Some days you need a big speech. Most days you just need the right hello. Everyday Mandarin greetings are tiny keys that unlock shops, elevators, meetings, and friendships. Learn a handful in Traditional Chinese—with pinyin right after—and you can glide through mornings, small talk, and polite exits without breaking conversational ankles.
How Greetings Work In Mandarin (So You Don’t Overthink Them)
Mandarin greetings are short, friendly, and goal-oriented. You can greet by time of day, by asking about the other person, or by using a quick social warmer like “辛苦了” to show you see their effort. Keep your tone light, your smile real, and your sentences compact.
Time-Of-Day: The Daily “On” Switch
早安
zǎo ān
Good morning.（Taiwan everyday use）
早上好
zǎo shàng hǎo
Good morning.（slightly more formal）
中午好
zhōng wǔ hǎo
Good noon / Midday greeting.
下午好
xià wǔ hǎo
Good afternoon.
晚上好
wǎn shàng hǎo
Good evening.
晚安
wǎn ān
Good night.（goodbye at night or before bed）
小提醒：在台灣，“早安／晚安”很常用；白天很多人直接用「嗨」或名字＋你好（見下節）。
First Meet, Every Meet: Simple, Polite, Universal
你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello.（to one person）
您你好
nín hǎo
Hello.（polite to elders/customers）
大家好
dà jiā hǎo
Hello, everyone.
好久不見
hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn
Long time no see.
很高興認識你
hěn gāo xìng rèn shì nǐ
Nice to meet you.（first meeting）
幸會
xìng huì
A pleasure to meet you.（concise, business-friendly）
Friendly Warmers: Social Glue You’ll Hear Everywhere
最近好嗎？
zuì jìn hǎo ma?
How have you been?
你吃飽了嗎？
nǐ chī bǎo le ma?
Have you eaten?（friendly opener; answer doesn’t need details）
辛苦了
xīn kǔ le
Thanks for your hard work.（to coworkers/staff/delivery）
你忙嗎？
nǐ máng ma?
Are you busy?（soft way to open a chat）
你今天怎麼樣？
nǐ jīn tiān zěn me yàng?
How’s your day going?
Casual, Modern, And Message-Friendly
嗨／嗨嗨
hāi / hāi hāi
Hi / Hey there.
早～
zǎo
Mornin’!
哈囉
hā luó
Hello.（loanword; texts/calls/chatty tone）
安安（網路用語）
ān ān
Hi hi（internet slang; playful）
Polite + Professional: Office-Ready Openers
早安，各位
zǎo ān, gè wèi
Good morning, everyone.
早安，王經理
zǎo ān, Wáng jīng lǐ
Good morning, Manager Wang.
您好，我是＿＿（公司／部門）
nín hǎo, wǒ shì ______ (gōng sī / bù mén)
Hello, I’m ______ (company/department).
承蒙關照
chéng méng guān zhào
Thank you for your guidance/support.（formal)
久仰大名
jiǔ yǎng dà míng
I’ve heard a lot about you.（very formal; use sparingly）
When You Enter A Place: Shops, Taxis, Counters
你好，我想點餐
nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng diǎn cān
Hello, I’d like to order.
不好意思，請問可以幫我一下嗎？
bù hǎo yì si, qǐng wèn kě yǐ bāng wǒ yí xià ma?
Excuse me—could you help me?
司機您好，到＿＿，謝謝
sī jī nín hǎo, dào ______, xiè xie
Hello driver—please go to ______, thank you.
Greeting + Thanks Combo (Fast, Natural, Very Taiwanese)
你好，辛苦了
nǐ hǎo, xīn kǔ le
Hi—thanks for your effort.
您好，麻煩你了
nín hǎo, má fán nǐ le
Hello—sorry to trouble you / thank you for helping.
On The Phone Or In Messages
喂？你好
wéi? nǐ hǎo
Hello?（phone pickup）
您好，我這裡是＿＿
nín hǎo, wǒ zhè lǐ shì ______
Hello, this is ______ speaking.
早安，打擾一下
zǎo ān, dǎ rǎo yí xià
Good morning—sorry to bother you.
哈囉，你現在方便嗎？
hā luó, nǐ xiàn zài fāng biàn ma?
Hello—are you available now?
Greetings That Are Really Care
路上小心
lù shàng xiǎo xīn
Take care on the way.
今天加油
jīn tiān jiā yóu
You’ve got this today.
天氣變冷，注意保暖
tiān qì biàn lěng, zhù yì bǎo nuǎn
It’s getting cold—keep warm.
早點休息
zǎo diǎn xiū xí
Rest early.
Parting Lines (Because Every Hello Needs A Clean Exit)
再見
zài jiàn
Goodbye.
待會見／等一下見
dài huǐ jiàn / děng yí xià jiàn
See you in a bit.
改天見
gǎi tiān jiàn
See you another day.
明天見
míng tiān jiàn
See you tomorrow.
回頭聊
huí tóu liáo
Talk later.
保重
bǎo zhòng
Take care.
Mini Dialogues（Short, Real, Reusable）
早餐店
A：早安～
A: zǎo ān
A: Morning!
B：早～今天想吃什麼？
B: zǎo, jīn tiān xiǎng chī shén me?
B: Morning—what would you like today?
A：豆漿加蛋餅，謝謝。
A: dòu jiāng jiā dàn bǐng, xiè xie
A: Soy milk with an egg pancake, thanks.
公司電梯
A：早安，辛苦了。
A: zǎo ān, xīn kǔ le
A: Morning—thanks for your hard work.
B：早～今天會議好多喔。
B: zǎo, jīn tiān huì yì hǎo duō o
B: Morning—so many meetings today.
A：加油！
A: jiā yóu
A: You got this!
電話客服
A：您好，我是王小姐。
A: nín hǎo, wǒ shì Wáng xiǎo jiě
A: Hello, this is Ms. Wang.
B：您好，請問需要什麼協助？
B: nín hǎo, qǐng wèn xū yào shén me xié zhù?
B: Hello—how can I help you?
A：想詢問會員方案，麻煩你。
A: xiǎng xún wèn huì yuán fāng àn, má fán nǐ
A: I’d like to ask about the membership plans—thanks.
遇到熟人
A：好久不見！最近好嗎？
A: hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn! zuì jìn hǎo ma?
A: Long time no see! How have you been?
B：還不錯，你呢？
B: hái bú cuò, nǐ ne?
B: Pretty good—how about you?
A：改天吃飯聊。
A: gǎi tiān chī fàn liáo
A: Let’s grab a meal sometime.
Copy-Ready Patterns（Swap The Blank, Use All Week）
早安，＿＿。
zǎo ān, ______.
Good morning, ______.
您好，我是＿＿，想＿＿。
nín hǎo, wǒ shì ______, xiǎng ______.
Hello, I’m ______, and I’d like to ______.
嗨，＿＿方便講一下嗎？
hāi, ______ fāng biàn jiǎng yí xià ma?
Hi, is now a good time to talk about ______?
辛苦了，＿＿做得很棒。
xīn kǔ le, ______ zuò de hěn bàng
Thanks for the hard work—______ was great.
今天辛苦了，回家路上小心。
jīn tiān xīn kǔ le, huí jiā lù shàng xiǎo xīn
Thanks for today—take care heading home.
Pronunciation Tips That Keep You Clear
- 你好（nǐ hǎo）第三聲＋第三聲：自然口語常聽成「ní hǎo」的 2–3 節奏，別刻意壓很低。
- 您好（nín hǎo）裡的「nín」要拉乾淨，讓禮貌度聽見。
- 早安（zǎo ān）：「早」第三聲收好再接「安」第一聲，別變成「zao-an」的模糊一口氣。
- 辛苦了（xīn kǔ le）：重音放在「苦」，語氣自然往下收，像「你辛苦了」的安慰感。
Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes
把「晚安」當作晚上打招呼
修正：晚上剛見面用「晚上好」，要離開或就寢才說「晚安」。
只會說「你好」，換場景就卡
修正：準備「嗨」「辛苦了」「最近好嗎」「你好，我是＿＿」等 3–5 句替換。
把問候變審問
修正：避免連珠砲式問題；先丟「最近好嗎？」讓對方決定回覆深度。
Quick Reference Table
| Situation | Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| General hello | 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| Polite hello | 您好 | nín hǎo | Hello (polite) |
| Morning | 早安 | zǎo ān | Good morning |
| Afternoon | 下午好 | xià wǔ hǎo | Good afternoon |
| Evening | 晚上好 | wǎn shàng hǎo | Good evening |
| Good night | 晚安 | wǎn ān | Good night |
| Nice to meet you | 很高興認識你 | hěn gāo xìng rèn shì nǐ | Nice to meet you |
| Long time no see | 好久不見 | hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn | Long time no see |
| Thanks for your hard work | 辛苦了 | xīn kǔ le | Thanks for your effort |
| Are you available? | 現在方便嗎？ | xiàn zài fāng biàn ma? | Is now convenient? |
| See you later | 待會見／回頭聊 | dài huǐ jiàn / huí tóu liáo | See you later |
Practice Plan（Five Honest Minutes A Day）
Day 1：早安／你好／您好＋名字或職稱。
Day 2：辛苦了／麻煩你了；兩句結合任務（點餐、詢問）。
Day 3：打電話開場三句：您好，我是＿＿；打擾一下；想請教＿＿。
Day 4：友善關心三句：最近好嗎；路上小心；今天加油。
Day 5：結束語三句：待會見；改天見；晚安。
錄音→回放→調整語氣與節奏；每句練三輪，下一天換場景。
Yak-Style Closing Spark
Greetings are pocket tools: tiny, sturdy, always there when you reach for them. Keep a weekday set for work, a friendly set for shops and chats, and a quick exit set for clean goodbyes. Say them short, say them warm, and watch doors—literal and social—swing open.