greeting / interjection HSK 1
hello · hi
Meaning
This is the most basic and universal greeting in Mandarin Chinese. It literally means 'you good' and is used any time of day to greet someone politely. It's appropriate in both formal and casual situations.
Usage
Use 你好 when meeting someone for the first time, greeting acquaintances, or entering a shop or office. It's slightly more formal than English 'hi' but less formal than 'how do you do'. Native speakers often say it when answering the phone or starting a conversation with strangers.
Examples
- 01你好！我是李明。! .Hello! I am Li Ming.
- 02你好吗？我很好。? .How are you? I am very well.
Characters
Common collocations
- 你好吗how are you?
- 你们好hello (to multiple people)
Antonyms
Origin
The greeting combines the pronoun 你 (you) with the adjective 好 (good), creating a literal meaning of 'you are good' or 'are you well'. This pattern of greeting by asking about someone's well-being is common across many Chinese dialects.