你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello
你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the most common and versatile way to say hello in Mandarin Chinese. It works in almost any everyday situation — meeting someone new, greeting a coworker, or answering a knock at the door.
When to use it
Neutral and polite. For extra respect (elders, customers, formal settings) use 您好 (nín hǎo). To greet a group, say 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo). Among close friends a casual 嗨 (hāi, “hi”) is also fine.
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like “nee-HOW.” Because two third-tones sit together, the first one shifts up to a rising tone, so 你好 is actually said “ní hǎo.”
Other ways to say it
- 您好nín hǎohello (polite / formal)
- 大家好dàjiā hǎohello everyone
- 嗨hāihi (casual)
Examples
你好，我叫李明。
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng.
Hello, my name is Li Ming.
你好！很高兴认识你。
Nǐ hǎo! Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.
Hello! Nice to meet you.
老师，您好！
Lǎoshī, nín hǎo!
Hello, teacher! (polite)
Pro tip: Tone change: when two third-tones meet, the first becomes a rising tone. Say “ní hǎo,” not a flat “nǐ hǎo.”
Related phrases
谢谢 · Thank you再见 · Goodbye
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