晚上好
wǎnshang hǎo
Good evening
晚上好 (wǎnshàng hǎo) is the standard way to say "good evening" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used to greet someone in the evening, similar to "good morning" or "good afternoon."
What does 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo) mean?
晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo) means “good evening” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “evening good.”
When to use it
Neutral and polite. It's suitable for most situations. For a more formal greeting, you can add 您 (nín) to make it 您晚上好. When parting ways or going to bed, use 晚安 (wǎn'ān) for "good night."
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "WAHN-shung HOW." The first syllable 晚 has a falling-rising tone, 上 is usually said lightly (neutral tone), and 好 has a falling-rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 晚安wǎn'āngood night (when parting or going to bed)
- 大家晚上好dàjiā wǎnshang hǎogood evening everyone
Examples
晚上好，李先生。
wǎnshang hǎo, Lǐ xiānsheng.
Good evening, Mr. Li.
大家晚上好！欢迎来到我们的节目。
dàjiā wǎnshang hǎo! huānyíng láidào wǒmen de jiémù.
Good evening everyone! Welcome to our show.
晚上好！今天过得怎么样？
wǎnshang hǎo! jīntiān guò de zěnmeyàng?
Good evening! How was your day?
Pro tip: Remember that 晚上好 is a greeting for "good evening." If you are saying "good night" when parting ways or going to bed, use 晚安 (wǎn'ān) instead. They are not interchangeable.
Related phrases
早上好 · Good morning下午好 · Good afternoon你好 · Hello
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