Useful Chinese Greetings For Every Day

Learn everyday greetings in simplified Chinese for saying hello, asking how someone is, and sounding like a real person instead of a dusty textbook robot. Topic: 打招呼 dǎ zhāohu — to greet someone.

If you only learn one batch of Chinese phrases, make it greetings. They show up everywhere: when you walk into a shop, text a friend, start a call, meet a coworker, or bump into a neighbor while carrying groceries and pretending you look fine.

Below you’ll get the most useful Chinese greetings in simplified Chinese, all with pinyin, English meaning, and real example sentences. Start with the common ones, then steal the casual ones once you feel brave.

A Quick Reality Check

Chinese greetings are not hard. The hard part is remembering that people do not walk around saying only 你好 nǐ hǎo all day. That phrase is fine, but real life has range. Luckily, range is teachable.

Essential Greeting Cards

你好

nǐ hǎo

Hello

早上好

zǎoshang hǎo

Good morning

下午好

xiàwǔ hǎo

Good afternoon

晚上好

wǎnshang hǎo

Good evening

嗨

hāi

哈喽

hālou

Hello, casual and playful

你好吗

nǐ hǎo ma

How are you?

Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

你好 nǐ hǎo — hello
例句: 你好，你是新同事吗？ nǐ hǎo, nǐ shì xīn tóngshì ma? — Hello, are you the new coworker?
嗨 hāi — hi
例句: 嗨，好久不见。 hāi, hǎojiǔ bú jiàn. — Hi, long time no see.
哈喽 hālou — hello, casual
例句: 哈喽，你今天来得真早。 hālou, nǐ jīntiān lái de zhēn zǎo. — Hello, you came early today.
早 zǎo — morning, used like “morning”
例句: 早，咖啡已经好了。 zǎo, kāfēi yǐjīng hǎo le. — Morning, the coffee is ready.
早上好 zǎoshang hǎo — good morning
例句: 老师，早上好。 lǎoshī, zǎoshang hǎo. — Good morning, teacher.
上午好 shàngwǔ hǎo — good late morning
例句: 王经理，上午好。 Wáng jīnglǐ, shàngwǔ hǎo. — Good late morning, Manager Wang.
中午好 zhōngwǔ hǎo — good noon
例句: 大家中午好，先吃饭吧。 dàjiā zhōngwǔ hǎo, xiān chīfàn ba. — Good noon, everyone. Let’s eat first.
下午好 xiàwǔ hǎo — good afternoon
例句: 客户来了，下午好。 kèhù lái le, xiàwǔ hǎo. — The client is here. Good afternoon.
晚上好 wǎnshang hǎo — good evening
例句: 晚上好，请问有预订吗？ wǎnshang hǎo, qǐngwèn yǒu yùdìng ma? — Good evening, do you have a reservation?
最近怎么样 zuìjìn zěnmeyàng — how have you been lately?
例句: 你最近怎么样，工作忙吗？ nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng, gōngzuò máng ma? — How have you been lately? Busy with work?
你好吗 nǐ hǎo ma — how are you?
例句: 奶奶，你好吗？ nǎinai, nǐ hǎo ma? — Grandma, how are you?
你最近好吗 nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma — have you been well lately?
例句: 好久没联系了，你最近好吗？ hǎojiǔ méi liánxì le, nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma? — We haven’t talked in a long time. Have you been well lately?
还好吗 hái hǎo ma — are you doing okay?
例句: 你看起来很累，还好吗？ nǐ kànqǐlái hěn lèi, hái hǎo ma? — You look tired. Are you okay?
你今天怎么样 nǐ jīntiān zěnmeyàng — how are you today?
例句: 你今天怎么样，感觉好一点了吗？ nǐ jīntiān zěnmeyàng, gǎnjué hǎo yìdiǎn le ma? — How are you today? Feeling a bit better?

Greetings For Different Situations

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
欢迎	huānyíng	welcome	欢迎来我家。	huānyíng lái wǒ jiā.	Welcome to my home.
欢迎欢迎	huānyíng huānyíng	a warm “welcome, welcome”	欢迎欢迎，快进来。	huānyíng huānyíng, kuài jìnlái.	Welcome, welcome, come in quickly.
见到你很高兴	jiàndào nǐ hěn gāoxìng	glad to see you	见到你很高兴，我们终于见面了。	jiàndào nǐ hěn gāoxìng, wǒmen zhōngyú jiànmiàn le.	Glad to see you. We finally met.
认识你很高兴	rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng	nice to meet you	你好，认识你很高兴。	nǐ hǎo, rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.	Hello, nice to meet you.
初次见面	chūcì jiànmiàn	meeting for the first time	我们是初次见面，请多关照。	wǒmen shì chūcì jiànmiàn, qǐng duō guānzhào.	It’s our first time meeting. Please take care of me.
请多关照	qǐng duō guānzhào	please guide me / please take care of me	我是新来的，请多关照。	wǒ shì xīn lái de, qǐng duō guānzhào.	I’m new here. Please guide me.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
好久不见	hǎojiǔ bú jiàn	long time no see	好久不见，你一点都没变。	hǎojiǔ bú jiàn, nǐ yìdiǎn dōu méi biàn.	Long time no see. You haven’t changed at all.
好久没见了	hǎojiǔ méi jiàn le	haven’t seen you for a long time	我们好久没见了，改天吃饭吧。	wǒmen hǎojiǔ méi jiàn le, gǎitiān chīfàn ba.	We haven’t seen each other for a long time. Let’s eat together another day.
最近忙吗	zuìjìn máng ma	have you been busy lately?	你最近忙吗？	nǐ zuìjìn máng ma?	Have you been busy lately?
最近还好吗	zuìjìn hái hǎo ma	have you been okay lately?	你最近还好吗？	nǐ zuìjìn hái hǎo ma?	Have you been okay lately?
最近过得怎么样	zuìjìn guò de zěnmeyàng	how’s life been lately?	你最近过得怎么样？	nǐ zuìjìn guò de zěnmeyàng?	How’s life been lately?
最近怎么样啊	zuìjìn zěnmeyàng a	how’s it going lately? casual	哥们儿，最近怎么样啊？	gēmenr, zuìjìn zěnmeyàng a?	Buddy, how’s it going lately?

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
吃了吗	chī le ma	have you eaten?	你吃了吗？	nǐ chī le ma?	Have you eaten?
吃饭了吗	chīfàn le ma	have you eaten a meal?	你吃饭了吗？要不要一起？	nǐ chīfàn le ma? yào bú yào yìqǐ?	Have you eaten? Want to eat together?
上班去啊	shàngbān qù a	off to work?	这么早，上班去啊？	zhème zǎo, shàngbān qù a?	So early. Off to work?
出门啊	chūmén a	heading out?	你也出门啊？	nǐ yě chūmén a?	You’re heading out too?
回来啦	huílái la	you’re back	你回来啦，路上堵吗？	nǐ huílái la, lùshang dǔ ma?	You’re back. Was traffic bad?
下班啦	xiàbān la	off work now?	你终于下班啦。	nǐ zhōngyú xiàbān la.	You’re finally off work.

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
辛苦了	xīnkǔ le	you’ve worked hard	大家今天辛苦了。	dàjiā jīntiān xīnkǔ le.	Everyone worked hard today.
一路顺风	yílù shùnfēng	have a smooth trip	明天出发？一路顺风。	míngtiān chūfā? yílù shùnfēng.	Leaving tomorrow? Have a smooth trip.
慢走	màn zǒu	take care on your way	谢谢你来，慢走。	xièxie nǐ lái, màn zǒu.	Thanks for coming. Take care on your way.
回头见	huítóu jiàn	see you later	我先走了，回头见。	wǒ xiān zǒu le, huítóu jiàn.	I’m heading off first. See you later.
待会儿见	dāihuìr jiàn	see you in a bit	我去拿个快递，待会儿见。	wǒ qù ná ge kuàidì, dāihuìr jiàn.	I’m going to pick up a package. See you in a bit.
明天见	míngtiān jiàn	see you tomorrow	今天先这样，明天见。	jīntiān xiān zhèyàng, míngtiān jiàn.	That’s it for today. See you tomorrow.

50 Everyday Chinese Greetings And Related Phrases

你好 nǐ hǎo — hello
嗨 hāi — hi
哈喽 hālou — hello
早 zǎo — morning
早安 zǎo ān — good morning
早上好 zǎoshang hǎo — good morning
上午好 shàngwǔ hǎo — good late morning
中午好 zhōngwǔ hǎo — good noon
下午好 xiàwǔ hǎo — good afternoon
晚上好 wǎnshang hǎo — good evening
你好吗 nǐ hǎo ma — how are you?
你最近好吗 nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma — how have you been lately?
最近怎么样 zuìjìn zěnmeyàng — how’s it going lately?
最近还好吗 zuìjìn hái hǎo ma — have you been okay lately?
最近忙吗 zuìjìn máng ma — have you been busy lately?
你今天怎么样 nǐ jīntiān zěnmeyàng — how are you today?
还好吗 hái hǎo ma — are you okay?

吃了吗 chī le ma — have you eaten?
吃饭了吗 chīfàn le ma — have you eaten a meal?
忙什么呢 máng shénme ne — what are you busy with?
去哪儿啊 qù nǎr a — where are you going?
出门啊 chūmén a — heading out?
上班去啊 shàngbān qù a — off to work?
下班啦 xiàbān la — off work now?
回来啦 huílái la — you’re back
欢迎 huānyíng — welcome
欢迎欢迎 huānyíng huānyíng — welcome, welcome
见到你很高兴 jiàndào nǐ hěn gāoxìng — glad to see you
认识你很高兴 rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng — nice to meet you
初次见面 chūcì jiànmiàn — first time meeting
请多关照 qǐng duō guānzhào — please guide me
幸会 xìnghuì — pleased to meet you
久仰 jiǔyǎng — I’ve heard a lot about you
好久不见 hǎojiǔ bú jiàn — long time no see

好久没见了 hǎojiǔ méi jiàn le — haven’t seen you for ages
最近过得怎么样 zuìjìn guò de zěnmeyàng — how’s life been lately?
最近怎么样啊 zuìjìn zěnmeyàng a — how’s it going? casual
精神不错 jīngshen búcuò — you look energetic
气色不错 qìsè búcuò — you look well
今天来得早啊 jīntiān lái de zǎo a — you came early today
这么巧 zhème qiǎo — what a coincidence
你也在这儿啊 nǐ yě zài zhèr a — oh, you’re here too
又见面了 yòu jiànmiàn le — we meet again
辛苦了 xīnkǔ le — you’ve worked hard
一路顺风 yílù shùnfēng — have a smooth trip
慢走 màn zǒu — take care on your way
回头见 huítóu jiàn — see you later
待会儿见 dāihuìr jiàn — see you in a bit
明天见 míngtiān jiàn — see you tomorrow
回见 huíjiàn — see you again

Quick Notes On What Sounds Natural

你好 nǐ hǎo is safe, polite, and useful, but not the only greeting on earth.
早 zǎo is very common in daily life. It sounds quicker and more natural than always saying 早上好 zǎoshang hǎo.
你好吗 nǐ hǎo ma is correct, but many native speakers use more specific greetings like 最近怎么样 zuìjìn zěnmeyàng or 最近忙吗 zuìjìn máng ma.
吃了吗 chī le ma is not always a literal meal inspection. Sometimes it is just a warm, social greeting.
慢走 màn zǒu is said to the person leaving. It does not mean “walk slowly because your legs are unreliable today.” It means “take care.”

Polite And Casual Variants

Type	Phrase	Pinyin	Meaning	Note
Polite	您好	nín hǎo	hello	Use with elders, customers, and formal situations.
Neutral	你好	nǐ hǎo	hello	The safe all-purpose choice.
Casual	嗨	hāi	hi	Very common with friends and younger people.
Casual	哈喽	hālou	hello	Playful and relaxed.
Morning Shortcut	早	zǎo	morning	Short, natural, and used constantly.
Friendly Check-In	最近怎么样	zuìjìn zěnmeyàng	how’s it going lately?	Feels more natural than textbook small talk.

Mini Practice

You meet your teacher in the morning: 早上好，老师。 zǎoshang hǎo, lǎoshī. — Good morning, teacher.
You text a friend after a long time: 好久不见，最近怎么样？ hǎojiǔ bú jiàn, zuìjìn zěnmeyàng? — Long time no see, how have you been?
You welcome a guest: 欢迎欢迎，快进来。 huānyíng huānyíng, kuài jìnlái. — Welcome, welcome, come in.
You say goodbye to a visitor: 慢走，回头见。 màn zǒu, huítóu jiàn. — Take care, see you later.
You greet a coworker after work: 辛苦了，明天见。 xīnkǔ le, míngtiān jiàn. — You worked hard. See you tomorrow.

Yak Box: What To Memorize First

Start with these eight: 你好 nǐ hǎo, 早 zǎo, 早上好 zǎoshang hǎo, 下午好 xiàwǔ hǎo, 晚上好 wǎnshang hǎo, 好久不见 hǎojiǔ bú jiàn, 最近怎么样 zuìjìn zěnmeyàng, and 明天见 míngtiān jiàn. That tiny set already covers a surprising amount of real life.

FAQ About Everyday Chinese Greetings

Is 你好 nǐ hǎo always okay?
Yes. It is correct and polite. It just sounds a little more neutral than some casual real-life greetings.

What is the easiest morning greeting?
早 zǎo. It is short, common, and easy to remember.

Do I need formal greetings right away?
No. Learn 你好 nǐ hǎo first, then add 您好 nín hǎo for polite situations.

Is 吃了吗 chī le ma really a greeting?
Sometimes yes. It can be a warm social opener, not just a question about food.