您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
How to say "good evening" in Chinese
晚上好
wǎnshang hǎo
Good evening
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
晚上 (wǎnshang) means 'evening' and 好 (hǎo) means 'good'. It's a straightforward compound greeting, similar to 'good morning' in English.
Variations and politeness
晚上好啊
wǎnshang hǎo a
Good evening! — Adds a particle for a more casual, friendly tone.
您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite) — More formal and respectful, using the polite 'you' form.
嗨
hāi
Hi — Very casual, borrowed from English.
Mini dialogue
A
晚上好！
wǎnshang hǎo!
Good evening!
B
晚上好，你最近怎么样？
wǎnshang hǎo, nǐ zuìjìn zěnme yàng?
Good evening, how have you been lately?
A
我很好，谢谢！
wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè!
I'm fine, thanks!
When to use it
Appropriate
- When greeting someone in the evening, typically after 6 PM.
- In both formal and informal settings, such as meeting a colleague or a friend.
- When you want to be polite and friendly without being overly casual.
Avoid when
- In the morning or afternoon; use 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) or 下午好 (xiàwǔ hǎo) instead.
- When saying goodbye; 晚上好 is only for greeting, not for parting.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'good evening' in Chinese?
You say 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo). It literally means 'evening good'.
How do you pronounce 晚上好?
It's pronounced 'wǎnshang hǎo'. The third tone on 'wǎn' and 'hǎo' dips and rises, while 'shang' is neutral.
When do you use 晚上好?
Use it when greeting someone in the evening, usually after 6 PM. It's appropriate for both formal and informal situations.
More phrases for this situation
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