Saying hello in Chinese starts with one word nearly everyone knows — 你好 (nǐ hǎo). It’s polite, neutral and never wrong, which is exactly why it’s the first thing learners are taught. But it’s only the beginning.
In everyday life, native speakers pick a different greeting depending on who they’re talking to, the time of day, and whether they’re meeting face to face or picking up the phone. This guide walks through the ten that cover almost every situation — tap any phrase to hear it spoken by a native voice, and use the flashcards to make them stick.
10 ways to say hello in Chinese
你好 works any time — but there are many ways to say hello in Chinese, and the natural choice shifts with the situation. Tap 🔊 on each.
Greetings through the day
The full set of time-based greetings, from morning to night.
In casual settings, morning is often shortened to just 早 (zǎo) — the equivalent of a quick “morning!”. Note that 晚安 means good night, a farewell before bed — to greet someone in the evening, use 晚上好.
The tone change in 你好
Both 你 (nǐ) and 好 (hǎo) are written with the third tone — the low, dipping tone. But Mandarin has a rule: when two third tones sit side by side, the first shifts to a rising (second) tone. So although it’s written nǐ hǎo, it’s actually said “ní hǎo” — the first syllable rises, the second dips.
This is called tone sandhi, and it happens automatically in natural speech. You don’t need to write the change down — just train your ear for it. Listen to the audio a few times and copy the rhythm rather than reading the tone marks literally.
你好吗？ is textbook-correct, but natives say it less than you’d think — usually to someone they haven’t seen in a while. To greet a friend naturally, try 最近怎么样？ (zuìjìn zěnmeyàng — “how’ve you been?”).
Which greeting, when?
| Situation | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone, any time | 你好 | Always safe and correct |
| An elder or a customer | 您好 | The polite 您 shows respect |
| A close friend | 嗨 / 早 | Casual and relaxed |
| Answering the phone | 喂 | The standard phone greeting |
| A room or audience | 大家好 | Greets everyone at once |
Common mistakes to avoid
The little slips that mark out a beginner saying hello in Chinese — and the natural fix for each.
✕你好 with close friends
It can sound stiff and distant. With mates, a casual 嗨 (hāi) or 早 (zǎo) feels far more natural.
✕你好 on the phone
When you pick up a call, say 喂 (wéi) instead — it’s the standard way to answer in Chinese.
✕Skipping 您好 with elders
With an older person or a customer, the respectful 您好 (nín hǎo) shows good manners.
✕你好 to a whole group
Greeting a room or an audience? 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo) — “hello everyone” — fits far better.
Quick check
1. How do you greet an elder politely?
2. You answer the phone with…
3. The one greeting that always works is…
FAQs
Greet them — then have the whole conversation
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