你好吗
nǐ hǎo ma
How are you · trad. 你好嗎
你好吗 is a direct translation of "how are you" in Mandarin Chinese. While grammatically correct, it's not used as frequently or casually as in English. It often implies genuine concern or that you haven't seen the person in a while.
When to use it
Neutral. It can sometimes sound a bit formal or imply a deeper inquiry than a simple greeting. More common and natural alternatives include 你怎么样 ("how's it going?") or 最近怎么样 ("how have things been recently?"). A common reply is 我很好，谢谢 ("I'm good, thanks") or 还不错 ("not bad").
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "nee-HOW-ma." Remember the tone change for 你好: the first 你 shifts to a rising tone. The 吗 is a neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 你怎么样?nǐ zěn me yàng ?How's it going? / How are you doing? (more natural)
- 最近怎么样?zuì jìn zěn me yàng ?How have things been recently?
- 您好吗?nín hǎo ma ?How are you? (polite/formal)
Examples
你好吗？我好久没见到你了。
nǐ hǎo ma ？ wǒ hǎo jiǔ méi jiàn dào nǐ le 。
How are you? I haven't seen you in a long time.
你最近怎么样？工作顺利吗？
nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng ？ gōng zuò shùn lì ma ？
How have you been recently? Is work going well?
谢谢关心，我很好。你呢？
xiè xiè guān xīn ， wǒ hěn hǎo 。 nǐ ne ？
Thanks for asking, I'm good. How about you?
Pro tip: Unlike in English, 你好吗 isn't a casual, everyday greeting. Chinese speakers often use other questions about life, work, or recent events, or simply 你好, to initiate conversation. It can sound a bit direct if used as a mere formality.
Related phrases
你好 · Hello晚安 · Good night早上好 · Good morning
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