你好
nǐ hǎo/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
ni hao is the Chinese way to say hello.
你好 is a general greeting used when meeting someone. While it is a standard way to say hello, it is less common among close friends or family members than in English, where speakers might prefer using specific names or titles.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the pronoun 你 (you) and the adjective 好 (good).
Which one should you use?
The standard 你好 is used for general situations and with people of a similar age, whereas 您好 is used specifically to show respect to elders or superiors.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, especially in the south, the phrase 吃饭了吗？ is sometimes used as an alternative way of saying hello.
How does it change in a sentence?
To show respect to an elder or a superior, use 您好 (nín hǎo) instead of 你好 (nǐ hǎo).
How do you pronounce it?
/ni²¹⁴⁻³⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Did you know?
- In the polite version 您好, the character for 'you' 您 contains the character for 'heart' 心 at the bottom.
- Unlike in some other East Asian cultures, a full bow is not a standard part of modern Chinese greeting customs when saying 你好.
- Among young people in urban China, it is quite common to hear the English words 'Hi' or 'Hello' used instead of the traditional 你好. This serves as a casual, modern way to greet peers.
Examples in context
- 你好。nǐ hǎo.Hello.
- 老师，你好。lǎoshī, nǐ hǎo.Hello, teacher.
- 你好，请问你是张先生吗？nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn nǐ shì Zhāng xiānsheng ma?Hello, excuse me, are you Mr. Zhang?
Example conversation
At a coffee shop, Zhiqiang meets Zihan.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你好，梓涵！nǐ hǎo, Zǐhán!Hello, Zihan!
- 梓涵 Zihan志强，你好！Zhìqiáng, nǐ hǎo!Zhiqiang, hello!
- 志强 Zhiqiang你最近好吗？nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma?How have you been lately?
- 梓涵 Zihan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.
