Greetings
How to say “hello” in Chinese
The standard way to say hello in Mandarin Chinese is “你好” (nǐ hǎo). It means literally “you good” and works with anyone, at any time of day. When two third tones come together, the first one is pronounced as a second tone, so it sounds like “ní hǎo”.
In Chinese
你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello
Other ways to say “hello”
-
您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
The respectful form for elders, teachers and customers.
-
大家好
dàjiā hǎo
Hello, everyone
For a group, for example when you start a talk.
-
嗨
hāi
Hi
Casual, borrowed from english; common among young people.
-
喂
wéi
Hello (on the phone)
How people answer or start a phone call.
Example sentences
-
你好，我叫小明。
nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào xiǎomíng.
Hello, my name is Xiaoming.
-
老师好！
lǎoshī hǎo!
Hello, teacher!
-
你好，请问洗手间在哪儿？
nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?
Hello, excuse me, where is the bathroom?
How to reply
你好！
nǐ hǎo!
Hello!
Good to know
- “你好” is polite and neutral. With someone older or more senior, use “您好”.
- In writing and speech Chinese people often greet by time of day instead: 早上好 (good morning), 晚上好 (good evening).
Questions about “hello” in Chinese
How do you say “hello” in Chinese?
“hello” in Chinese is “你好” (Hello). It is written in pinyin as nǐ hǎo. You can also say “您好”, “大家好”, “嗨”.
How do you pronounce “你好” in Chinese?
“你好” is pronounced nǐ hǎo. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “hello” in Chinese?
“您好” (Hello (polite)): the respectful form for elders, teachers and customers. “大家好” (Hello, everyone): for a group, for example when you start a talk. “嗨” (Hi): casual, borrowed from English; common among young people. “喂” (Hello (on the phone)): how people answer or start a phone call.
How do you reply to “你好”?
A natural reply is “你好！” (Hello!).
Practise it, don't just read it.
Play short games with real Chinese sentences and audio, free on the web and in the Pinglingo app.