你
nǐ
You english
你 (nǐ) is the most common and standard way to say "you" in Mandarin Chinese. It's used when addressing a single person in most everyday, informal, and neutral contexts.
When to use it
Neutral. When you want to show respect to elders, superiors, or in formal settings, use 您 (nín). To address more than one person, use 你们 (nǐmen).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "nee." It's a third tone, which typically dips and then rises.
Other ways to say it
- 您nínyou (polite / formal singular)
- 你们nǐ menyou (plural)
Examples
你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？
What is your name?
你喜欢吃什么？
nǐ xǐ huan chī shén me ？
What do you like to eat?
老师，您请坐。
lǎo shī ， nín qǐng zuò 。
Teacher, please have a seat. (polite)
Pro tip: Remember the tone change rule: when 你 is followed by another third tone (like in 你好), 你 changes to a second tone. So, 你好 is pronounced "ní hǎo."
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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