How to say “good afternoon” in Chinese
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
午好 is two third tones in a row, so the first shifts to a rising second tone: wǔ → wú. 下午 (xiàwǔ) means 'afternoon', literally 'after-noon'.
In a sentence
下午好，喝杯茶吧。
Xiàwǔ hǎo, hē bēi chá ba.
Good afternoon, have a cup of tea.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "good afternoon" in Chinese?+
"good afternoon" in Mandarin Chinese is 下午好, pronounced xiàwǔ hǎo. 午好 is two third tones in a row, so the first shifts to a rising second tone: wǔ → wú. 下午 (xiàwǔ) means 'afternoon', literally 'after-noon'.
What does 下午好 mean literally?+
下午好 breaks down as 下 (xià) = after / below, 午 (wǔ) = noon, 好 (hǎo) = good. Together it means "good afternoon".
How do I get the tones right in xiàwǔ hǎo?+
午好 is two third tones in a row, so the first shifts to a rising second tone: wǔ → wú. 下午 (xiàwǔ) means 'afternoon', literally 'after-noon'.
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