Chinese phrases
How to say hello in Chinese
Hello in Chinese is 你好 (nǐ hǎo). It’s the safe choice with anyone you meet for the first time.
你好
hello
Two third tones in a row: the first one rises, so you say ní hǎo.
Ways to say hello
你好
Everydayhello
With people your age you don’t know yet: a classmate, a shop assistant, someone at a language exchange.
您好
Formalhello (polite)
To older people, customers and anyone you want to show respect to. Shop staff and hotel desks say it to you.
早
Everydaymorning!
The quick hello before about 10 a.m. Neighbours and coworkers say it all the time.
嗨
With friendshi
With friends. It comes from English and sounds young and relaxed.
哈喽
With friendshello (from English)
Playful. Common in chats and among younger people.
在吗
Textingare you there?
How many people open a WeChat chat. Say what you want in the same message: a lone 在吗 makes people wait.
喂
On the phonehello? (on the phone)
Only when you answer or start a phone call. Dictionaries give wèi, but on the phone people say wéi, with a rising tone.
Common mistakes
Saying 你好 to your friends
Between friends, 你好 sounds stiff, a bit like “Good day to you.” Friends use your name, say 嗨, or skip the hello and ask 干嘛呢.
Two full third tones
When two third tones meet, the first one rises: ní hǎo, not nǐ hǎo. The same happens in 你好吗 and 很好.
Using 喂 to call someone over
喂 is for the phone. Face to face it sounds like “hey, you!” To get a waiter’s attention, say 你好 or 服务员.
At a language exchange
你好！
Leon: Hello!
你好！你是新来的吗？
Qiqi: Hi! Are you new here?
对，我叫里昂。
Leon: Yes, my name’s Leon.
