Learn to Greet People in Chinese With These Expressions

Formal greetings

1. 你好 (Hello)

This expression might be a mistake-free greeting when you meet your business partners for the first time. Then you can start to introduce yourself by saying your name and the company’s name, etc.

2. 您好 (Hello)

This normally is used when you meet elderly people or superiors on formal occasions. The next part of your greeting is how to address the people. It will be another topic to discuss.

3. 你好吗？(How are you?)

This is not very commonly used in greetings.

Informal greetings

1. 嗨 (hi)

This simple word is very popular for greeting a nodding acquaintance or your manager and teacher. PS, here your manager/teacher should be easygoing, not an elderly person! Also, you need to address them properly. If you think that is too casual, you could address them with family name + 经理/老师 and add 好 instead of saying 嗨. For example, 王老师，好！

2. 最近怎么样? (How are you doing these days?) 最近在忙什么? (What have you been up to lately?)

If you didn’t see your friends or colleagues for a while, you could start with these sentences when meeting again. If they want to have a small talk with you, they might tell you some details about their recent life. Otherwise, they will give a short answer like “还好!" Or "没忙什么。”

3. Random expressions depending on where to meet and how close to each other

你回来了? – Are you back home?

你出去呀? – Are you leaving?

去买东西? – Are you going to do some shopping?

Yes, it sounds very nosy. But the fact is those sentences play the same role as “hi,” but additionally, it also shows caring. The most response is a single word, 是啊/对, or even a modal particle “嗯”！Unless they want to have some small talks with you.

The short and various greeting expressions show respect, hospitality, and warmth to others. With an authentic greeting, you can make a great impression in a Chinese-speaking environment.

How should we use the different Chinese greetings? Are there any rules to make you sound more authentic? I am afraid there are no such rules. But there is a tip. Knowing the culture can help you with your language. If you’re interested in learning more about Chinese greetings and want to improve your overall Chinese language skills, I would like to help you more. Hope to see you more often in this community.