How to say “good evening” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
上 is a light neutral tone, exactly as in 早上好. 晚上好 is a touch formal (hotel staff, TV hosts); friends are more likely to greet you with 你好 or ask 吃了吗 (chī le ma), 'have you eaten?'.
In a sentence
Wǎnshang hǎo, huānyíng guānglín.
Good evening, welcome in.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "good evening" in Chinese?+
"good evening" in Mandarin Chinese is 晚上好, pronounced wǎnshang hǎo. 上 is a light neutral tone, exactly as in 早上好. 晚上好 is a touch formal (hotel staff, TV hosts); friends are more likely to greet you with 你好 or ask 吃了吗 (chī le ma), 'have you eaten?'.
What does 晚上好 mean literally?+
晚上好 breaks down as 晚 (wǎn) = evening / late, 上 (shang) = (part of 'evening'), 好 (hǎo) = good. Together it means "good evening".
How do I get the tones right in wǎnshang hǎo?+
上 is a light neutral tone, exactly as in 早上好. 晚上好 is a touch formal (hotel staff, TV hosts); friends are more likely to greet you with 你好 or ask 吃了吗 (chī le ma), 'have you eaten?'.
More phrases like this
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What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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