Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: The Mandarin
• Method 2 of 3: Cantonese
• Method 3 of 3: Other variations of Chinese
• Tips

The most common way to say "hello" in Chinese is "nǐ hǎo" or 你⭐. Exactly how you pronounce this greeting and how you display it in our Latin alphabet differs per Chinese dialect. There are many different varieties of Chinese and within each dialect people have their own specific way of saying “hello” depending on the situation in which they greet each other. Read more about greetings in Chinese below.

To step

Method 1 of 3: The Mandarin

1. Greet someone by saying "nǐ hǎo". This casual translation of "hello" in Mandarin is the most common way to greet someone in Chinese.
   • Literally translated, these words mean something like "you better."
   • In Chinese script, the greeting looks like this: 你⭐.
   • The pronunciation of this greeting is the closest thing to something like "no hurry." In this case, you pronounce "Nie" as a kind of second, higher tone, because the word is followed by another word of the third tone. "Hey" is a third tone word (you have to lower your voice a little bit on this word and then raise it a little bit).
2. A somewhat more formal greeting is "nín hǎo."These words mean the same as" nǐ hǎo, "but this greeting is a little more polite.
   • So the greeting above is a bit more formal, but less commonly used than "nǐ hǎo." "Nin" means "you", and with these words you create a little more distance between you and your conversation partner.
   • In Chinese characters, write this greeting like this: 您⭐.
   • You pronounce nín hǎo roughly as "nien hauw". "Nien" is a second (rising) tone.
3. To greet several people at the same time, say "nǐmén hǎo.This greeting is used to greet two or more people.
   • "Nǐmén" is the plural of "nǐ" and thus means "you."
   • See in the Chinese script nǐmén hǎo looks like this: 你们 aside.
   • You pronounce it something like No more. "Nie" in this case is a word of the third tone. You have to connect it with the suffix men (second tone).
4. When you pick up the phone you say "wee."When someone calls or calls someone yourself, greet the person on the other end of the line with" wei. "
   • Pay attention: whey do not use to greet someone personally. It is normally only used in phone calls.
   • You write in Chinese script whey as 喂.
   • You speak whey about like woe. You can pronounce it as a second, ascending tone, as a question, or as a fourth (descending) tone if you want to get someone's attention.

Method 2 of 3: Cantonese

1. In Cantonese you say "néih hóu."This phrase means almost exactly the same as" hello "in Mandarin.
   • In the original Chinese script, you write the translation of "hello" in both Mandarin and Cantonese like this: 你⭐.
   • But in our Latin script, the two greetings look different, and the pronunciation is not quite the same either. The Cantonese néih hóu sounds a bit softer than the words nǐ hǎo in Mandarin.
   • Instead of nie hauw are you more likely to pronounce it as no ho.
2. When you answer the phone you say "who.“This greeting on the phone basically means exactly the same as néih hóu in Mandarin and you also pronounce it the same way.
   • Just like the greeting in Mandarin, this greeting also looks like this in the original Chinese script: 喂.
   • You speak Cantonese who a little different. You are supposed to pronounce it more like "wai" and less like "wee". It sounds almost like "wee", but you should try to put more emphasis on the "ai" sound while lowering your voice.

Method 3 of 3: Other variations of Chinese

1. To be on the safe side, when greeting someone, limit yourself to different versions of "nǐ hǎo."The exact pronunciation varies by region and by dialect, but the most common way to say" hello "is always some form of" nǐ hǎo. "
   • In all dialects, this greeting looks like this in Chinese script: 你⭐.
   • You can usually tell roughly how to pronounce it from the transcription of 你⭐ in the Latin alphabet.
   • For example, in Hakka the transcription in the Latin alphabet is "Ni ho." The sound nǐ at the beginning should be louder. The letters hǎo at the end in this case sound less like "ouch" and more like a long "o."
   • In Shanghainese, you write the greeting in the Latin alphabet as "Nan Hao." The pronunciation of the second syllable or the letters hǎo does not differ that much, but the sound nǐ at the beginning is stretched longer and ends in a somewhat louder sound at the end of the syllable.
2. You pick up the phone in Hakka with "oi."In Hakka you cannot answer the phone with the same words as in Mandarin or Cantonese. That way of greeting on the phone does not work in Hakka.
   • In another context, "oi" is an interjection or exclamation. It means something like "oh!"
   • In Chinese script, write this as 噯.
   • You pretty much pronounce it as oi or ai.
3. A group of people greet you in Shanghainese by saying "dâka-hô". You can translate this greeting as "hello everyone" and you can say this if you want to greet several people at the same time.
   • In the original Chinese script, you write this as 大家 izable.
   • You pronounce these words more or less like "joe-dzjee hauw". "dâ" is sound of the fourth tone (sharp and falling) and the "dzjee" sound should be raised and held a little longer.

Tips

• In addition to the dialects we have discussed in this article, there are many more varieties of Chinese. Many of those dialects probably use other ways to say "hello".
• Where are the different variants spoken? Mandarin is considered a northern dialect and is mainly spoken in the north and southwest of China. Mandarin is spoken from home by the largest number of people. Cantonese is originally from the south of China. Most Hong Kong and Macau residents speak it. Another variant of Chinese is Hakka. This is the language of the Hakka, a people living in southern China and Taiwan. Shanghainese is spoken in the city of Shanghai.
• In Chinese, intonation and precise pronunciation are very important. To know exactly how to pronounce certain words and phrases in Chinese, it is best to listen to recordings of the greetings above and other phrases in Chinese.