Proper pinyin + real greetings + Chinese-sounding audio

How to Say Hello in Traditional Chinese (Beyond Just “Nǐ Hǎo”)

Topic in Traditional Chinese: 用繁體中文打招呼 Get Traditional Chinese characters, properly written pinyin, clear meanings, and example sentences you can actually use.

Yes, 你好 (nǐ hǎo) is “hello.” It’s also the greeting that beginners use for everything — friends, teachers, cats, vending machines — and then wonder why conversations feel a bit… stiff.

This guide gives you the natural options in Traditional Chinese (繁體中文), with pinyin, meanings, and examples. Tap Hear to get audio that aims for a Chinese voice (not “English reading pinyin like a weird password”).

Why 你好 feels like “you good?” (and why it’s still just “hello”)

Literally, 你 (nǐ) is “you,” and 好 (hǎo) is “good / well.” So yes, 你好 can look like “you good?” on paper. But in real life, it behaves like a simple greeting — more like “hi there” than “are you okay?”

The key difference is intent. When you say 你好, you’re opening a conversation. You’re not checking someone’s emotional stability. If you actually mean “Are you okay?” you usually add context that signals concern.

Quick vibe guide: 你好 = greeting. 你還好嗎？ / 你怎麼了？ = concern.

So what do people say for “Are you okay?”

If someone looks upset, you’ll hear phrases like 你還好嗎？(nǐ hái hǎo ma?) or 你怎麼了？(nǐ zěn me le?). Those carry the “something happened” feeling. You’ll find them in the bonus table below with examples.

Section 1: Visual Cards (8 greetings you’ll use constantly)

你好

nǐ hǎo

Hello (safe default)

你好，我第一次來這裡。

Hello, it’s my first time here.

您好

nín hǎo

Hello (polite; elders/teachers/clients)

您好，請問您方便嗎？

Hello, is this a good time for you?

嗨

hāi

Hi (casual, friendly)

嗨，你今天怎麼樣？

Hi, how’s your day?

哈囉

hā luō

Hello (common in Taiwan; cheerful)

哈囉～你到家了嗎？

Hello—did you get home?

早安

zǎo ān

Good morning

早安！今天要喝咖啡嗎？

Good morning! Are you having coffee today?

下午好

xià wǔ hǎo

Good afternoon (polite, time-based)

下午好，請問這個怎麼買？

Good afternoon—how do I buy this?

晚上好

wǎn shàng hǎo

Good evening (greeting at night)

晚上好，歡迎光臨。

Good evening, welcome.

喂

wéi

Hello? (answering the phone)

喂，你好，我是小林。

Hello, I’m Xiaolin.

Section 2: “Hello” without literally saying hello

In real conversations, people often use a quick opener that functions like “hello.” It’s not an interrogation. It’s a friendly doorbell. Keep your tone light, and you’ll sound natural.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
大家好	dà jiā hǎo	Hello everyone (friendly group greeting)	大家好，我是今天的主持人。	Hello everyone, I’m today’s host.
好久不見	hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn	Long time no see	好久不見！你最近好嗎？	Long time no see! How have you been?
最近好嗎？	zuì jìn hǎo ma?	How have you been lately?	嗨！最近好嗎？	Hi! How have you been lately?
你今天怎麼樣？	nǐ jīn tiān zěn me yàng?	How’s your day today?	你今天怎麼樣？看起來很累。	How’s your day? You look tired.
你吃飽了嗎？	nǐ chī bǎo le ma?	Have you eaten? (warm Taiwan-style opener)	你吃飽了嗎？要不要一起喝飲料？	Have you eaten? Want to grab a drink together?
辛苦了	xīn kǔ le	Thanks for your effort / You worked hard	辛苦了，今天真的謝謝你。	Thanks for your hard work—really, thank you today.
請問	qǐng wèn	Excuse me / May I ask (polite opener)	請問，最近的捷運站在哪裡？	Excuse me, where’s the nearest MRT station?
不好意思	bù hǎo yì si	Excuse me / Sorry (soft, everyday)	不好意思，請問這裡有人坐嗎？	Excuse me, is someone sitting here?

Section 3: Bonus add-ons (polite basics + the real “Are you okay?”)

These are the little phrases that make your greeting feel human, not like you’re reading a phrasebook in court. Also: here’s the clean difference between hello and concern.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH)	Translation (EN)
謝謝	xiè xie	Thank you	謝謝你，真的很幫忙。	Thank you, that really helps.
對不起	duì bu qǐ	Sorry (stronger apology)	對不起，我遲到了。	Sorry, I’m late.
我	wǒ	I / me	我叫安娜。	I’m called Anna. (My name is Anna.)
是	shì	to be (is/am/are)	我是學生。	I’m a student.
你好嗎？	nǐ hǎo ma?	How are you? (understandable, a bit textbook)	你好嗎？我很好，謝謝。	How are you? I’m fine, thanks.
你還好嗎？	nǐ hái hǎo ma?	Are you okay? (sounds like concern)	你還好嗎？看起來不太舒服。	Are you okay? You look not so well.
你怎麼了？	nǐ zěn me le?	What’s wrong? / What happened?	你怎麼了？想聊聊嗎？	What’s wrong? Want to talk?
你沒事吧？	nǐ méi shì ba?	You okay? (after something happened)	剛剛差點跌倒，你沒事吧？	You almost fell just now—are you okay?

One easy “don’t accidentally be weird” rule

你好 is a greeting opener. 你還好嗎？ and 你怎麼了？ are what you say when someone looks upset, sick, or shaken. In English, “You good?” can be either casual or concerned. In Chinese, those are usually different phrases — and that’s why learning them pays off.