晚上好
wǎnshang hǎo
Good evening
How to say "Hello" politely in Chinese
您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
您好 is a fixed expression combining 您 (polite 'you') and 好 (good). Unlike 你好 (nǐ hǎo), the polite pronoun 您 shows respect to the listener.
Variations and politeness
你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello — Less polite, used in informal situations.
您好啊
nín hǎo a
Hello! — Adds emotional coloring, more colloquial.
您好，您好吗？
nín hǎo, nín hǎo ma?
Hello, how are you? — More formal inquiry about well-being.
Mini dialogue
A
您好！很高兴见到您。
nín hǎo! hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nín.
Hello! Very glad to see you.
B
您好！我也是。
nín hǎo! wǒ yě shì.
Hello! Me too.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When greeting someone older or in a higher position.
- When meeting someone for the first time in a formal setting.
- When you want to show respect to the listener.
Avoid when
- When talking to close friends or peers; use 你好 instead.
- When speaking to children or subordinates; it may sound overly formal.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'hello' in Chinese politely?
You say 您好 (nín hǎo). It is the polite form of 'hello'.
How do you pronounce 您好?
It is pronounced nín hǎo. The first syllable has a rising tone, the second has a falling-rising tone.
When should I use 您好 instead of 你好?
Use 您好 when addressing someone older, in a higher position, or someone you don't know well. Use 你好 with friends or peers.
More phrases for this situation
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