5 Most Common Ways to Say Hello in Chinese
Let’s explore the most common ways to say “hello” in Mandarin 👋
1. Nǐ hǎo!
Nǐ hǎo!
Hello!
(lit.) you-good
The most common way to say hello in Chinese is 你好 (nǐ hǎo). In this word, “你 nǐ” means “you”, and “好 hǎo” means “good”.
If you want to be more formal, say 您好 (nín hǎo) to show respect, especially to elders or in professional settings.
2. Nǐmen hǎo!
你们好!
Nǐmen hǎo!
Hello everyone!
(to a group of people)
This makes it useful when greeting a group of people.
3. Gè wèi hǎo!
Gè wèi hǎo!
Hello everyone!
The meaning of 各位好 (gè wèi hǎo) is similar to 你们好 (nǐmen hǎo). However, 各位 is closer to “everyone” or “all the people” in English. This makes 各位好 (gè wèi hǎo) a polite way to say “hello, everyone.”
🤓 The most common situation where you can use this word is when you would like to say hello to your new colleagues after arriving at your new workplace on the first day.
You can also use 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo), which means “hello, everyone”, and it’s a one more good way to greet a group of people.
4. Hāi! Hēi!
Hāi!
Hi!
Today, many young people in China enjoy talking with people from other countries to learn about different cultures. Because of this, they often use foreign words in casual conversations.
You can simply say 嗨 (hāi) or 嘿 (hēi) — these sound like the English words “hi” and “hey” and are commonly used in spoken Chinese.
5. Zǎo
Zǎo!
Morning!
To greet someone in the morning, use 早 (zǎo) instead of 你好 (nǐ hǎo).
It’s a shorter form of 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo), meaning “good morning.” Many people use 早 (zǎo) at work when greeting colleagues.
Bonus: 3 More Ways to Say “Hello”:
1. Wèi!
喂!
Wèi!
Hello; hey!
If you spend some time in China, you might hear people say 喂 (wèi) when answering the phone. This word is used specifically as a phone greeting, similar to “hello” in English.
2. Hǎojiǔ bú jiàn!
Hǎojiǔ bú jiàn!
Long time no see!
lit. “good-long time-no-meet”
好久不见 (hǎojiǔ bú jiàn) means “long time no see”, and is a popular way to greet someone you haven’t seen in a while.
🤓 After greeting someone with hǎojiǔ bú jiàn, you can follow up with a polite question to continue the conversation:
你最近怎么样？
Nǐ zuìjìn zěnme yàng?
How have you been lately?
3. Nǐ chī le ma?
Here comes another way to say “hello” in Chinese, especially among close friends:
你吃了吗?
Nǐ chī le ma?
Hi!
lit. “have-you-eaten?”
You don’t need to answer in detail – a simple “吃了，你呢?” (Yes, and you?) keeps the conversation friendly and flowing.
To find out more interesting and useful Chinese vocabulary, check out one of our blog posts 7 Awesome Summer Water Sports Activities in Chinese
