How to say “Good morning” in Chinese
“Good morning” in Chinese is 早上好。, written in pinyin as Zǎoshang hǎo.
早上好。
Zǎoshang hǎo.
Good morning.
Word by word
What each part of 早上好。 actually means.
- 早上zǎoshangmorning
- 好hǎogood
When you use it
- Before about 10 a.m. — to hotel staff, a shopkeeper, a taxi driver, your host.
- On arriving somewhere in the morning: a shop, a waiting room, a friend's home. It is a greeting, never a goodbye.
Use 早上好。 in everyday situations. Greetings, thanks and the small words you use all day.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
早！
Zǎo!
Morning!
The one-word version. Everyone understands it, and friends will often answer with it.
下午好。
Xiàwǔ hǎo
Good afternoon.
Correct and understood, but 你好 is far more common in the afternoon — this one sounds deliberate.
晚上好。
Wǎnshang hǎo
Good evening.
For arriving somewhere in the evening. Not a farewell.
晚安。
Wǎn'ān
Good night.
Only when parting for the night or going to bed. Never a greeting.
What usually trips people up
- 早上好 has a window. Mid-morning onwards it sounds off — switch to 你好, which works at any hour.
- Do not use 晚上好 to say goodbye. 晚安 is the farewell; 晚上好 is only for arriving.
- Greeting a friend with 早上好 every single morning sounds formal. Friends often just acknowledge each other — 来了 (you're here) — and start talking.
What you might hear back
- 你好，早。Nǐ hǎo, zǎoHello — morning.
- 早上好，请问几位？Zǎoshang hǎo, qǐng wèn jǐ wèi?Good morning — table for how many?
- 你好，吃点什么？Nǐ hǎo, chī diǎn shénme?Hello — what would you like to eat?
Common questions
- How do you say "Good morning" in Chinese?
- "Good morning" in Chinese is 早上好。 — written in pinyin as Zǎoshang hǎo. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.
- What does 早上好。 mean in Chinese?
- 早上好。 (Zǎoshang hǎo) means "Good morning". Broken down word by word: 早上 (zǎoshang) means "morning"; 好 (hǎo) means "good".
- When would you use "Good morning" in Chinese?
- Before about 10 a.m. — to hotel staff, a shopkeeper, a taxi driver, your host. On arriving somewhere in the morning: a shop, a waiting room, a friend's home. It is a greeting, never a goodbye.
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