Good Morning in Chinese: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling to China

Would you like to travel to China and be able to greet the locals in their language? Do you want to learn some basic Chinese phrases to break the ice and make a good impression? Then this article is for you. We will teach you how to say good morning in Chinese and other forms of greeting that will be very useful on your trip. In addition, we will give you some tips to learn Chinese in an easy and fun way with Hanyu Chinese School, the best online Mandarin Chinese school.

How to say good morning in Chinese

In Chinese, there are several ways to say good morning, depending on the time of day, the degree of formality, and the context. Here are the most common ones:

• 早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo): This is the most standard way to say good morning in Chinese. It is used from sunrise to noon, and literally means "early up, good."
• 早安 (zǎo ān): This is a more polite and elegant way to say good morning in Chinese. It is mostly used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and means "quiet morning."
• 早 (zǎo): This is a shortened and casual way of saying good morning in Chinese. It is used among friends, family, or acquaintances, and simply means "morning or early."
• 上午好 (shàngwǔ hǎo): This is another way of saying good morning in Chinese, which is used to represent the morning before noon. It means "above noon well".

The difference between 早上好 and 上午好

早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo) and 上午好 (shàngwǔ hǎo) are two ways of saying good morning in Chinese, but they have different uses depending on the time of day. 早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo) is used from dawn, after 00:01 hs until the early hours of the morning, approximately 6 am, and means "early up, good".

While 上午好 (shàngwǔ hǎo) is used more to represent mid-morning, from 6 am to 11:59 am, and means "above noon well". Therefore, 早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo) refers to an earlier part of the morning, which includes the early morning as well, while 上午好 (shàngwǔ hǎo) refers to a later part of the morning. Both forms are polite and formal, and can be used with anyone.

Greetings in Chinese according to the time

It is interesting to know that in relation to time in the course of the day, the Chinese count it from top to bottom, like the system of a digital calendar, and we see how the line goes down as the hours go by. Look at the image:

With this system in mind, we can see how they put together greetings for the day. Check out the following examples:

• 早上好 (zǎo shàng hǎo) > 00:01 to 6:00 hs approx.
  • (Literal meaning: early, up well) (Meaning in Spanish: Good day, very early in the morning, includes what we also know as madrugada)
    
• 上午好 (shàng wǔ hǎo) > 6:00 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.
  • (Literal meaning: up, noon, good) (Meaning in English: Good day, good morning)
    
• 中午好 (zhōng wǔ hǎo) > 12:00
  • (Literal meaning: center, noon, good) (Meaning in English: Good noon)
    
• 下午好 (xià wǔ hǎo) > 12:01 to 18:00 hs
  • (Literal meaning: down, noon, good) (Meaning in English: Good afternoon)
    
• 晚上好 (wǎn shàng hǎo) > 6 pm to 11:59 pm
  • (Literal meaning: night, up, good) (Meaning in English: Good night)
    
• 半夜好 (bàn yè hǎo) > 00:00 hs
  • (Literal meaning: half, night, good) (Meaning in English: Good midnight)

Other forms of greetings in Chinese

In addition to saying good morning, there are other forms of greeting in Chinese that can help you start a conversation or show interest in the other person. Here are some of the most frequent:

• 你好 (nǐ hǎo): This is the most universal way to say hello in Chinese. It can be used at any time of the day and with anyone. It literally means "you good" or "your good."
• 您好 (nín hǎo): This is a more respectful and formal way of saying hello in Chinese. It is used when talking to older people, superiors or strangers. It literally means "you good" or "you good."
• 你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma): This is a way of asking how you are in Chinese. It is used as a form of courtesy or concern for the well-being of the other person. It means "your good?".
• 你吃了吗 (nǐ chī le ma): This is a very typical way of greeting in Chinese, especially among friends or family. It is used as a way to show interest in the other person's everyday life. It means "have you eaten?".
• 好久不见 (hǎo jiǔ bù jiàn): This is a way of greeting in Chinese when you haven't seen someone in a long time. It is used as a way to express joy at the reunion or to apologize for the absence. It means "good weather not to see"

Don't miss our article 10 ways to greet in Chinese. You will find it interesting.

How to Learn Chinese with Hanyu Chinese School

If you liked this article and want to learn more Chinese, we recommend you visit Hanyu Chinese School, the best online Mandarin Chinese school. At Hanyu Chinese School you will be able to:

• Learn Chinese with native and qualified teachers, who adapt to your level and your goals.
• Choose the time and place that suits you best, as classes are online and flexible.
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• Access a wide variety of resources and activities, such as videos, audios, games, exercises, etc.
• Download the Hanyu Chinese School app (download the Hanyu app here), so you can practice and learn Chinese anytime, anywhere.

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