基本问候语
jī běn wèn hòu yǔ
Basic greetings · trad. 基本問候語
基本问候语 (jīběn wènhòu yǔ) is the general term for common, fundamental expressions used to greet people in Mandarin Chinese. It encompasses phrases like "hello," "good morning," or "how are you."
When to use it
This term itself is neutral and descriptive, used when discussing the topic of greetings. It's not a greeting you'd use directly. When learning actual greetings, pay attention to their individual registers (e.g., 你好 is neutral, 您好 is polite).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "JEE-bun WEN-ho YOO." The tones are first, third, fourth, fourth, third. Note that the second character of 问候 (候) is often said with a neutral tone in casual speech.
Other ways to say it
- 问候语wèn hòu yǔgreeting words/phrases (shorter, more general)
- 常用问候语cháng yòng wèn hòu yǔcommonly used greeting words/phrases (more specific)
- 打招呼dǎ zhāo hūto greet / say hello (a verb phrase describing the action)
Examples
我们来学习一些中文基本问候语。
wǒ men lái xué xí yì xiē zhōng wén jī běn wèn hòu yǔ 。
Let's learn some basic Chinese greetings.
掌握基本问候语对初学者很重要。
zhǎng wò jī běn wèn hòu yǔ duì chū xué zhě hěn zhòng yào 。
Mastering basic greetings is very important for beginners.
你知道还有哪些基本问候语吗？
nǐ zhī dào hái yǒu nǎ xiē jī běn wèn hòu yǔ ma ？
Do you know any other basic greetings?
Pro tip: While 基本问候语 refers to the category, remember that each individual greeting (like 你好 or 早上好) has its own specific usage, tone rules, and appropriate contexts.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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