你好
nǐ hǎostandard, one person
"Nihao" is the way English writes the Mandarin greeting 你好 (nǐ hǎo), "hello", without the tone marks or the space. To greet several people say 你们好 (nǐmen hǎo) or 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo).
Meaning: greeting written "nihao" without tone marks (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | standard, one person |
| 你们好 | nǐmen hǎo | standard, several people |
| 大家好 | dàjiā hǎo | group |
Visitors often use 你好 (nǐ hǎo) first, and it is polite and clear in any setting. For respect, change it to 您好 (nín hǎo).
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as "nee how". Both syllables are in the third tone, and the first rises to a second tone when they sit together.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying 你好 (nǐ hǎo) to a close friend or to someone you meet several times a day can sound stiff, so many people use a quick wave or a different phrase instead.
Did you know?
- The word 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is a modern everyday greeting that spread widely in the 20th century.
Examples in context
- 你好！nǐ hǎoHello!
- 你们好，欢迎。nǐmen hǎo, huānyíngHello everyone, welcome.
Example conversation
Anna introduces herself to a group of classmates on her first day in Shanghai.
- Anna大家好，我是安娜。dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì ĀnnàHello everyone, I am Anna.
- Classmates你好，安娜！nǐ hǎo, ĀnnàHello, Anna!
- Anna很高兴认识你们。hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐmenNice to meet you all.
