In this workshop, you will practice Mandarin greetings and goodbyes using short recorded examples. You will learn when to use a neutral greeting, a polite greeting, a morning greeting, and a casual greeting. You will also practice a short morning exchange and a goodbye. Each recorded line is quoted exactly, and you will check your understanding with guided tasks. You can play both roles in the recordings, but there is no automatic assessment. Speak aloud, repeat, and compare your rhythm with the recording.
Choosing the right greeting
Mandarin has several common greetings. The neutral greeting «你好» works in most situations, including with strangers and in shops. The polite form «您好» is respectful and is used for elders, customers, or anyone you address formally. For the morning, you can say «早上好», which is standard and slightly formal. With friends or peers, the casual «嗨» is fine. Notice that «你好» and «您好» are not completely different words; the polite form uses a respectful pronoun. When you meet someone in the morning, you can combine greetings, as in «你好，早上好！». Listen to the recording and repeat each line, paying attention to the tones. Practice saying each greeting with a friendly voice.
A short morning exchange
The recordings include a short morning conversation. Speaker A says «你好，早上好！». Speaker B replies with «早上好！您好吗？», which includes a morning greeting and a polite question about how you are. Speaker A answers with «我很好，谢谢。再见！», which means I am well, thank you, and then says goodbye. Speaker B responds with «再见，明天见！», which means goodbye and see you tomorrow. Notice that the exchange uses both a greeting and a goodbye. The question in «早上好！您好吗？» uses the polite form, so it fits a respectful morning conversation. Practice the exchange by playing both roles. First, listen to the whole exchange, then repeat each line after the recording. Finally, try saying the lines without the recording, using the correct roles.
Saying goodbye
The goodbye in «我很好，谢谢。再见！» is the standard way to say goodbye in Mandarin. It works in both casual and polite situations. The goodbye in «再见，明天见！» adds a friendly note about seeing the person tomorrow. You can use the simple goodbye from «我很好，谢谢。再见！» in many situations. If you expect to meet the person again soon, you can use the longer form from «再见，明天见！». Practice saying both goodbyes with a natural tone. Remember that the goodbye in «我很好，谢谢。再见！» comes after a thank you, so it sounds polite. The goodbye in «再见，明天见！» is also polite and friendly. Try repeating each goodbye several times until it feels comfortable.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
你好
Hello
nǐ hǎo (Mandarin); nei5 hou2 (Cantonese)
您好
Hello (polite)
nín hǎo
早上好
Good morning
zǎo shang hǎo
嗨
Hi
hāi
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好，早上好！
Hello, good morning!早上好！您好吗？
Good morning! How are you?我很好，谢谢。再见！
I'm well, thank you. Goodbye!再见，明天见！
Goodbye, see you tomorrow!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided morning exchange
You will play both roles in a short morning conversation. The recording has two speakers, A and B. Speaker A starts with a greeting, and Speaker B replies. Then Speaker A answers and says goodbye, and Speaker B says goodbye.
Your task: Listen to the exchange from the recordings. First, play Speaker A's lines and repeat them aloud. Then play Speaker B's lines and repeat them aloud. Finally, say the whole exchange by yourself, switching between the two roles. Use the exact lines from the recordings.
Choose the right reply
Imagine you are Speaker B in the morning exchange. Speaker A has just said a greeting to you. You need to choose the correct reply from the recordings.
Your task: Read or listen to Speaker A's line «你好，早上好！». Then choose the best reply from these two options: Option 1 is «早上好！您好吗？», and Option 2 is «我很好，谢谢。再见！». Say your chosen reply aloud. Then check the correct answer below.
Recall the goodbye lines
In the recordings, there are two goodbye lines. One is a simple goodbye, and one adds a friendly note about seeing the person tomorrow. You will recall both lines and say them with the correct roles.
Your task: Without looking at the recordings, say the simple goodbye that Speaker A uses after saying thank you. Then say the goodbye that Speaker B uses to end the conversation. After you say both, check your answer below.
Common questions
When should I use the polite greeting instead of the neutral greeting?
Use the polite greeting «您好» when you want to show respect, such as with elders, customers, or someone you address formally. The neutral greeting «你好» is safe in most other situations, including with strangers and in shops. If you are unsure, the neutral greeting is usually fine.
Can I use the casual greeting in a formal situation?
The casual greeting «嗨» is borrowed from English and is fine with friends and peers. It is less suitable for elders or formal settings. In a formal situation, choose the polite greeting «您好» or the neutral greeting «你好» instead. For the morning, «早上好» is a standard and slightly formal choice.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: hello and goodbyeChecked September 2026
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