中文(简体)

Chinese Greeting: "你好吗?"

"你好吗?" (Nǐ hǎo ma?) is a Chinese greeting that literally means "Are you well?" It's used in everyday conversation, but it can sound a bit formal, so among close friends people more often ask "吃了吗?" (Have you eaten?) instead. A typical reply is "我很好,谢谢" (I'm fine, thank you).

Examples

你好吗?

"How are you?" (a polite way to ask how someone is doing)

我很好,谢谢,你呢?

"I'm fine, thank you, and you?" (a polite reply)

吃了吗?

"Have you eaten?" (a common greeting among close friends - more of a social nicety than a literal question)