hello in Chinese

How to write 你好

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

你好 is written entirely with characters at HSK 1 level or below. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

你好 in a sentence

• 你nǐ好hǎo，朋péng友yǒu！

  Hello, friend!

• 你nǐ好hǎo，请qǐng问wèn您nín贵guì姓xìng？

  Hello, may I ask your name?

• 大dà家jiā你nǐ好hǎo！

  Hello, everyone!

• 你nǐ好hǎo，欢huān迎yíng来lái到dào中zhōng国guó。

  Hello, welcome to China.

你好 vs 您好 vs 喂 vs 晚上好

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 您好 nín hǎo hello (polite)

  Same greeting with the polite pronoun 您 — use with customers, elders, formal first meetings.

• 喂 wéi hello (on the phone)

  'Hello?' when answering the phone — not a face-to-face greeting.

• 晚上好 wǎn shang hǎo good evening

  A time-specific greeting; 你好 works any hour of the day.