问候
wèn hòu
Greeting · trad. 問候
问候 (wènhòu) generally means "to greet" or "to send regards." It's often used in a more formal context or when you're sending greetings to someone through another person, rather than a direct face-to-face "hello."
When to use it
More formal than a simple "hello." While it can mean "to greet," it's more common to use it in phrases like "send my greetings" or "extend my regards." For direct, casual greetings, people usually say 你好 (nǐ hǎo) or use 打招呼 (dǎ zhāohu) which means "to greet" or "to say hello."
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "WEN-ho." Both syllables are falling tones. The first syllable "WEN" is like the "wen" in "went," and the second syllable "HO" is like the "ho" in "hotel."
Other ways to say it
- 打招呼dǎ zhāo hūto greet, to say hello (more common for direct interaction)
- 问好wèn hǎoto send regards, to say hello to someone
- 问候语wèn hòu yǔgreeting phrase/word
Examples
请代我向你的家人问候。
qǐng dài wǒ xiàng nǐ de jiā rén wèn hòu 。
Please send my greetings to your family.
他热情地跟我打招呼。
tā rè qíng dì gēn wǒ dǎ zhāo hū 。
He greeted me warmly.
常见的问候语有哪些？
cháng jiàn de wèn hòu yǔ yǒu nǎ xiē ？
What are some common greeting phrases?
Pro tip: While 问候 can mean "to greet," it's less common for direct, casual greetings like saying "hello" to someone you meet. For that, native speakers usually say 你好 or use 打招呼 to describe the action of greeting. 问候 is often used for "sending regards" or in a more formal context.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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