Do you know how to greet someone in Chinese? Greeting someone is important — it’s the first thing we do when we first meet someone new! In English, we have many greetings, from the casual "hey” or “howdy” to the more formal “how are you doing?,”“hello,” or “good afternoon.” Chinese has similar greetings. If your child is learning Chinese, knowing how to properly greet a new person is an essential part of their Chinese vocabulary toolkit.
Let’s dive in!
1. Good morning: 早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo) or 早安 (zǎo ān)
“Good morning” is one of the most popular greetings, and in Chinese it’s an appropriate greeting for anyone. However, there is both a formal and causal way to say good morning.
早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo) is the formal way of saying “good morning.” This is the greeting your child should use when addressing their teachers and other adults.
早安 (zǎo ān) is the informal way of saying “ood morning. This is the greeting your child should use when addressing their family and friends.
For both greetings, the most common reply is to say it back.
You: 早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo)!
Them: 早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo)!
2. Good afternoon: 中午好 (zhōng wǔ hǎ) or 午安 (wǔ ān)
中午好 (zhōng wǔ hǎo) or 午安 (wǔ ān) means “good afternoon.” Just like “good morning,” there is a formal and informal way of saying it.
中午好 (zhōng wǔ hǎo)is the formal way of saying “good afternoon.” Your child can use this greeting when addressing their teacher or other adults. It is the most appropriate greeting to use in the classroom.
午安 (wǔ ān) is the informal way of saying “good afternoon.” This greeting your child should use when addressing their friends.
For both greetings, the most common reply is to say it back.
You: 午安 (wǔ ān)!
Them: 午安 (wǔ ān)!
3. Good evening: 晚上好 (wǎn shàng hǎo) or 晚安 (wǎn ān)
These greetings mean “good night.” Most people use ‘晚安 (wǎn ān)’ to say “goodnight”or “Goodbye.” It is also a more informal greeting and is appropriate to say to neighbors, family, and friends.
晚上好 (wǎn shàng hǎo) is a formal greeting and can also be used for “goodnight’ or “goodbye.” It can be used when addressing teachers and other adults.
For both greetings, the most common reply is to say it back.
You: 晚上好 (wǎn shàng hǎo)!
Them: 晚上好 (wǎn shàng hǎo)!
4. How are you?:你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma?)
你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma?) I’m sure this is the greeting you are most familiar with, right? 你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma?) is the most used greeting in Chinese and its one of the first phrases you learn. Essentially, it means: “how are you?”Nǐ hǎo ma is a greeting that you can use in any social setting.
There is a very formal version of “how are you?”. All you need to do is to replace 你nǐ (you) with the formal version of you 您nǐn in the greeting, 您好吗? (nǐn hǎo ma?). However, the greeting isn’t as popular and is only meant for very formal settings.
There are many ways to respond to “how are you?”你好吗? (nǐ hǎo ma?) and we’ve included some of the most popular responses below:
Them:
你好吗? nǐ hǎo ma? How are you? You:
I am fine/good.
我很好. Wǒ hěn hǎo This is the most common response. Just like in English when people ask, “how are you?” people expect a positive response. Chinese is no different.
I am doing okay.
我还行. Wǒ hái xíng. This is also a common response and does not have a positive or negative meaning. It is like saying that you are doing “so-so” or “okay”.
I am not doing well.
我不好！
Wǒ bù hǎo!
T
his is a negative response and not very common at all. If your child isn’t shy at expressing themselves when they are having a bad day, this can become their “go-to” bad day response.
Once your child has told their friend how they are doing, it’s always nice to ask how the other person is doing. They just need to say 你呢？‘Nǐ ne’, which means “and you?”.
5. Nice to meet you: 见到你我很高兴 (jiàn dào nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng)
You’ve just introduced yourself to someone new, but don’t know what to say. “Nice to meet you” 见到你我很高兴 (jiàn dào nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng) to the rescue! This greeting works for both formal and informal social settings and is a commonly used phrase.
It’s a great way for your child to acknowledge a new person they just met and transition the conversation to more interesting topics like colors or their favorite fruit.
Here’s a quick look at how it is commonly used in a conversation:
Bob:
你好吗？
nǐ hǎo ma?
How are you?
T
om:
我很好.
Wǒ hěn hǎo
I’m doing fine.
Bob:
我叫Bob。你呢？
Wǒ jiào Bob. Nǐ ne?
My name is Bob. And you?
Tom:
我叫Tom。
Wǒ jiào Tom.
My name is Tom.
Bob:
见到你很高兴！
jiàn dào nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng
Nice to meet you!
6. Welcome: 欢迎光临 (huānyíng guānglín)
This greeting means “welcome”. If you ever travel to China, you will notice the hostess saying “welcome” or 欢迎光临 (huānyíng guānglín) as you enter a restaurant, hotel, or store. It is a common phrase in China and gives respect to guests as they enter an establishment.
The best way for your child to use this phrase is when you have guests, family, or friends enter your home. As they are the host, they can politely say ‘欢迎光临(huānyíng guānglín)’ to welcome them. The phrase is formal and polite, but that doesn’t make it awkward to use with family or friends. By saying, ‘欢迎光临 (huānyíng guānglín),’ they are showing respect to your guests and learning basic etiquette in Chinese.
How to Greet Someone in Chinese: FAQs
Q1: What are some natural ways to greet someone in Chinese besides just “你好 (nǐ hǎo)”?
While “你好 (nǐ hǎo)” is the standard and correct greeting, native speakers often use other phrases depending on the context.
For strangers or elders: Use “您好 (nín hǎo)”, which is a more formal and respectful version of "你好."
For friends or peers: Use “嗨 (hāi)” or “嘿 (hēi)”, which are borrowed from English and are very common and casual, especially among younger people.
When answering the phone: The standard greeting is “喂 (wéi)”.
Q2: How do I ask someone “How are you?” in Chinese?
The direct translation, “你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma)?”, is grammatically correct but rarely used in everyday conversation. More natural greetings often act as a way to check in without expecting a detailed response.
“最近怎么样？” (zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?) - This is the most common and versatile way to ask, meaning "How have things been recently?"
“你吃了吗？” (nǐ chī le ma?) - Literally "Have you eaten yet?" This is a very common, traditional greeting, especially in the north, that expresses genuine care. It’s not a literal question about food but a way of saying "hello."
“去哪儿啊？” (qù nǎr a?) - A casual greeting used when you unexpectedly run into a friend or acquaintance, meaning "Where are you heading?"
Q3: What are the greetings for different times of the day?
Similar to English, Chinese has specific greetings for different times, though some are used more frequently than others.
In the morning (6:00 - 9:00 AM): “早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo)”.
Around noon (12:00 PM): “中午好 (zhōngwǔ hǎo)”.
In the afternoon (1:00 - 6:00 PM): “下午好 (xiàwǔ hǎo)”.
In the evening (after 6:00 PM): “晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo)”.
"早上好" and "晚上好" are very common, while "中午好" and "下午好" are a bit more formal and are sometimes skipped in casual conversations.
Q4: Are there any cultural etiquette tips I should know about?
Yes, understanding the cultural context can make your greetings much more authentic and respectful.
Use Titles: In Chinese culture, using a person's title is often more important and respectful than saying “你好.” For example, you would say “老师好 (lǎoshī hǎo)” to a teacher or “王经理好 (wáng jīnglǐ hǎo)” to Manager Wang.
Eye Contact: Unlike in many Western cultures, direct, prolonged eye contact when greeting a stranger or elder is not a cultural norm and can sometimes be seen as rude. A simple smile or nod is often enough.
Context is King: Many greetings in Chinese are context-dependent and are not based on a set formula. A simple nod of the head, a smile, or a brief acknowledgment like “来了 (lái le)” (You're here) can serve as a perfectly valid greeting.
If you want to know and learn other greeting words in Mandarin, you can learn them at LingoAce!
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