{"id":5259,"date":"2022-06-26T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writtenchinese.com\/?p=5259"},"modified":"2022-08-01T22:26:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-01T14:26:19","slug":"20-chinese-greetings-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-native","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writtenchinese.com\/20-chinese-greetings-that-will-make-you-sound-like-a-native\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Chinese Greetings That Will Make You Sound Like a Native"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When learning new languages, knowing how to say Hello or Hi is one of the first things we usually learn to say. Even if that\u2019s the only word we can speak, most natives will be pleased to hear that you\u2019ve made an effort to speak Chinese (or any language).<\/p>\n

Get this post as a PDF to study it later!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve put together a list of the most common Chinese greetings you should learn if you\u2019re studying Mandarin. It\u2019s helpful to know in which context to use these greetings and which ones will help you sound more fluent and natural<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Basic Chinese greetings<\/span><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll see that many of these greetings follow the same sentence pattern: <\/p>\n

Noun + \u597d <\/p>\n

How to say hello in Chinese<\/h2>\n

1. \u4f60\u597d<\/a> (n\u01d0 h\u01ceo) \u2013 Hello<\/h3>\n

\"How\"How\"How\"How<\/span><\/p>\n

You might have already come across the word \u4f60\u597d<\/a> (n\u01d0 h\u01ceo) or \u2018Hello,\u2019 in Chinese. While it is a common way to say \u2018Hello\u2019 in Mandarin, there are more casual phrases to use with friends<\/a> instead. For many young Chinese people, \u4f60\u597d (n\u01d0 h\u01ceo) is becoming less fashionable and is seen as too formal to be used between friends and colleagues.<\/p>\n

CHINESE TIP:<\/span><\/strong>If both words have the 3rd tone, change the first word to the second tone in spoken Chinese. Learn more about tone rules here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

2. \u60a8\u597d<\/a> (n\u00edn h\u01ceo) \u2013 Hello<\/h3>\n

\u60a8 (n\u00edn) is used when addressing someone older or in a respected position, whether at work or in the family. So,  \u60a8\u597d is a more formal way to say \u2018Hello.\u2019<\/p>\n

How to say hi in Chinese<\/h2>\n

The following three are more modern and commonly used ways to say hello between friends, colleagues, and classmates. All three of them have been translated using transliteration<\/a>, replacing the original English word with a Chinese character that sounds the same or similar. This is often done with brands, place names, and people. These types of words are becoming more fashionable among younger people in China.<\/p>\n

3. \u55e8<\/a> (h\u0101i) – Hi<\/h3>\n

4. \u54c8\u55bd<\/a> (h\u0101 lou) – Hello<\/h3>\n

5. \u563f<\/a> (h\u0113i) – Hey<\/h3>\n

\"waving,\"waving,\"waving,\"waving,<\/span><\/p>\n

Asking \u2018How are you?\u2019 in Chinese<\/h2>\n

6. \u4f60\u597d\u5417<\/a>\uff1f (n\u01d0 h\u01ceo ma) \u2013 How are you?<\/h3>\n

It is literally translated to \u2018You good?\u2019 and is often taught to students as an essential Chinese phrase<\/a>, but it\u2019s rarely used nowadays. Even in English, when you think about it, we rarely ask \u2018How are you?\u2019, and it\u2019s now similar amongst young Chinese.<\/p>\n

7. \u5403\u4e86\u5417<\/a>? (ch\u012b le ma?) \u2013 Have you eaten yet?<\/h3>\n

\"asking\"asking\"asking\"asking<\/span><\/p>\n

Asking if someone has eaten yet is a more common way to ask \u2018how are you?\u2019. Showing concern for a friend or acquaintance\u2019s health is common within Chinese culture<\/a>. You will hear it most often spoken between neighbors within a garden during their evening walk after supper.<\/p>\n

This phrase can sometimes be used to ask, \u2018Do you have time?\u2019, especially if you call during lunch or dinner time.<\/p>\n

Good morning in Chinese<\/span><\/h2>\n

Unlike in English, where we can say \u2018good morning\u2019 for the whole morning, in Chinese, the morning is split into several time frames, from early morning to mid-morning. <\/p>\n