Chinese Greetings: Formal, Neutral, and Casual

Three common greetings

Chinese has several greetings that differ in formality. A polite, formal greeting is «您好». You can use it with strangers, in business settings, or when you want to show respect. A neutral greeting is «你好». It works in most everyday situations, such as meeting a classmate or a colleague you already know. A casual greeting is «嗨». This is similar to saying “Hi” or “Hey” in English, and it is common among friends. There is also a time-specific greeting: «早上好», which means “Good morning.” Notice that the formal and neutral greetings can be used at any time of day, while the morning greeting is only for the morning. When you meet someone for the first time, the formal or neutral greeting is usually safer than the casual one.

A first meeting: student and teacher

Now listen to a short exchange. Speaker A asks: «您好，请问您是王老师吗？». This means “Hello, are you Teacher Wang?” Speaker B replies: «是的，你好。你是新来的学生吗？». This means “Yes, hello. Are you a new student?” Speaker A then says: «对，我叫李明。早上好！». This means “Yes, my name is Li Ming. Good morning!” Finally, Speaker B answers: «早上好，李明。欢迎你。». This means “Good morning, Li Ming. Welcome.” In this scene, Speaker A is the student and Speaker B is the teacher. The student uses a polite greeting and gives his name. The teacher confirms his identity and welcomes him. Notice how the greeting and the morning greeting are combined naturally. When you practice, you can play both roles, but remember that the roles are not interchangeable: the student asks the first question, and the teacher answers and welcomes.

Choosing the right greeting

How do you decide which greeting to use? If you are meeting a teacher, a boss, or someone older for the first time, use the formal greeting «您好». If you are meeting a classmate, a colleague, or a friend of a friend, the neutral greeting «你好» is fine. If you are greeting a close friend in a relaxed setting, you can use the casual greeting «嗨». In the morning, you can add or replace the greeting with «早上好». In the student-teacher exchange, the student uses the formal greeting and then adds the morning greeting. The teacher responds with the neutral greeting and then the morning greeting. This shows that mixing greetings is normal. As a beginner, it is better to be slightly more formal than too casual. You can always adjust later as you get to know the person.

Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.

Checking available voices…

Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.

Common questions