Greetings are the first step to connecting with people. In Chinese, they are simple, polite, and easy to learn. Here are the most common ones you’ll hear every day.

👋 Common Greetings

• 你好 (Nǐ hǎo) — Hello (most common, polite for most situations)
• 早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo) — Good morning
• 下午好 (Xiàwǔ hǎo) — Good afternoon
• 晚上好 (Wǎnshàng hǎo) — Good evening
• 你好吗? (Nǐ hǎo ma?) — How are you?
  Responses: 我很好 (Wǒ hěn hǎo) — I’m fine. / 还可以 (Hái kěyǐ) — Not bad.

🙋 Informal & Friendly Greetings

• 嗨 (Hāi) — Hi (casual, borrowed from English)
• 嘿 (Hēi) — Hey (used with close friends)
• 最近怎么样? (Zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?) — How’s it going recently?

✅ Quick Practice

A: 你好！(Nǐ hǎo!)
B: 你好！你好吗？(Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ hǎo ma?)
A: 我很好，谢谢！(Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè!)

📌 Tip: In China, greetings often come with caring phrases like “吃了吗? (Chī le ma?) — Have you eaten?” It’s more about showing kindness than actually asking about food.

Hafrik Chinese Class – Learn a new word every day.