎo).
你好 is a common way to say hello in almost any situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the words for 'you' (你) and 'good' (好).
Which one should you use?
While 你好 is used for a single person, if you want to greet a group of people, you should use 你们好.
How does it change in a sentence?
To create a more formal or polite version of the greeting, you can replace the word 你 with the respectful form 您.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ hǎo
Did you know?
- While 你好 is the standard greeting, Chinese speakers often greet friends by asking 你吃了吗？, which means 'Have you eaten?' This is not a dinner invitation but a way of showing care and saying hello.
- When greeting someone over the phone, Chinese speakers do not typically start with 你好 but instead use 喂 (wéi), which sounds like a short 'way' or 'hey'.
- The word for 'good' 好 is a phono-semantic compound combining the characters for 'woman' 女 and 'child' 子. Historically, this combination represented the ideal of a mother and child together.
Examples in context
- 你好！我很高兴认识你。Hello! I'm pleased to meet you.
- 您好，请问您需要什么帮助吗？Hello. May I ask if you need any assistance?
- 嗨，最近过得怎么样？Hi, how have you been lately?
- 您好吗？最近工作忙不忙？How are you? Have you been busy with work lately?
- 你好。Nǐ hǎo.Hello.
- 你好，请问现在几点？Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn xiànzài jǐ diǎn?Hello, may I ask what time it is now?
- 老师，你好。Lǎoshī, nǐ hǎo.Hello, teacher.
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Wei meet each other on the street.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你好，伟！Nǐ hǎo, Wěi!Hello, Wei!
- 伟 Wei你好，晓雯。Nǐ hǎo, Xiǎowén.Hello, Xiaowen.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你最近好吗？Nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma?How have you been lately?
- 伟 Wei我很好，谢谢。Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè.I am very well, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 你好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
