你好

Learning Chinese: How to Say "Hello" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 你好
Pinyin: nǐ hǎo
Pronunciation: ni3 hao3
English Translation: Hello

Usage:

"你好 (nǐ hǎo)" is the most common way to say "hello" in Chinese. It is a polite and respectful greeting that can be used in both formal and informal settings.

Example:

Chinese: 你好，老师。
Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo, lǎoshī.
English: Hello, teacher.
Variations:

There are a few variations of "你好 (nǐ hǎo)" that you may hear:

您好 (nín hǎo): A more formal way to say "hello", typically used when addressing someone older or in a position of authority.
喂 (wèi): A more informal way to say "hello", similar to "hey" in English. However, it is generally not considered polite to use "喂 (wèi)" when greeting someone for the first time.
Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "你好 (nǐ hǎo)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers saying "hello" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "你好 (nǐ hǎo)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:

"你好 (nǐ hǎo)" is typically used when greeting someone for the first time.
To say "hello" on the phone, you can say "喂，你好 (wèi, nǐ hǎo)", which means "hello, this is __ speaking."
In some regions of China, people may also use "早安 (zǎoān)" or "晚上好 (wǎnshàng hǎo)" to greet someone, depending on the time of day.