Chinese Greetings People Actually Use

For strangers and people you meet for the first time. Between friends it sounds stiff.

For elders, customers and formal settings, and the way shop and hotel staff greet you.

Title plus 好 (hǎo) is the respectful everyday hello: 阿姨好 (āyí hǎo) to an older woman, 王总好 (Wáng zǒng hǎo) to a boss named Wang.

Opens a talk, a class or a video.

From English hi, and common among young people.

From English hello, common among young people and in messages.

A greeting rather than an invitation. Neighbors and older people say it around mealtimes, especially in the north, and younger people say it less.

The usual catch-up question between friends.

For anyone you haven't seen in a while.

A passing greeting to a neighbor or someone you know. It is small talk, so a vague answer like 出去一下 (chūqù yīxià, just popping out) is fine. The 儿 ending is Northern; in the south people say 去哪里.

A common opener when you call or message a friend.

Short for 早上好, for coworkers and neighbors you see every day.

Polite, and you hear it at school, at work and from service staff. Friends just say 早.

Formal, used by TV hosts, at events and by hotel staff, and rare between friends.

Said before bed, and the usual way to end a late-night chat.

Textbook. People rarely greet each other with it, and ask 最近怎么样？ or 吃了吗？ instead.

The most common casual answer.

A warm, positive answer.

Casual, for when there's nothing new to report.

The usual answer to 吃了吗, with 您呢 (nín ne) for an older neighbor. If you haven't eaten, 还没呢 (hái méi ne, not yet) is fine.

Polite and common. Use 您 (nín) in place of 你 with an elder or a client.

The polite way to ask a name in a formal setting. The answer is 我姓王 (wǒ xìng Wáng), my surname is Wang.

Mostly on the phone, where people say it with a rising tone, wéi. Called out to get someone's attention, it means hey and can sound rude.

A common WeChat opener before a question or a favor.

Standard and polite, and right in any setting. Friends usually say 拜拜.

Casual and common between friends and coworkers, borrowed from English bye-bye.

For someone you will see again, with no set time. For later the same day, people say 一会儿见 (yīhuìr jiàn) or 待会儿见 (dāihuìr jiàn).

For classmates and coworkers.

Hosts and shop staff say it to someone who is leaving. The person leaving doesn't say it.

Said to someone setting off, especially at night.

Said when you leave before others, at work or at a dinner.

Works for January 1 and for the Spring Festival.

What people say in person during the Spring Festival holiday, especially in the north.

A traditional Spring Festival wish. Kids joke back 红包拿来 (hóngbāo ná lái), now hand over the red envelope.