Chinese Conversation · Level 47
90 words
Chinese word
打招呼
Pronunciation
Pinyindǎ zhāo hū
Meaning
- verbsay hello
Example
我在路上碰到老师会打招呼。wǒ zài lù shàng pèng dào lǎo shī huì dǎ zhāo hū
When I run into my teacher on the road, I say hello.
More examples
开会时他向大家点头并打招呼。kāi huì shí tā xiàng dà jiā diǎn tóu bìng dǎ zhāo hū
During the meeting, he nodded to everyone and said hello.
Core concept
A small social signal that reaches out to another person, whether to greet them, call to them, or pass on a brief message.
Common phrases
跟长辈打招呼gēn zhǎng bèi dǎ zhāo hū
say hello to elders
向观众打招呼xiàng guān zhòng dǎ zhāo hū
say hello to the audience
上台前微笑着打招呼shàng tái qián wēi xiào zhe dǎ zhāo hū
smile and say hello before going on stage
Similar words
招呼zhāo hū: Call out to or signal someone with your voice or a hand gesture.
问候wèn hòu: Offer a greeting that shows respect or concern for someone's well-being.
问好wèn hǎo: Say words of greeting to someone when meeting them.
Definition in Chinese
用口头或简单动作向他人表示见面时的问候或寒暄。yòng kǒu tóu huò jiǎn dān dòng zuò xiàng tā rén biǎo shì jiàn miàn shí de wèn hòu huò hán xuān
Word origin
打 (dǎ, "do") + 招 (zhāo, "beckon") + 呼 (hū, "call") presents social contact as an action of calling out or beckoning to someone.
Usage tips
- English often treats a greeting as spoken words, but this verb also covers simply acknowledging someone in passing with a wave or another small gesture.