How to Say Hello in Chinese
Tell one person "nǐ hǎo.", Be more formal with "nín hǎo., Greet a group with "nǐmén hǎo., Answer the phone with "wéi."
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Tell one person "nǐ hǎo."
The standard way of greeting someone is in Chinese with this informal Mandarin "hello." Translated directly, the phrase means something along the lines of "you good?" In Chinese script, this greeting is written as 你好.
This greeting is roughly pronounced as knee how" "Ni" in this case is pronounced as a second/rising tone because it is located before another third tone word. "He" is a third tone word (the pitch of your voice should dip slightly and then rise to a higher pitch). -
Step 2: Be more formal with "nín hǎo.
"This greeting shares the same meaning as "nǐ hǎo," but it is a little more polite than its counterpart.
Even though this phrase is more formal, it is not as common as "nǐ hǎo." "Nin" is the polite form of "you"
but this formality can indicate a distance between you and the speaker.
In Chinese script, this greeting is written as 您好.
A rough pronunciation of nín hǎo is Neen how". "Nina" is a second (rising) tone. ,"You should switch to this greeting when saying hello to more than one person.
The term "nǐmén" is a plural form of "nǐ," meaning "you." In Chinese script, write nǐmén hǎo as 你们好.
A rough pronunciation would be knee-men how". "Ni" is a third tone here, which should be connected with the particle men (second tone) after it. , When answering or calling someone on the telephone, say "hello" as "wéi." Note that wéi is not usually used as a greeting in person.
It is generally restricted to telephone conversations.
In Chinese script, wéi is written as 喂.
A rough pronunciation of wéi is a way.
This can be pronounced in a second tone as a question or a fourth (falling) tone to get someone's attention. -
Step 3: Greet a group with "nǐmén hǎo.
-
Step 4: Answer the phone with "wéi."
Detailed Guide
The standard way of greeting someone is in Chinese with this informal Mandarin "hello." Translated directly, the phrase means something along the lines of "you good?" In Chinese script, this greeting is written as 你好.
This greeting is roughly pronounced as knee how" "Ni" in this case is pronounced as a second/rising tone because it is located before another third tone word. "He" is a third tone word (the pitch of your voice should dip slightly and then rise to a higher pitch).
"This greeting shares the same meaning as "nǐ hǎo," but it is a little more polite than its counterpart.
Even though this phrase is more formal, it is not as common as "nǐ hǎo." "Nin" is the polite form of "you"
but this formality can indicate a distance between you and the speaker.
In Chinese script, this greeting is written as 您好.
A rough pronunciation of nín hǎo is Neen how". "Nina" is a second (rising) tone. ,"You should switch to this greeting when saying hello to more than one person.
The term "nǐmén" is a plural form of "nǐ," meaning "you." In Chinese script, write nǐmén hǎo as 你们好.
A rough pronunciation would be knee-men how". "Ni" is a third tone here, which should be connected with the particle men (second tone) after it. , When answering or calling someone on the telephone, say "hello" as "wéi." Note that wéi is not usually used as a greeting in person.
It is generally restricted to telephone conversations.
In Chinese script, wéi is written as 喂.
A rough pronunciation of wéi is a way.
This can be pronounced in a second tone as a question or a fourth (falling) tone to get someone's attention.
About the Author
Virginia Gonzalez
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: