How to Say ‘Hello’ in Traditional Chinese
你好
nǐ hǎo
[nee how]
🇹🇼 In Taiwan: [你好] is understandable, but in Taiwan on the phone with a restaurant, many people go straight to [喂，你好] or just start with their request politely, like [我想確認一下訂位]
Phrase Breakdown
你
nǐ
[nee]
you
A common way to say 'you' to one person. In reservation conversations, it refers to the person you are speaking to.
服務員對客人說：「你 好，請問有訂位嗎？」
The server says to the guest, "Hello, do you have a reservation?"
好
hǎo
[how]
good
Means 'good' or 'well.' In greetings like 你好, it helps form a polite hello.
客人先說「你 好」，再表示想確認訂位。
The guest first says, "Hello," and then says they want to confirm the reservation.
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