Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Greeting-People

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Mandarin Chinese Vocabulary → Greetings and Basic Expressions → Greeting People

As a Mandarin Chinese teacher with over 20 years of experience, I always tell my students that greetings are essential in almost all cultures. In Mandarin Chinese, knowing how to say "hello," "good morning," or "how are you" can make a huge difference in establishing a connection with native speakers. In this lesson, you will learn some common expressions for greeting people in Mandarin Chinese, with cultural implications.

General Greetings

Let's start with the most common greeting, 你好 nǐ hǎo, which means "hello" or "hi." This is a polite and formal way to greet people you meet for the first time or in business settings. It's also neutral and can be used in any situation, regardless of the time or the occasion.

If you want to greet someone in the morning, you can say 早上好 zǎo shàng hǎo, which means "good morning." This is a polite and respectful way to show that you care about the other person's well-being.

Another common greeting, especially among friends and colleagues, is 喂 wéi, which can be translated as "hey" or "yo." However, be careful when using this greeting as it can be seen as too casual in certain situations.

Greetings on Different Occasions

In Mandarin Chinese culture, different occasions call for different greetings. Here are some examples:

- If you're visiting someone's home, you can say 拜访 bài fǎng, which means "to visit." This shows respect for the host and acknowledges that you're entering their space.

- During Chinese New Year, the most important festival in China, you can greet people with 恭喜发财 gōng xǐ fā cái, which means "wishing you prosperity." This expression is commonly used during Chinese New Year, and it shows that you're wishing the other person good luck and wealth in the coming year.

- If you're attending a business meeting, you can use the formal greeting 请问 qǐng wèn, which means "may I ask." This greeting is respectful and shows that you value the other person's opinion.

Other Common Expressions

Apart from general greetings and greetings on different occasions, there are some other common expressions that you can use to express goodwill or start a conversation:

- 最近怎么样？zuì jìn zěn me yàng, which means "how have you been recently?" This expression is a polite and friendly way to start a conversation and show that you care about the other person's well-being.

- 很高兴认识你 hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ, which means "nice to meet you." This is a friendly and polite way to introduce yourself or meet someone for the first time.

- 再见 zài jiàn, which means "goodbye." This expression is used to say farewell when you're leaving or ending a conversation.

Learning greetings and basic expressions in Mandarin Chinese not only helps you communicate better with native speakers but also shows that you respect their culture and customs. Use these phrases to start a conversation and make a positive impression on the people you meet.

Vocabulary

Mandarin Chinese	Pinyin	English
你好	nǐ hǎo	hello, hi
早上好	zǎo shàng hǎo	good morning
喂	wéi	hey, yo
拜访	bài fǎng	to visit
恭喜发财	gōng xǐ fā cái	wishing you prosperity
请问	qǐng wèn	may I ask
最近怎么样？	zuì jìn zěn me yàng	how have you been recently?
很高兴认识你	hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ	nice to meet you
再见	zài jiàn	goodbye

Sources

Table of Contents - Mandarin Chinese Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Pinyin and Tones

Greetings and Basic Expressions

Sentence Structure and Word Order

Daily Life and Survival Expressions

Chinese Festivals and Traditions

Verbs and Verb Usage

Hobbies, Sports and Activities

China's Geography and Landmarks

Nouns and Pronouns

Professions and Personality Traits

Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts

Comparative and Superlative

Cities, Countries and Tourist Destinations

Modern China and Current Events

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