Say hello and goodbye in Chinese
Learn essential Mandarin greetings and goodbyes with clear usage notes. Master 你好, 您好, 再见, and more to handle first meetings and partings naturally.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to greet someone and say goodbye in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on when to use each phrase appropriately. Greetings are your first step into any conversation, and choosing the right one shows respect and awareness of social context. We will cover common greetings like 你好 (nǐ hǎo) and its polite form 您好 (nín hǎo), as well as time-specific greetings such as 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) and 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo). For goodbyes, you'll learn 再见 (zàijiàn) and 拜拜 (báibái), along with their appropriate settings. By the end, you'll be able to start and end a simple interaction confidently, using phrases that fit the situation. This lesson is designed for beginners, with pinyin and tone marks to guide your pronunciation.
By the end, you can…
- greet someone appropriately in Mandarin depending on the time of day and level of formality.
- say goodbye in Mandarin using both formal and casual expressions.
- introduce myself and ask for someone's name in a first meeting.
- respond politely when meeting someone for the first time.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
你好
Hello
nǐ hǎo
The most common greeting, suitable for any time of day and most situations. Use with peers, acquaintances, or in neutral contexts.
您好
Hello (polite)
nín hǎo
Polite form of 你好, used with elders, superiors, or in formal settings. Shows respect.
早上好
Good morning
zǎoshang hǎo
Used in the morning, typically until around 10 or 11 a.m. Common in both casual and formal contexts.
晚上好
Good evening
wǎnshang hǎo
Used in the evening, after dark. Suitable for both casual and formal situations.
再见
Goodbye
zàijiàn
Standard goodbye, appropriate for almost any situation, formal or informal.
拜拜
Bye-bye
bàibài
Casual goodbye, borrowed from English. Used among friends, family, or in relaxed settings.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Greetings in Mandarin often follow a simple pattern: a time-specific word plus 好 (hǎo). For example, 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) means 'good morning,' and 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo) means 'good evening.' The word 好 literally means 'good,' so you're wishing someone a good [time of day]. For general greetings, 你好 (nǐ hǎo) works at any time. To be polite, use 您好 (nín hǎo) with the formal 'you' 您 (nín). When saying goodbye, 再见 (zàijiàn) literally means 'again see,' implying you'll meet again. The casual 拜拜 (báibái) is a direct borrowing from English 'bye-bye' and is widely understood.
When to use it
Use 你好 (nǐ hǎo) when meeting someone for the first time in a neutral or informal setting, such as a fellow student or a new colleague. Switch to 您好 (nín hǎo) when addressing someone older, a teacher, a boss, or anyone you want to show respect to. Time-specific greetings like 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) and 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo) are perfect for when you know the time of day; they add a personal touch. For goodbyes, 再见 (zàijiàn) is safe in almost any context, while 拜拜 (bàibài) is better with friends or in casual chats. Avoid using 拜拜 in very formal situations, such as a business meeting or with a senior official.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好！我叫李明。你叫什么名字？
Hello! My name is Li Ming. What's your name?Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng. Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?你好！我叫王芳。很高兴认识你。
Hello! My name is Wang Fang. Nice to meet you.Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ jiào Wáng Fāng. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.我也很高兴认识你。你是学生吗？
Nice to meet you too. Are you a student?Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ. Nǐ shì xuésheng ma?是的，我是学生。你呢？
Yes, I am a student. And you?Shì de, wǒ shì xuésheng. Nǐ ne?我也是学生。现在我要去上课了。再见！
I'm a student too. I have to go to class now. Goodbye!Wǒ yě shì xuésheng. Xiànzài wǒ yào qù shàngkè le. Zàijiàn!再见！拜拜！
Goodbye! Bye-bye!Zàijiàn! Bàibài!A little context goes a long way
In Chinese culture, greetings often reflect social hierarchy and respect. Using 您 (nín) instead of 你 (nǐ) shows deference to elders or superiors. While 你好 is universally understood, Chinese people may also greet friends with questions like 吃了吗？(chī le ma? 'Have you eaten?') as a casual hello, but this is not for formal occasions. When saying goodbye, it's common to add a reason or future meeting, such as 明天见 (míngtiān jiàn, 'see you tomorrow'). Physical contact like hugging is less common in initial meetings; a nod or slight bow may accompany verbal greetings.
One thing to watch for
Using 你好 (nǐ hǎo) with elders or superiors instead of 您好 (nín hǎo).
Try this instead: In formal or respectful contexts, always use 您好 (nín hǎo). For example, when meeting your friend's grandmother, say 您好 instead of 你好. Using 你好 with an elder might be seen as slightly disrespectful or too casual.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You meet your new boss at 9 a.m. What greeting should you use?
Show a sample answer
早上好，您好！(Zǎoshang hǎo, nín hǎo!)
This combines a time-specific greeting with the polite form. It's respectful and appropriate for the morning. Alternatively, just 您好 is also correct, but adding 早上好 makes it warmer.
2You're leaving a casual gathering with friends. Which goodbye is most suitable?
Show a sample answer
拜拜！(Bàibài!)
拜拜 is casual and friendly, perfect for friends. 再见 would also be acceptable, but 拜拜 feels more relaxed and matches the informal setting.
3How would you politely ask someone's name after greeting them?
Show a sample answer
您好，请问您叫什么名字？(Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn nín jiào shénme míngzi?)
This uses the polite 您 and adds 请问 (qǐngwèn, 'may I ask') to soften the question. For peers, you could simply say 你叫什么名字？
Choose greetings based on time and formality: 你好 for general, 您好 for respect, and time-specific ones like 早上好 for warmth. For goodbyes, 再见 is safe anywhere, while 拜拜 is for casual settings. Always consider your relationship with the person.
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