Hello in Chinese and other common phrases. How to say good evening in Chinese (basic words and expressions in Russian)

All dialogues begin with a greeting. From the person with whom we are going to communicate, we choose the form of address. In addition to greetings, there are other common phrases that will help you start and maintain a conversation with a resident of the Middle Kingdom over a cup of Chinese tea. Sentences are constructed differently from the Russian language and are appropriate in specific situations. The large number of dialects in China makes communication difficult, but Putonghua is a common spoken dialect that is understood by all residents.

Hello in Chinese

Tones in Chinese speech determine the meaning of the spoken phrase. Correct pronunciation will make you understand clearly. For this purpose, transliteration of hieroglyphs in Russian letters and Latin alphabet is presented, but it does not convey tones. The square brackets indicate how the transcription is written. How to pronounce it in quotes. It is much easier to fill in the correct sound of words if you regularly listen to audio recordings of dialogues in Chinese. This is how you need to learn a language.

The most common greeting in China is “ni hao” - hello. This is a formal phrase, appropriate when addressing strangers. Literally “you” and “good”. Such treatment is acceptable in a letter.

Respectful address, to people of age or out of respect, “ning hao”. Rarely used in modern China.

Or "hai" is the same as saying "hello" in Chinese, but is influenced by English and is a more common form.

Say “hello” to the company: “nimen hao”. Or - hello everyone.

You can greet your acquaintances by simply calling them by name. If this is an official relationship, then the positions are: doctor, professor or boss.

How to introduce yourself in Chinese

Introduction is a basic form of politeness. It is enough to say your name. Literally this can be translated as “they call me.” “Vo” + (Name). The hieroglyph has the meaning of the pronoun “I”.

For interrogative constructions in Chinese, the particle “ne” is used. More often they are not used for simple questions that require a monosyllabic answer. The meaning is given by the context; when pronounced, the particle is emotionally colored. Also used in rhetorical questions. In affirmative sentences it has an incentive meaning.

So, having introduced yourself, there is no need to repeat the question for the interlocutor to clarify his name. It is enough to add a particle. The meaning is like in Russian: “and you?” or “and you?”

Example: Wǒ + (Name), nǐ ne?

“Vo + (Name) ni ne?”

Other common phrases

Traditional universal expressions exist in all languages. And in Chinese there are several variants of greetings and farewells. Each has its own case.

Good morning!

Morning is the period from five to twelve o'clock. Until nine o'clock - early morning. At this time, it is appropriate to say: Good morning - “Zaoshan hao.” The rest of the time, the well-known “ni hao” - “hello” as in “good afternoon” - is acceptable.

Goodbye

It is customary to say goodbye: goodbye – [ zài jiàn ] “tszai jien.” Or “bye” – [bái bái] “bye bye”.

Good evening

From six o'clock in the evening to midnight the expression is appropriate: Good evening - "wang shang hao."

Good night

Night time begins at midnight and lasts until five o'clock in the morning. Good night - “van an”, is wished when a person retires for the night’s sleep.

What is your name

It is not customary to meet people on the street in China. There is a tradition: on weekends, a dating fair is held in Shanghai Park. They post questionnaires for those who want to get married. They indicate age, gender and range of interests. But the most important information is height. Sometimes they come in person. An exception is for foreigners with a typical European appearance. The Chinese happily welcome them, are ready to make acquaintances and add them as friends on social networks.

What is your name? – [nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?] “ni jiao shen ma min zi?”

Nice to meet you! – [ rèn shi nǐ hěn gāo xìng ] “zheng shi ni heng gao xing.”

Have you eaten?

A traditional question asked out of politeness is not an offer to have a snack or share a meal. Have you eaten? - “ni chi le ma?” A type of greeting that originated in rural areas. Showing attention without committing to anything. The answer is also provided by etiquette: “chi le, ne?” Statement and return question.

How are things going?

There is a version that the phrase “how are you?” The colonists introduced Chinese speech into use. It is customary for the British to be interested in how things are going even with unfamiliar people. The same cannot be said about Eastern culture. This expression is widespread and can be found in any phrasebook. But it is mainly tourists who use it in everyday speech. As a continuation of the greeting. A question is formulated with a question particle added at the end.

In Chinese, "How are you?" - “ni hao ma?” It is appropriate to use if you are inquiring about the health of a patient or want to offer help. More comparable to the Russian, interrogative version of “is everything okay?” A question similar in meaning: “ni hai hao ba”.

In China they ask “how are things going?”, “how are you?” in two ways: “ni tszenme?” And “Zui jin hao ma?” . They are synonymous in meaning. The answer depends on what kind of relationship you are in. As in Western culture, this question is asked not out of idle interest, but out of politeness. An old acquaintance can bring you up to date. They often respond with affirmative nods.

Hello?

When communicating on the phone, you can use the universal expression “ni hao” - hello. Or "wayi", which also means "hello", but is not used in personal communication. An analogue of the Russian “hello”.

Where are you going?

Another way to say hello is when communicating with people you know. Where are you going? - “chi nali ya.” Or "chi nar". Also a tribute to speech etiquette. Does not oblige you to dialogue.

Long time no see!

You can address a person you know and haven’t seen for a while: “hao jou bu zen!” - long time no see.

Thank you

I thank you - “gan sie ni” or thank you - “sie sie”.

In the tea tradition, it is customary to tap as a sign of gratitude. With outstretched fingers, index and middle, of the right hand, hit the table a couple of times. Thus expressing to the tea master that he liked everything. In response, for gratitude they say “mei shi” - please.

“Please” as a request – “in order.”

Conclusion

It’s not enough to say “hello” in Chinese. The same word or hieroglyph in a translator can mean completely different things. This is influenced by the intonation or, more precisely, tone with which you pronounce it. There are hieroglyphs with the same spelling and pronunciation. But with different translations. To avoid making mistakes, you need to be able to read the transcription and know the pronunciation. Otherwise, you risk getting into a funny situation.

The Pinyin table will help you write how words sound in Chinese. Writing transcriptions of unknown words trains you to pronounce correctly.

Do you know what is the most embarrassing moment for all foreigners learning Chinese? When they realize that “ni hao” is far from the most popular word that the people of the Middle Kingdom use to greet.

How do you say “hello” or “how are you” in Chinese? Just for you - six ways to say it.

Bonus! (ni hao!) / 您好 (Ning hao!) - “Hello!” / “Hello!”

In case you have just started learning Chinese, or you are a simple tourist who is not even going to learn the language, but has already applied for a visa to the Celestial Empire.

“Ni Hao” is the first thing all foreigners learn. And even those who are completely unfamiliar with the language know that if you want to say “hello” in Chinese, say “ni hao.” If translated literally, the meaning will be consonant with our “hello”: “neither” - you; "hao" - good.

In fact, locals rarely use this phrase, as it sounds too formal. “Ning hao” is a respectful form (“ning” means you). Most often used to greet teachers or superiors. In this form it is actively used.

Also, quite often, even in the first lessons of Chinese, they learn: if you add an interrogative particle to “ni hao”, then the greeting turns into the question “how are you” (“ni hao ma?”). However, this will immediately make you look like a foreigner. The Chinese use this phrase not to ask how things are, but to make sure that everything is fine. That is, when you say “ni hao ma,” you focus on the fact that the person looks, to put it mildly, unimportant and you want to find out if he is healthy.

早！(Zao!) - “Good morning!”

"Zao" is short for 早上好! (“Zao shan hao!”), which means “good morning.” This is one of the popular ways to say “hello” in Chinese. The only case when using this word is inappropriate is if it is evening outside.

你吃了吗？(Ni chi le ma?) - “Have you eaten?”

If you are asked, “Ni chi le ma?”, don’t rush to talk about the delicious sandwich you had for breakfast or look around for food.

For the Chinese, this is not an invitation to dinner, but a way to ask how you are doing. It is enough to simply answer: “Chi le. No ne? (“I’ve eaten, and you?”). This is how you express unobtrusive concern for the person. If you ask this way, no one will demand treats from you, but it is quite possible that the locals’ attitude towards you will become several degrees warmer. The Chinese love foreigners who not only know how to say “hello” in Chinese, but are also not surprised when asked about food.

最近好吗？(Zui jin hao ma?) - “How are things going?”

“Zui jin hao ma?” similar to Russian “how are you?” The answer may be the same as in your native language. You can limit yourself to a short “hao” - “good”, or simply nod your head affirmatively. Or, if your language level allows you, you can say a couple of phrases about how things are going.

喂 (Way!) - “Hello?”

This is how the Chinese answer phone calls. A very simple and pleasant sounding word. It is used by everyone, regardless of age, gender and social status.

去哪儿？(Chu nar?) - “Where are you going?”

“Ni chu nar?” is a way to say "hello" in Chinese if you bump into someone. By our standards, such a question may seem like excessive curiosity, especially when the interlocutor is a casual acquaintance. However, for the Chinese this is just a way to show concern and show some respect for a person.

Often a question form is used where the location is already specified. For example, when faced with a student or schoolchild, you can ask: “Chu shan ky le?” (“Are you going to class/classes?”).

好久不见！(Hao jou bu zen!) - “Long time no see!”

“Hao jou bu zen!” - this is how you can say “hello” in Chinese to an old acquaintance whom you have not seen for quite a long time. This phrase has a very positive emotional connotation.

Small "but"

As you probably know, Chinese is a tone language. The same word said in a different tone can mean something completely different. Of course, if you are a tourist, and even a fair-haired one, then the good-natured Chinese will definitely make a discount on this. But if you want to sound like a local, be warned: knowing how to say "hello" in Chinese isn't enough. Pronunciation also plays an important role.

There is a very simple option for those who are not going to seriously study the language - enter the phrase into an online translator with the ability to listen to the typed text and just try to copy the speaker’s intonation. It's much easier than understanding the nuances of one of the most difficult languages ​​in the world to learn.

Most importantly, don't be afraid to speak up. The Chinese will always be happy to tell you how to do it right. Especially if you respond by taking a photo with them and teaching them a few phrases in Russian or English. Or buy something since the noodle vendor helped you.

China is one of the most visited countries in the world by tourists. It attracts mostly with its diversity of landscape, virgin villages with their own traditions and fascinating legends, and huge cities with vibrant nightlife. In China, everyone will find something new and unusual for themselves. China is one of the oldest civilizations; in this republic, architectural monuments that are tens of thousands of years old have been preserved to this day. Every attraction in China carries a secret and a centuries-old legend.

Traveling through the expanses of this extraordinary state, nothing will prevent you from enjoying its beauty, except perhaps ignorance of the Chinese language, but you can cope with this problem thanks to our Russian-Chinese phrasebook, which you can download or print directly from the site. It contains topics that you may need while traveling.

Appeals

Common phrases

At customs

At the station

In transport

At the hotel

Emergencies

Dates and times

Numerals

In the shop

In a restaurant and cafe

General phrases are words that can be used to start a conversation and maintain it in the future. Here are the phrases that are most often used in the lexicon.

Airport – in order not to get confused at the Chinese airport, find ticket offices, access to terminals, parking, bus stops, etc., this theme is perfect for you.

Transport - by opening this topic you will find translations of words and phrases that can be used to explain to a taxi driver where you need to go, or to find out which bus route is right for you, to clarify the price of travel, to find out how to get to the station. metro, bus stop, etc.

A restaurant is a place that every tourist visits. However, the Chinese language is very different from Russian, as is the cuisine. Therefore, without knowing the translation of certain dishes, as well as their components, you will not be able to order what you want. To solve this problem, just open this topic and find the name of the dish that you like.

Hotel – when checking into a hotel you need to fill out some paperwork, choose the room you like, etc. In order to explain what you want from a hotel and to clarify the nuances of your stay, just open this section and find the appropriate phrases.

Mall - a list of common phrases that you will undoubtedly need while shopping at the mall.

Grocery supermarket - a list of words and phrases that will help you purchase the products you are interested in.

Pharmacy - if you have health problems, but everything in the pharmacy is written in Chinese, and the pharmacist himself does not understand what you need, use this topic and you will buy the medicine that you need.

Cashier - words and phrases that will help you in conversation with the cashier.

Chinese counting - translation and sound of numbers in Chinese, from zero to million.

Pronouns - pronunciation and translation of pronouns in Chinese.

Question words – frequently asked and important questions for tourists, their pronunciation and spelling.

Name of colors - here you will find translations of many colors and shades, as well as their correct pronunciation.

Dear readers!
Welcome to the blog website!
Words of greeting and farewell in the language of any nation are inextricably linked with culture. If you look at the meaning of these words, you can learn a lot of new and interesting things.
I think that people studying Chinese or simply interested in Chinese culture would be interested to know What words they say to each other when meeting in China, and how it depends on the situation.
Well, let's try to figure it out.
"Hello" in Chinese
Many people know that "hello" in Chinese "ni hao"(你好 – Ni hao). The character "你" means "you" and "好" means "good." For some peoples, the greeting consists of a wish for good and an interest in whether everything is fine. For example, the Chinese have “ni hao”, the Mongols have “sayn bayna”. In Russia, this is “hello”, in which we wish the interlocutor good health. I used to think that “ni hao” was the most commonly used greeting phrase in China, but later I became convinced that this was not the case. It is most often pronounced in following cases: in an official setting, when meeting with a very respected or unfamiliar person. For example, in educational institutions, students greet the teacher like this: “Laoshi hao - Hello, teacher” (老师, Laoshi - teacher).
Words "Good morning"(早上好 – Zaoshang hao or simply 早 – Zao) and "Good evening"– (晚上好 – Wanshang hao) is used infrequently, usually in formal settings. I haven’t heard anything about “good afternoon” :)
Have you eaten?
This phrase confuses many foreigners. So it was with me. In the first month of my stay in China, the teacher addressed us: "Have you eaten?"(吃饭了吗 – Chifan le ma). I was surprised by this question, because we had just met. Later I found out that this is very popular way of greeting in China. It is usually used in the pre- and afternoon hours, and even more often in the evening: before and after dinner. "Have you eaten?" does not at all mean an invitation to dinner or a question about whether you have eaten. This tradition is associated with the historical situation in China and famine, due to which people are accustomed to paying great attention to food. In response, you don’t need to say: “Yes, I had lunch/No, I haven’t had lunch yet.” Just wave your hand.
Situational greeting
Very popular ways of greeting between acquaintances depending on the circumstances. For example, when meeting in the morning you can often hear the words “Going to work?” (上班呀 – Shangban ya), “To study?” (上课 – Shangke). In the evening: “Home?”, “Are you coming back?” (回来了 – Huilai la). Seeing that you are busy with something, the Chinese may state: “Busy?” (忙呢 – Mang ne). It is customary to respond to this greeting in accordance with the question. For example, to the question “To work?” answer “Yes/No”. People who know each other well can exchange pleasantries, a few phrases about family, children, business.
Recently, English words are often used among young people "Hi!" And "Hello!" If a lot of time has passed since the last meeting, then the Chinese will say: “long time no see” (好久不见了 – Haojiu bu jianle). Or they will resort to a comic form that is used among close friends: “Are you still alive?” (你还活着吗 – Ni hai huozhe ma).
It turns out that in addition to the well-known phrase “ni hao”, there are many other, very diverse ways of greeting that we have become acquainted with.

I will give you the most common list of how to say hello in Chinese, not limited to a simple “ni hao”. Let's start with the most banal phrases, which everyone starts with; they are also the simplest and most common. You can say them everywhere, to everyone, always, and then we will look at the various greeting options.

The simplest greetings in Chinese:

• 你好！ - Hello!
• 您好！ - Hello! (respectfully)
• 你们好 ！- Hello! (for a group of people)
• 大家好 ！ - Hello everyone! (for a group of people, more informal)

The following phrases are very informal, a little Western. This is how you greet very good friends.

• Please, please! - Fireworks, bro! (options: “bro”, “dude”, “guy” - a very colloquial and informal address to a male person)
• 今天怎么样，女士？ - How are you, lady? (also a colloquial form, since the address usually appears at the beginning of the phrase)
• 哈喽！ - Halou! (phonetic calque from English “Hello”)

Standard greetings depending on the time of day.

• 早上好！ - Good morning! (usually the time before 10:00 am is emphasized, although no one forbids you to say this phrase at 10:30, for example.)
• 上午好！ - Good morning! (emphasis on the time from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm)
• 中午好！ - Good afternoon! (emphasis on the time around 12:00 noon, that is, noon)
• 下午好！ - Good afternoon! (emphasis on the time from 12:00 noon to sunset)
• 晚上好！ - Good evening! (emphasis on the time from sunset to midnight)

Official greetings:

You can greet a person by emphasizing his position. For example, you can say hello to your boss, teacher, doctor friend, etc. Moreover, first you say who you are addressing, and then greet this person:

• 老师，您好！ - Hello, teacher!
• 王先生，您好！ - Mr. Wang, hello!
• 王大夫，您好！ - Doctor Wang, hello!

Greeting question:

In addition, you can also say hello through an interrogative sentence. The simplest and most famous greeting in the form of a question is:

• 你好吗？ - How are you?

More common greeting questions:

However, there are more complex versions of these welcome questions. It is not possible to predict all options, because most often they are based on the communication situation, that is, for example, where you are going or what you have already done. For example, the most common question is about food:

• -Have you eaten yet?

General questions regarding your plans:

• 出去啊？ - Did you go somewhere? (meaning: take a walk, run errands)
• 到哪儿去？ - Where are you going? Where are you going?

Question-greeting, based on the speaker’s assumptions:

• 去图书馆吗？ - Are you going to the library?
• 去买东西吗？ - Are you shopping?
• 上班去啊？ - To work?
• 下班了吗？ - From work?
• 去上学吗？ - To study?

Such questions usually do not require complete and detailed answers. The Chinese don't expect them from you. It's part of etiquette. By asking such questions, the Chinese try to show their participation and interest in your affairs.