NetChai Chinese
早上好
zǎo shàng hǎo
Good morning

早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo) is the most common and polite way to say “good morning” in Mandarin Chinese. It's appropriate for almost any situation, from greeting friends and family to colleagues and strangers.

When to use it

Neutral and polite. For a more casual greeting among friends or family, you can simply say 早 (zǎo). Another variation, 早安 (zǎo ān), is also common, especially in Taiwan, and can sound a bit more formal or literary.

How to pronounce it

Sounds like “ZAO-shung-HOW.” The first syllable '早' is a third tone, '上' is a fourth tone, and '好' is a third tone. Remember the third tone sandhi for 好 when it follows another third tone, so it's pronounced 'zǎo shàng ní hǎo'.

Other ways to say it

  • zǎomorning (casual)
  • 早安zǎo āngood morning (polite / literary / Taiwanese)
  • 上午好shàng wǔ hǎogood morning / good late morning

Examples

早上好,王经理!
zǎo shàng hǎo , wáng jīng lǐ !
Good morning, Manager Wang!
你早上好吗?
nǐ zǎo shàng hǎo ma ?
Are you having a good morning? (Literally: You good morning?)
大家早上好!
dà jiā zǎo shàng hǎo !
Good morning, everyone!
Pro tip: While 早上好 is always correct, native speakers often shorten it to just 早 (zǎo) in casual settings, especially when greeting someone they know well or when passing by quickly.

Related phrases

你好 · Hello你好吗 · How are you晚安 · Good night
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →