Practical Notes
First Sentences · Beginner
How to Say Hello in Chinese
Learn 你好 and 您好, plus when a simple greeting is the natural choice.
Quick answer
Use 你好
for a general hello. Use 您好
when you want to sound especially polite or respectful.
你好
hello
您好
hello (polite)
Hear the phrase, then repeat it aloud.
When to use it
Use 你好
when meeting someone or beginning a short interaction. 您好
is useful in more formal or respectful situations.
Common mistake
Do not repeat 你好
throughout a conversation. It opens the interaction; after that, continue with your question or introduction.
Practise aloud
你好！ Hello!
您好！ Hello! (polite)
你好，我叫 Louis。 Hello, my name is Louis.
A greeting becomes more useful when you connect it to the next sentence. Practise saying hello and then adding your name or a simple question.
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