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Chinese greetings for beginners

Start a short conversation, respond politely and say goodbye. These expressions use vocabulary from the first two levels of the 2025 HSK syllabus.

Open a conversation

A simple hello works in many everyday introductions. A morning greeting is useful when you see someone early in the day. You do not need to ask a question every time you greet someone.

  • 你好。

    Nǐ hǎo.

    Hello.

  • 早上好。

    Zǎoshang hǎo.

    Good morning.

  • 你好吗？

    Nǐ hǎo ma?

    How are you?

Thank someone and reply

Use the first expression to thank someone and the second as a reply. They are separate turns in a conversation. The apology is useful when you need to say sorry.

  • 谢谢你。

    Xièxie nǐ.

    Thank you.

  • 不客气。

    Bú kèqi.

    You’re welcome.

  • 对不起。

    Duìbuqǐ.

    I’m sorry.

Close the conversation

Say goodbye when leaving. If you expect to meet the person the next day, you can say that you will see them tomorrow.

  • 再见。

    Zàijiàn.

    Goodbye.

  • 明天见。

    Míngtiān jiàn.

    See you tomorrow.

Continue with HSK 1 vocabulary or HSK 2 vocabulary.