How to Say Hello in Mandarin Chinese

The first step to starting a conversation in Mandarin Chinese is to say hello! Learn how to greet people in Mandarin Chinese with the help of audio files to ensure your pronunciation is correct. Audio links are marked with ââ€" º. Characters The Chinese phrase for hello is made of two characters: ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ ââ€" ºnÇ Ã‚  hÇŽo. The first character ä ½   (nÇ ) means you. The second character Ã¥ ¥ ½ (hÇŽo) means good. Thus, the literal translation of ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ (nÇ  hÇŽo) is you good.   Pronunciation Note that Mandarin Chinese uses four tones. The tones used in ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ are two third tones. When 2 first tone characters are placed next to each other, the tones slightly change. The first character is pronounced as a rising tone second tone, while the second character shifts into a low, dipping tone. Informal vs Formal Use ä ½   (Ç ) is the informal form of you and is used for greeting friends and associates. The formal you is æ‚ ¨ (nà ­n). Thus, the formal form of hello is ââ€" ºnà ­n hÇŽo - æ‚ ¨Ã¥ ¥ ½.   æ‚ ¨Ã¥ ¥ ½(nà ­n hÇŽo) is used when speaking to superiors, people in authority, and elders. The more casual ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ (nÇ  hÇŽo) should be used when speaking to friends, colleagues, and children.   China Taiwan The use of æ‚ ¨Ã¥ ¥ ½ (nà ­n hÇŽo) is more common in Mainland China than in Taiwan. The informal ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ (nÇ  hÇŽo) is the most common greeting in Taiwan, no matter what the rank of the person you are addressing. You may also be wondering why there are two Chinese written versions of this phrase: ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥â€"Ž and ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ â€". The first version is in traditional characters which are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and many overseas Chinese communities. The second version is simplified characters, the official writing system in Mainland China, Singapore, and Malaysia. How Are You? You can extend ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½ (nÇ  hÇŽo) by adding the question particle Ã¥â€"Ž / Ã¥ â€" ââ€" ºma. The question particle Ã¥â€"Ž (traditional form) / Ã¥ â€" (simplified form) can be added to the end of sentences and phrases to change them from statements into questions. The literal translation of ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥â€"Ž? / ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ â€" (nÇ  hÇŽo ma)? is you good?, which means how are you? This greeting should only be said to close friends or family members. It is not a common greeting for associates or strangers. The answer to ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥â€"Ž / ä ½  Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¥ â€" (nÇ  hÇŽo ma)? can be: hÄ›n hÇŽo - Ã¥ ¾Ë†Ã¥ ¥ ½ - very goodbà ¹ hÇŽo - ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½ - not goodhà ¡i hÇŽo - é‚„å ¥ ½ / è ¿ËœÃ¥ ¥ ½ - so so