The most common way to say hello in Mandarin is simple and friendly. You can use it with anyone, at any time of day. It's the perfect place to start.

This phrase is made of two words: 你 (nǐ), which means "you," and 好 (hǎo), which means "good." So when you say 你好 (nǐ hǎo), you're literally saying "you good."

Just like in English, Mandarin has different greetings for different times of the day. Using them shows a little more care and attention.

The first part, 早上 (zǎoshang), means "early morning." You then add 好 (hǎo), our friendly word for "good."

For the evening, the pattern is the same. Just swap out the time of day.

Here, 晚上 (wǎnshàng) means "evening." So you're saying "evening good." It's a polite and warm way to greet someone after the sun goes down.

When it's time to leave, there's a simple and common phrase for saying goodbye.

Let's break this one down, too. 再 (zài) means "again," and 见 (jiàn) means "to see." So, 再见 (zàijiàn) literally means "see you again." It's a nice, hopeful way to part with someone.

Time to review what we've learned.

Ready to test your knowledge? Let's see what you remember.

Great work! With these few phrases, you're ready to start a simple conversation in Mandarin.