您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
How to say "Good morning" in Chinese
早上好
zǎoshang hǎo
Good morning
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
早上 (zǎoshang) means 'morning' and 好 (hǎo) means 'good'. It's a fixed greeting phrase, not a sentence with a verb.
Variations and politeness
早安
zǎo ān
Good morning — More polite and formal than 早上好.
早
zǎo
Morning — Shorter and more casual.
早上好呀
zǎoshang hǎo ya
Good morning! — More colloquial and friendly, with a particle for warmth.
Mini dialogue
A
早上好！
zǎoshang hǎo!
Good morning!
B
早上好，你今天怎么样？
zǎoshang hǎo, nǐ jīntiān zěnme yàng?
Good morning, how are you today?
A
我很好，谢谢！
wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè!
I'm fine, thank you!
When to use it
Appropriate
- When greeting someone in the morning, typically from early morning until around 10-11 AM.
- In both formal and informal settings, with strangers, colleagues, friends, or family.
- As a polite and standard way to start a conversation or acknowledge someone in the morning.
Avoid when
- In the afternoon or evening; use 下午好 (xiàwǔ hǎo) or 晚上好 (wǎnshàng hǎo) instead.
- When you want to be very casual with close friends; 早 (zǎo) is more natural.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "good morning" in Chinese?
You say "早上好" (zǎoshang hǎo).
How do you pronounce "早上好"?
It is pronounced "zǎoshang hǎo" with the third tone on zǎo, neutral tone on shang, and third tone on hǎo.
When do you use "早上好"?
Use it in the morning, typically before 10 or 11 AM, as a polite greeting for anyone.
More phrases for this situation
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