Essential Mandarin Chinese Greetings and Phrases
A small set of greetings and polite phrases lets you open conversations in Mandarin — just remember the tones.
About the author
Luke McLaughlin created Constructing Language after living in Japan and later learning Mandarin Chinese from scratch. The lessons, games, and guides are built from that first-hand learner experience and checked against native-speaker course work with Hiro for Japanese and Xiang for Mandarin Chinese.
- Lived in Japan and studied Japanese through immersion and structured self-study.
- Learned Mandarin Chinese from scratch as an adult learner.
- Created the Construction Method: audio-first sentence building, grammar graphics, and active recall.
- Built Japanese course material with Hiro and Mandarin course material with Xiang, both native-speaker collaborators.
The core greetings
Mandarin greetings are short and reusable. Learn this core set with their tones and you can open most everyday conversations.
- 你好 (nǐ hǎo) — hello.
- 您好 (nín hǎo) — hello (polite, for elders or formal situations).
- 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) — good morning.
- 再见 (zàijiàn) — goodbye.
Tones change meaning, so learn them with the phrase
Because Mandarin is tonal, a greeting said with the wrong tones can be hard to understand. Learn each phrase together with its tones from the start, and practise out loud against native audio rather than reading silently.
Everyday polite phrases
These cover thanks, apologies, and basic courtesy — the phrases you will use in your very first interactions.
- 谢谢 (xièxie) — thank you.
- 不客气 (bú kèqi) — you're welcome.
- 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) — sorry.
- 请 (qǐng) — please (before a request).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hello in Mandarin Chinese?
The standard greeting is 你好 (nǐ hǎo). Use the more polite 您好 (nín hǎo) with elders or in formal situations. Both literally mean 'you good'.
What are the most important Mandarin phrases for beginners?
Start with 你好 (hello), 谢谢 (thank you), 对不起 (sorry), 请 (please), and 再见 (goodbye). Learn each with its tones and practise out loud.
Do I need to get the tones right when greeting someone?
Tones matter in Mandarin because they change meaning, so learn each greeting with its tones from the start. Native speakers are usually forgiving with beginners, but correct tones make you much easier to understand.