How to Say ‘Hello’ in Simplified Chinese
你好
nǐ hǎo
[nee how]
🇨🇳 In China: [你好] is understood everywhere, but with strangers asking directions, many people start with [请问] instead because it sounds more natural for "excuse me, may I ask…?".
Phrase Breakdown
你
nǐ
[nee]
you
A common singular pronoun meaning 'you.' It is polite and neutral in everyday speech.
你好吗？
How are you?
好
hǎo
[how]
good; well
An adjective meaning 'good' or 'well.' It also appears in greetings like 你好.
今天天气很好。
The weather is very good today.
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