Speaking • Greetings & Farewells
Learn Speaking Mandarin Chinese: Chinese Greetings
Greetings are the gateway to every conversation. Mandarin greetings vary by time of day, level of formality, and whether you are addressing one person or a group. This phrasebook covers all the greetings you need — from a casual 你好 to formal introductions and asking where someone is from.
Basic Greetings
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello |
您好 | nín hǎo | Hello (formal / respectful, used with elders) |
大家好 | dàjiā hǎo | Hello everyone |
你好吗？ | nǐ hǎo ma | How are you? |
你怎么样？ | nǐ zěnme yàng | How are things? (informal) |
很好，谢谢。 | hěn hǎo, xièxie | Very well, thank you. |
还不错。 | hái bùcuò | Not bad. |
Time-Based Greetings
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
早上好 | zǎoshang hǎo | Good morning |
早 | zǎo | Morning (casual) |
下午好 | xiàwǔ hǎo | Good afternoon |
晚上好 | wǎnshang hǎo | Good evening |
Introductions
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
你叫什么名字？ | nǐ jiào shénme míngzì | What's your name? |
我叫… | wǒ jiào… | My name is… |
我是… | wǒ shì… | I am… |
很高兴认识你。 | hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ | Nice to meet you. |
我也是。 | wǒ yě shì | Me too / Same here. |
Asking About Origins
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
你是哪国人？ | nǐ shì nǎ guó rén | What country are you from? |
你从哪里来？ | nǐ cóng nǎlǐ lái | Where do you come from? |
我从…来。 | wǒ cóng…lái | I come from… |
我是英国人。 | wǒ shì Yīngguó rén | I'm British. |
Farewells
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
再见 | zàijiàn | Goodbye |
拜拜 | bàibai | Bye-bye (informal) |
明天见 | míngtiān jiàn | See you tomorrow |
回头见 | huítóu jiàn | See you later |
保重 | bǎozhòng | Take care |
Cultural Notes
您 (nín) is the respectful form of 你 (nǐ). Use 您 when greeting teachers, elders, or anyone you wish to show respect to. In northern China it is used more frequently than in the south.
Native speakers rarely use 你好吗？in casual conversation — it sounds textbook-formal. More natural openers are 最近怎么样？(how have things been lately?) or 吃了吗？(have you eaten?) in some regional dialects.
Unlike Japanese culture, Chinese greetings typically involve a handshake in formal or professional settings. A nod of the head is common in casual situations. Hugs are becoming more common among younger generations.
A more formal way to ask someone's name is 您贵姓？(nín guì xìng — what is your honourable surname?). This asks only the family name and is used in professional contexts.