Greetings and Expressions in Chinese

Overview

Chinese greetings and common expressions (问候语, wènhòuyǔ) are among the first phrases any learner encounters. While 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is the textbook greeting, native speakers use a much wider range of situational greetings, many of which differ significantly from Western conventions.

At the CEFR A1 level, mastering these set phrases provides immediate communicative ability. Many of these expressions function as fixed units -- their meaning comes from convention rather than grammar. For example, 不客气 (bú kèqi, you're welcome) literally means "don't be polite," but its function is purely conventional.

Chinese greetings are often more context-specific than English ones. Instead of a general "How are you?", Chinese speakers often greet with activity-based questions: 吃了吗？(Have you eaten?), which is a greeting, not a literal inquiry about your meal.

How It Works

Basic greetings

Chinese	Pinyin	Use
你好	nǐ hǎo	hello (general, somewhat formal)
您好	nín hǎo	hello (respectful)
你好吗？	nǐ hǎo ma?	How are you? (textbook, not common daily)
早上好	zǎoshang hǎo	good morning
晚上好	wǎnshang hǎo	good evening
你好啊	nǐ hǎo a	hey/hello (casual, friendly)

Polite expressions

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
谢谢	xièxiè	thank you
不客气	bú kèqi	you're welcome
没关系	méi guānxi	it's okay / no worries
对不起	duìbuqǐ	sorry
不好意思	bù hǎoyìsi	sorry / excuse me (embarrassment)
请	qǐng	please
麻烦你	máfan nǐ	sorry to bother you

Farewells

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
再见	zàijiàn	goodbye
明天见	míngtiān jiàn	see you tomorrow
下次见	xià cì jiàn	see you next time
拜拜	bàibài	bye-bye (casual, from English)
慢走	màn zǒu	take care (said to departing guest)

Examples in Context

Chinese	Pinyin	English	Note
你好！你好吗？	Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ hǎo ma?	Hello! How are you?	formal greeting
谢谢！不客气。	Xièxiè! Bú kèqi.	Thanks! You're welcome.	exchange
对不起。没关系。	Duìbuqǐ. Méi guānxi.	Sorry. It's okay.	apology exchange
再见！明天见！	Zàijiàn! Míngtiān jiàn!	Goodbye! See you tomorrow!	farewell
请坐。	Qǐng zuò.	Please sit down.	polite offer
不好意思，请问...	Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐng wèn...	Excuse me, may I ask...	getting attention
吃了吗？	Chī le ma?	Have you eaten?	casual greeting
慢走！	Màn zǒu!	Take care! (to departing guest)	farewell
你好，认识你很高兴。	Nǐ hǎo, rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.	Hello, nice to meet you.	introduction
欢迎欢迎！	Huānyíng huānyíng!	Welcome welcome!	receiving guests

Common Mistakes

Overusing 你好吗

• Wrong: Greeting everyone with 你好吗 every time
• Right: Use 你好 or situational greetings; 你好吗 is more for people you haven't seen in a while
• Why: Native speakers rarely ask 你好吗 in daily encounters; it can sound foreign and textbook-like.

Confusing 对不起 and 不好意思

• Wrong: Using 对不起 for minor inconveniences
• Right: Use 不好意思 for minor things (bumping someone, asking a favor); 对不起 for genuine apologies
• Why: 对不起 carries more weight and implies fault; 不好意思 is lighter and more common daily.

Not responding to greetings appropriately

• Wrong: Answering 谢谢 with silence
• Right: Respond with 不客气 or 没事儿 (no problem)
• Why: Chinese social conventions expect a response to thanks, just as English does.

Practice Tips

• Learn greeting-response pairs as units: 谢谢→不客气, 对不起→没关系, 你好→你好. Practice both sides.
• Pay attention to register: 您好 for elders and formal situations, 嗨/你好啊 for friends, 老师好 for teachers.
• Practice the common greeting 吃了吗？(Have you eaten?) and understand it as a social greeting, not a literal question.

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