Free guide · With pinyin

How to say hello in Chinese

Hello in Chinese is 你好 nǐ hǎo, said ní hǎo. Here are 24 greetings people really use, from good morning to goodbye, and when to say each one.

Saying hello

  • 你好 nǐ hǎosaid ní hǎo helloThe everyday hello, to anyone.
  • 您好 nín hǎo hello (polite)To an older person, a customer or someone you respect.
  • 大家好 dà jiā hǎo hello, everyoneTo a room or a group, as at the start of a talk or a video.
  • 嗨 hāi hiCasual, between friends and in messages.
  • 喂 wéi hello?Answering the phone.

By the time of day

  • 早 zǎo morning!The short morning hello, to friends, family and neighbours.
  • 早上好 zǎo shang hǎo good morningA little more polite, as at work or school.
  • 下午好 xià wǔ hǎo good afternoonFormal, from a host, a teacher or a shop.
  • 晚上好 wǎn shang hǎo good eveningFormal, as at an event or on air.
  • 晚安 wǎn ān good nightGoing to bed, or the last message of the day. Not a hello.

Asking how someone is

  • 最近怎么样？ zuì jìn zěn me yàng? how have you been?To someone you haven’t seen for a while.
  • 好久不见 hǎo jiǔ bú jiànsaid háo jiǔ bú jiàn long time no seeMeeting a friend after a long time.
  • 吃了吗？ chī le ma? have you eaten?A friendly hello around mealtimes, not an invitation. Answer 吃了 “I have”.
  • 你好吗？ nǐ hǎo ma?said ní hǎo ma? how are you?In textbooks. Friends more often ask 最近怎么样？

Answering

  • 挺好的 tǐng hǎo desaid tíng hǎo de pretty goodThe usual friendly answer.
  • 还行 hái xíng not badFine, nothing special.
  • 老样子 lǎo yàng zi same as alwaysNothing new.
  • 很好 hěn hǎosaid hén hǎo very wellThe textbook answer to 你好吗？

Saying goodbye

  • 再见 zài jiàn goodbyeThe everyday goodbye.
  • 拜拜 bái bái bye-byeCasual, from the English “bye-bye”, very common.
  • 回头见 huí tóu jiàn see you laterWhen you will see them again soon.
  • 明天见 míng tiān jiàn see you tomorrowAny day works: 周一见 is “see you Monday”.
  • 慢走 màn zǒu take careA host to a guest who is leaving.
  • 保重 bǎo zhòng take care of yourselfFor a long parting, as before a trip.

Tones change in 你好

When two third tones meet, the first is said as a second tone: 你好 is written nǐ hǎo and said ní hǎo. The same happens in 你好吗, 好久不见 and 很好. The rows above show how each one is said when it changes. Why tones are hard has more.

你 or 您

您 is the polite “you”. Use 您好 with older people, teachers, customers and anyone you want to show respect to, and 你好 with everyone else. Among friends, people often skip the hello and use the name, or a greeting that fits the moment.

Questions

How do you say hello in Chinese?

Say 你好 (nǐ hǎo). Two third tones in a row change, so it is said ní hǎo. To someone older or a customer, say 您好 (nín hǎo), and to a group, 大家好 (dà jiā hǎo).

How do you say goodbye in Chinese?

再见 (zài jiàn) is the everyday goodbye, and 拜拜 (bái bái) the casual one. 回头见 (huí tóu jiàn) is “see you later” and 明天见 (míng tiān jiàn) “see you tomorrow”.

Do Chinese people say 你好吗?

It is in every textbook, but friends more often ask 最近怎么样？ (zuì jìn zěn me yàng?, “how have you been?”) or simply say hello and talk.

Why do people ask 吃了吗?

“Have you eaten?” is a friendly hello around mealtimes, the way English asks “how’s it going?”. It is not an invitation; answer 吃了 (chī le), “I have”, or 还没 (hái méi), “not yet”.

More free tools

Tone practice: say a word and see your tones. Family members: what to call every relative. Dates and time: any date and time, said in Chinese. Read any Mandarin: point at a word for its meaning.