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, walking into a shop, or answering a knock at the door. Below you'll find the polite form (您好), the group form (大家好 / 你们好), what to say on the phone (喂), and how to reply when someone greets you first.
What does 你好 (nǐ hǎo) mean?
你好 (nǐ hǎo) means “hello” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “you good.”
When to use it
Neutral and polite — safe with strangers, colleagues, and shop staff. For extra respect (elders, customers, formal settings) use 您好 (nín hǎo). To greet a group, say 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo) or 你们好 (nǐmen hǎo). On the phone, Chinese speakers answer with 喂 (wéi) rather than 你好. Among close friends a casual 嗨 (hāi) or 哈喽 (hā lóu, from “hello”) is fine, and in the morning a short 早 (zǎo) is common. To reply, simply say 你好 back — or 你好你好 (nǐ hǎo nǐ hǎo), which sounds warm and natural.
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 — elders, customers, teachers)
- 大家好dàjiā hǎohello everyone (to a group or an audience)
- 你们好nǐmen hǎohello (to two or more people)
- 喂wéihello? (answering the phone)
- 嗨hāihi (casual, friends)
- 哈喽hā lóuhello (casual, borrowed from English — young people, online)
- 早zǎomorning! (casual short greeting before noon)
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)
喂，你好，请问是李老师吗？
Wéi, nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn shì Lǐ lǎoshī ma?
Hello? Is this Teacher Li? (on the phone)
你好，欢迎光临！
Nǐ hǎo, huānyíng guānglín!
Hello, welcome! (what shop staff say)
你们好，我是新来的同事。
Nǐmen hǎo, wǒ shì xīn lái de tóngshì.
Hello everyone, I'm the new colleague.
Watch it in 20 seconds
A short animated clip with Xiao Jin, our monkey mascot — the phrase, an example, and native audio.
Pro tip: Tone change: when two third tones meet, the first becomes a rising tone — say “ní hǎo,” not a flat “nǐ hǎo.” And don't say 你好 when you pick up the phone; the phone greeting is 喂 (wéi).
Related phrases
你好吗 · How are you早上好 · Good morning下午好 · Good afternoon再见 · Goodbye你好，很高兴认识你 · Hello nice to meet you
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