How do you say "How are you?" in Chinese?

"How are you?" in Chinese is 你好吗？ — written in pinyin as Nǐ hǎo ma?. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.

What does 你好吗？ mean in Chinese?

你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo ma?) means "How are you?". Broken down word by word: 你 (nǐ) means "you"; 好 (hǎo) means "good"; 吗 (ma) means "question particle".

When would you use "How are you?" in Chinese?

With someone you already know — a friend, a colleague, a host you have met before. It is a real question about how they have been. Not the right opener with a stranger. With a shopkeeper, a driver or hotel staff the greeting is 你好 on its own; 你好吗 there sounds like a line from a textbook.

How to say “How are you?” in Chinese

“How are you?” in Chinese is 你好吗？, written in pinyin as Nǐ hǎo ma?.

你好吗？

Nǐ hǎo ma?

How are you?

Word by word

What each part of 你好吗？ actually means.

你nǐyou
好hǎogood
吗maquestion particle

When you use it

With someone you already know — a friend, a colleague, a host you have met before. It is a real question about how they have been.
Not the right opener with a stranger. With a shopkeeper, a driver or hotel staff the greeting is 你好 on its own; 你好吗 there sounds like a line from a textbook.

Use 你好吗？ 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.

最近怎么样？
Zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?
How have you been lately?
What people actually say to a friend or colleague they have not seen for a while.
好久不见。
Hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn
Long time no see.
Use it when it really has been a long time. It replaces the question rather than leading into it.
吃了吗？
Chī le ma?
Have you eaten?
An old greeting, not an invitation to dinner. Common among neighbours and older people — 吃了 or 还没 is a complete answer.

What usually trips people up

你好吗 is textbook Chinese. It appears in teaching material and in what Chinese speakers say to learners; between two native speakers you will hear 最近怎么样, or a remark about something they can see.
Do not answer with 我很好，谢谢，你呢. That is the textbook dialogue. 挺好的 or 还行 is what a real answer sounds like.
It is also not a greeting for the phone. Chinese speakers answer the phone with 喂 (wéi).

What you might hear back

挺好的。Tǐng hǎo dePretty good.
还行。Hái xíngNot bad.
老样子。Lǎo yàngziSame as always.

Common questions

How do you say "How are you?" in Chinese?: "How are you?" in Chinese is 你好吗？ — written in pinyin as Nǐ hǎo ma?. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.
What does 你好吗？ mean in Chinese?: 你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo ma?) means "How are you?". Broken down word by word: 你 (nǐ) means "you"; 好 (hǎo) means "good"; 吗 (ma) means "question particle".
When would you use "How are you?" in Chinese?: With someone you already know — a friend, a colleague, a host you have met before. It is a real question about how they have been. Not the right opener with a stranger. With a shopkeeper, a driver or hotel staff the greeting is 你好 on its own; 你好吗 there sounds like a line from a textbook.

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