喂，你好
wèi, nǐ hǎo
Hello (answering the phone)
喂，你好 (wèi nǐhǎo) is a common way to answer the phone in Mandarin Chinese, combining the phone greeting 喂 with the general 你好. It's used to acknowledge the caller and greet them.
What does 喂，你好 (wèi, nǐ hǎo) mean?
喂，你好 (wèi, nǐ hǎo) means “hello (answering the phone)” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “hello, hello.”
When to use it
Neutral and polite for answering the phone. Remember, 喂 is exclusively for phone calls; never use it for face-to-face greetings. For a more direct answer, you can just say 喂.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “WAY nee-HOW.” The first syllable of 你好 shifts from a third tone to a rising second tone when preceded by another third tone, so it's pronounced “ní hǎo.” The 喂 is a falling tone.
Other ways to say it
- 喂wèihello (on phone, more direct)
- 你好nǐ hǎohello (general greeting, not on phone)
- 请问您是哪位？qǐngwèn nín shì nǎ wèi?May I ask who this is? (polite follow-up)
Examples
喂，你好，请问是张经理吗？
wèi, nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn shì Zhāng jīnglǐ ma?
Hello, is this Manager Zhang?
喂，你好，我是小李。
wèi, nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì Xiǎo Lǐ.
Hello, this is Xiao Li.
他拿起电话，只说了一句“喂”。
tā náqǐ diànhuà, zhǐ shuōle yījù “wèi”.
He picked up the phone and just said, “Hello?”
Pro tip: The character 喂 (wèi) is used only when speaking on the phone. Do not use it for in-person greetings.
Related phrases
请问哪位？ · May i ask who's calling请稍等，我帮您转接 · One moment, i'll transfer you他现在不在 · He's not in right now
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