How to Say “Hi” in Chinese: A Complete Guide for All Situations

Learning how to greet someone in Chinese is essential for travelers, business professionals, and language learners. The most common way to say “hi” in Mandarin Chinese is “Nǐ hǎo” (你好), but there are many variations depending on the situation, relationship, and formality.

This guide covers:
✅ Basic Greetings (Formal & Casual)
✅ Greetings for Friends & Family
✅ Time-Specific Greetings
✅ Regional Variations
✅ Pronunciation Tips

1. The Most Common Way to Say “Hi” in Chinese

Nǐ hǎo (你好) – “Hello” (Standard & Neutral)

• Usage: Suitable for most situations (formal and informal).

• Breakdown:

  • Nǐ (你) = You

  • Hǎo (好) = Good

• Example:

  • Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ jiào Lǐ Huá. (你好！我叫李华。) → “Hello! My name is Li Hua.”

Nǐmen hǎo (你们好) – “Hello” (Plural)

• Usage: When greeting a group of people.

• Breakdown:

  • Nǐmen (你们) = You (plural)

  • Hǎo (好) = Good

2. Casual & Friendly Ways to Say “Hi”

Hāi / Hēi (嗨 / 嘿) – “Hi” or “Hey” (Very Informal)

• Usage: With close friends, peers, or younger people.

• Example:

  • Hāi! Zuìjìn zěnmeyàng? (嗨！最近怎么样？) → “Hey! How have you been?”

Nǐ hǎo ma? (你好吗？) – “How are you?” (Polite)

• Common Reply:

  • Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie! (我很好，谢谢！) → “I’m good, thanks!”

3. Time-Specific Greetings

Example:

• Zǎoshang hǎo! Jīntiān tiānqì zhēn hǎo. (早上好！今天天气真好。) → “Good morning! The weather is nice today.”

4. Greetings for Friends & Family

Lǎojià (老家) – “Long time no see!” (Casual)

• Usage: When meeting an old friend.

• Example:

  • Lǎojià! Zuìjìn máng shénme? (老家！最近忙什么？) → “Long time no see! What have you been up to?”

Chīle ma? (吃了吗？) – “Have you eaten?” (Very Casual)

• Usage: A friendly, common greeting (no need to answer literally).

• Example:

  • Chīle ma? Yīqǐ qù chīfàn ba! (吃了吗？一起去吃饭吧！) → “Have you eaten? Let’s grab food together!”

5. Formal & Business Greetings

Nín hǎo (您好) – “Hello” (Respectful)

• Usage: For elders, bosses, or formal situations.

• Breakdown:

  • Nín (您) = Polite “you”

  • Hǎo (好) = Good

Qǐngwèn… (请问…) – “May I ask…?” (Polite)

• Usage: When asking for help or directions.

• Example:

  • Qǐngwèn, cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? (请问，厕所在哪里？) → “Excuse me, where is the restroom?”

6. Regional Variations

7. Pronunciation Tips

• Nǐ hǎo (你好) → “Nee how” (Not “knee how”)

• Tones Matter! Mandarin is tonal:

  • Nǐ (你) = 3rd tone (falling then rising)

  • Hǎo (好) = 3rd tone (but often flattens in speech)

• Listen & Repeat: Use apps like HelloChinese or Pleco for practice.

1. Chinese Pinyin Alphabet (Pronunciation Guide)

(Mandarin uses Romanized “Pinyin” for pronunciation)

2. Essential Daily Words

3. Daily Communication Sentences

Greetings

• English: Good morning!
  Chinese: 早上好！
  Pinyin: Zǎoshang hǎo!

• English: How are you?
  Chinese: 你好吗？
  Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo ma?

Basic Questions

• English: What is your name?
  Chinese: 你叫什么名字？
  Pinyin: Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

• English: Where is the restroom?
  Chinese: 厕所在哪里？
  Pinyin: Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?

Shopping/Eating

• English: How much is this?
  Chinese: 这个多少钱？
  Pinyin: Zhège duōshǎo qián?

• English: I want to order this.
  Chinese: 我要点这个。
  Pinyin: Wǒ yào diǎn zhège.

Emergency Phrases

• English: I need help!
  Chinese: 我需要帮助！
  Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào bāngzhù!

• English: Call the police!
  Chinese: 叫警察！
  Pinyin: Jiào jǐngchá!

4. Tone Rules (Critical for Pronunciation)

Mandarin has 4 tones + neutral:

1. First tone (ā) – High & flat (e.g., 妈 mā – “mom”)

2. Second tone (á) – Rising (e.g., 麻 má – “hemp”)

3. Third tone (ǎ) – Falls then rises (e.g., 马 mǎ – “horse”)

4. Fourth tone (à) – Sharp fall (e.g., 骂 mà – “scold”)

5. Neutral (no mark) – Light & quick (e.g., 吗 ma – question marker)

5. Practice Tips

1. Use apps: Duolingo, HelloChinese, Pleco

2. Watch shows: With Chinese subtitles (e.g., Netflix’s The Untamed)

3. Speak daily: Even simple phrases like 谢谢 (xièxie) help!

People Also Ask

1. How do you say “hello” in Chinese?

✅ Answer: The standard greeting is “Nǐ hǎo” (你好). For formal situations, use “Nín hǎo” (您好).
📌 Source: BBC Languages – Chinese Greetings

2. What is the easiest Chinese word to learn?

✅ Answer: “Hǎo” (好) meaning “good” is simple and versatile (e.g., “Nǐ hǎo” = hello, “Hǎo ma?” = OK?).
📌 Source: FluentU – Basic Chinese Words

3. How many tones are in Mandarin Chinese?

✅ Answer: Mandarin has 4 tones + 1 neutral tone, which change word meanings (e.g., “mā” (mom) vs. “mà” (scold)).
📌 Source: Yale University – Chinese Tones

4. Is “xiè xie” the only way to say thank you?

✅ Answer: No! Alternatives:

• “Gǎnxiè” (感谢) – More formal

• “Duōxiè” (多谢) – Southern China/Cantonese
  📌 Source: ChineseClass101 – Thank You Phrases

5. What’s the difference between “nǐ” and “nín”?

✅ Answer:

• “Nǐ” (你) = Casual “you” (friends)

• “Nín” (您) = Formal/polite “you” (elders, bosses)
  📌 Source: Confucius Institute – Polite Forms

6. How do you say “I love you” in Chinese?

✅ Answer: “Wǒ ài nǐ” (我爱你) – but Chinese culture often shows love through actions rather than words.
📌 Source: The Chairman’s Bao – Love Phrases

7. Can I learn Chinese without writing characters?

✅ Answer: Yes! Start with Pinyin (Romanized Chinese), but learning characters helps long-term fluency.
📌 Source: Hacking Chinese – Pinyin Guide

8. What does “wǒ bù zhīdào” mean?

✅ Answer: It means “I don’t know” (我不知道) – a useful phrase for beginners.
📌 Source: DigMandarin – Essential Phrases

9. How do you say numbers 1-10 in Chinese?

✅ Answer:

1. 一 (yī)

2. 二 (èr)

3. 三 (sān)
   … up to 10. 十 (shí)
   📌 Source: ChineseNumbers.guide

10. Why does Chinese have no alphabet?

✅ Answer: Chinese uses logographic characters (each represents meaning/sound) instead of phonetic letters. Pinyin helps learners pronounce them.
📌 Source: MIT – Chinese Writing System

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