Chinese word

你好

Pronunciation

Pinyinnǐ hǎo

Meaning

  • interjectionhi

Example

你好，好久不见。ní hǎo háo jiǔ bú jiàn

Hi, long time no see.

Illustration for 你好 (hi)

More examples

上课前，大家互相说：你好。shàng kè qián dà jiā hù xiāng shuō ní hǎo

Before class, everyone said hi to each other.

Core concept

A brief opening that acknowledges another person and creates a polite, friendly connection.

Common phrases

  • 见面时说你好jiàn miàn shí shuō ní hǎo

    say hi upon meeting

  • 当面说你好dāng miàn shuō ní hǎo

    say hi face-to-face

Similar words

您好nín hǎo: A respectful greeting for elders, superiors, or formal situations.
嗨hāi: A short, relaxed greeting for friends and other close contacts.
喂wèi: A call used on the phone or to get someone's attention.
哈喽hā lóu: A casual borrowed greeting often used by young people.

Definition in Chinese

汉语中常用的招呼语，通常作为见面时的第一句话，既可表示礼貌也可带有亲近感。hàn yǔ zhōng cháng yòng de zhāo hū yǔ tōng cháng zuò wéi jiàn miàn shí de dì yí jù huà jì kě biǎo shì lǐ mào yě kě dài yǒu qīn jìn gǎn

Word origin

你 (nǐ, "you") + 好 (hǎo, "good") presents the other person positively, and this combination developed into a standard spoken greeting.

Usage tips

  • Unlike a literal question about someone's condition, this greeting often works as a complete social opening, with a simple reply and no detailed answer required.

Opposites

Related words

  • 你们好nǐ men hǎohello everyoneinterjection

Word lists with this word