Greetings in Mandarin: 15 Common Phrases, Pinyin & Usage (With Audio Pronunciation)

Greetings in Mandarin are more than a simple translation of “hello.” Mandarin Chinese uses different greetings depending on the relationship between speakers, the level of formality, the time of day, and the situation. For beginners, 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the most useful place to start, but it is only one of many common greetings in Mandarin Chinese.

You may also hear 您好 (nín hǎo) when speaking respectfully, 嗨 (hāi) among friends, 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) in the morning, 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo) when addressing a group, and 喂 (wéi) when answering the phone. Some greetings also depend on regional usage. This guide explains the most useful greetings in Mandarin Chinese, with Chinese characters, pinyin, English meanings, pronunciation tips, and real-life examples.

What Are Greetings in Mandarin Chinese?

Mandarin greetings are words and short phrases used to acknowledge someone, start a conversation, show respect, or express friendliness. The appropriate greeting depends mainly on who you are talking to, where you are, and what you are doing.

For beginners, these four questions make choosing a greeting easier:

The key point is that 你好 works in many situations, but native speakers do not use one greeting for every interaction. Learning several short expressions makes your Mandarin sound more natural and helps you understand everyday conversations.

Basic Greetings in Mandarin Chinese

1. 你好 (Nǐ hǎo) — Hello

你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the standard Mandarin greeting most beginners learn first. It is widely understood and works in many everyday situations, especially when meeting someone for the first time or greeting someone you do not know well.

• Chinese: 你好
• Pinyin: nǐ hǎo
• Meaning: Hello
• Best for: General situations

Example:

你好！很高兴认识你。
Nǐ hǎo! Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.
Hello! Nice to meet you.

A pronunciation tip: Why does 你好 sound like “ní hǎo”?

Both 你 (nǐ) and 好 (hǎo) are written with third-tone marks in pinyin. When two third tones occur next to each other, the first one is normally pronounced as a second tone in connected speech. Therefore, 你好 is commonly pronounced “ní hǎo” in natural Mandarin speech, even though it is still written nǐ hǎo.

This is called third-tone sandhi.

2. 您好 (Nín hǎo) — Hello, respectfully

您好 (nín hǎo) is the respectful form of 你好. The difference comes from 您 (nín), a polite form of “you.”

Use it when you want to show respect, particularly when speaking to:

• Older people
• Teachers
• Customers
• People in formal situations
• Someone you do not know well

Example:

您好，老师！
Nín hǎo, lǎoshī!
Hello, teacher!

For children learning Mandarin, a simple rule is useful: 你好 is a safe general greeting; 您好 adds respect.

3. 嗨 (Hāi) — Hi

嗨 (hāi) is a casual greeting borrowed from English “hi.” It is common in informal speech and is especially natural among friends, classmates, and younger speakers.

Example:

嗨，好久不见！
Hāi, hǎojiǔ bú jiàn!
Hi, long time no see!

It is less formal than 您好, so it is not the best choice for a formal business meeting or when greeting an elderly person for the first time.

4. 嘿 (Hēi) — Hey

嘿 (hēi) is another casual greeting. It is similar to “hey” in English and is usually used between friends or people who already know each other.

Example:

嘿，你来了！
Hēi, nǐ lái le!
Hey, you’re here!

Greetings in Mandarin by Time of Day

5. 早 (Zǎo) — Morning / Good morning

早 (zǎo) is a short and very common morning greeting. It is especially natural in casual situations.

You might hear:

早！
Zǎo!
Morning!

It is shorter and more conversational than 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo).

6. 早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo) — Good morning

早上好 literally means “morning good” and is a straightforward way to say “good morning.”

• 早上 = morning
• 好 = good

It is suitable for classrooms, workplaces, and other situations where a clear morning greeting is appropriate.

Example:

老师，早上好！
Lǎoshī, zǎoshang hǎo!
Good morning, teacher!

7. 早安 (Zǎo ān) — Good morning

早安 (zǎo ān) also means “good morning.” However, its usage is not identical across all Mandarin-speaking regions.

In Taiwan, 早安 is commonly used as a morning greeting. In Mainland China, learners are more likely to hear 早上好 or the shorter 早 in everyday situations.

This is a useful reminder that Mandarin greetings can vary by region.

8. 晚上好 (Wǎnshang hǎo) — Good evening

晚上好 means “good evening.” It can be used when greeting someone in the evening, particularly in formal or public situations.

For example:

大家晚上好！
Dàjiā wǎnshang hǎo!
Good evening, everyone!

In everyday casual interactions, Chinese speakers may simply use 你好 or another context-specific greeting instead.

9. 晚安 (Wǎn’ān) — Good night

晚安 (wǎn’ān) means “good night.” It is generally used when ending an interaction at night or before going to sleep.

Example:

晚安，明天见！
Wǎn’ān, míngtiān jiàn!
Good night, see you tomorrow!

A useful distinction is:

晚上好 = Good evening → greeting someone

Mandarin Greetings for Different Situations

10. 大家好 (Dàjiā hǎo) — Hello, everyone

Use 大家好 when greeting a group.

• 大家 (dàjiā) = everyone
• 好 (hǎo) = good / hello

Teachers often use it when starting a class, and speakers use it when addressing an audience.

Example:

大家好！欢迎来到我们的中文课。
Dàjiā hǎo! Huānyíng lái dào wǒmen de Zhōngwén kè.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to our Chinese class.

11. 你们好 (Nǐmen hǎo) — Hello, you all

你们 (nǐmen) means “you” in the plural. Therefore:

你们好！
Nǐmen hǎo!
Hello, everyone!

It can be used when directly greeting several people. For a larger audience or a whole group, 大家好 is often more natural.

12. 喂 (Wéi) — Hello? / Hey?

喂 (wéi) is strongly associated with phone calls.

When answering the phone, a Chinese speaker may say:

喂，你好！
Wéi, nǐ hǎo!
Hello!

Unlike 你好, 喂 is not normally used as a general face-to-face greeting. Learning this distinction helps beginners avoid translating English greetings word for word.

13. 最近怎么样？(Zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?) — How have you been?

If you already know someone, 最近怎么样？ is often more natural than repeatedly asking 你好吗？

It means:

“How have you been recently?”

Example:

好久不见，最近怎么样？
Hǎojiǔ bú jiàn, zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?
Long time no see. How have you been?

This expression is useful when restarting a conversation with a friend, classmate, or acquaintance.

14. 好久不见 (Hǎojiǔ bú jiàn) — Long time no see

好久不见 literally means “not see for a long time.” It is a natural greeting when you meet someone again after a period of time.

Example:

好久不见！最近好吗？
Hǎojiǔ bú jiàn! Zuìjìn hǎo ma?
Long time no see! How have you been?

15. 很高兴认识你 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ) — Nice to meet you

This phrase is useful when meeting someone for the first time.

• 很高兴 = very happy / pleased
• 认识 = to meet / get to know
• 你 = you

Example:

你好，很高兴认识你。
Nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.
Hello, nice to meet you.

Unlike 你好, this is not a general greeting for every encounter. It specifically works well during a first introduction.

How to Choose the Right Mandarin Greeting

Which Mandarin Greeting Should Beginners Learn First?

If you are just starting to learn Mandarin, learn 你好 (nǐ hǎo) first. It is the most useful general greeting. Then add 您好 for respectful situations, 早 for mornings, and 大家好 when speaking to a group.

FAQs about Greetings in Mandarin:

Q1: What is the most common greeting in Mandarin?

A: 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the standard Mandarin greeting for “hello” and is widely understood. It is a good default greeting for beginners and works in many everyday situations.

Q2: How to say “hello” politely in Mandarin?

A: Use 您好 (nín hǎo) when you want to sound more respectful. It is commonly used when speaking to teachers, elders, customers, or in formal situations.

Q3: What are some common greetings in Mandarin Chinese?

A: Common greetings include 你好 (nǐ hǎo), 您好 (nín hǎo), 嗨 (hāi), 早 (zǎo), 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo), 大家好 (dàjiā hǎo), and 喂 (wéi). The best choice depends on the person and situation.

Conclusion

Learning greetings in Mandarin does not mean memorizing one Chinese equivalent of “hello.” The most useful approach is to connect each expression with a real situation. Start with 你好 (nǐ hǎo) for general greetings, use 您好 (nín hǎo) when you want to show respect, and add 嗨, 早, 大家好, 喂, 好久不见, and 晚安 as your confidence grows.

If your child wants to move beyond memorizing individual greetings in Mandarin and build practical speaking, listening, reading, and cultural skills, WuKong Chinese offers live online Chinese classes designed for learners ages 3–18.

Bella | WuKong Chinese Teacher

Bella holds a Master’s degree from Yangzhou University and brings 10 years of extensive experience in K-12 Chinese language teaching and research. A published scholar, she has contributed over 10 papers to the field of language and literature. Currently, Bella leads the research and development of WuKong Chinese core courses, where she prioritizes academic rigor alongside student engagement and cognitive development. She is dedicated to building a robust foundation for young learners covering phonetics (Pinyin), characters, idioms, and classical culture while ensuring that advanced courses empower students with comprehensive linguistic mastery and cultural insight.