What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 你 (you), 好 (good) and the question particle 吗.
Which one should you use?
你好吗 is a specific inquiry into a person's state, whereas 你好 is a standard, neutral greeting used to initiate contact. For a more informal or colloquial tone, you can use 你怎么样 to ask how someone is doing or 最近好吗 to ask how someone has been lately.
How does it change in a sentence?
To show respect to elders or superiors, the polite form of 'you' (您) is substituted into the phrase to create 您好吗.
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ hǎo ma
When do people say it?
When responding to 你好吗, common answers include 我很好 (I am very well) or 还不错 (not bad). If you have not seen someone for a long time, you might say 好久不见，近来怎么样? (long time no see, how have you been?). You might also encounter the question 最近过得怎么样? (how have you been lately?).
Did you know?
- The character 好 used in 你好吗 is composed of the radicals for 'woman' and 'child', reflecting an ancient cultural view that a woman with a child represents the ideal of 'goodness'.
- Instead of asking 'how are you', many Chinese speakers greet friends by asking 'Have you eaten?' using 吃了吗.
- If you use 你好吗 with a stranger, it can feel much more heavy or intimate than the English 'how are you', almost as if you are asking about their soul.
Examples in context
- 晚上好，你好吗？Good evening, how are you?This example shows how to use 你好吗 after a time-of-day greeting.Tatoeba #545888 by sysko, translation #413820 by Dorenda
- 你好苏珊，你好吗？Hi, Susan. How are you?This example shows how to use 你好吗 when addressing someone by name.Tatoeba #2575657 by sans, translation #54605 by CN
- 你好吗？How are you doing?This example shows the standalone use of 你好吗.Tatoeba #475781 by minshirui, translation #38926 by Zifre
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends meet by chance on the street.
- 伟 Wei晓雯，好久不见，你好吗？Xiǎowén, hǎojiǔ bùjiàn, nǐ hǎo ma?Xiaowen, long time no see, how are you?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我很好，你呢？Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?I am very well, and you?
- 伟 Wei我也很好，谢谢。Wǒ yě hěn hǎo, xièxie.I am also very well, thanks.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen很高兴见到你。Hěn gāoxìng jiàndào nǐ.It is very nice to see you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
