最近好吗?/最近怎么样?(zuì jìn hǎo ma?/zuì jìn zěnmeyàng?,How’ve you been recently?)
还好/还可以(hái hǎo/ hái kě yǐ, not bad)
S.+ 去哪儿(qù nǎr)?E.g.他去哪儿? 他去银行(tā qù nǎ ér ? tā qù yín háng, where is he going? He is going to the bank.)
你 (nǐ, you)
好(hǎo, good/fine)
我 ( wǒ, I)
也 (yě, too)
很(hěn, very)
谢谢(xièxiè, thanks)
叫(jiào, to be called)
哪 (nǎ, which)
国 (guó, country/kingdom)
人(rén, person/people)
美国 ( měiguó, America)
美国人( měiguó rén, American)
高兴(gāoxìng, happy)
认识 (rènshí, to know)
再见(zài jiàn, good-bye)
最近(zuì jìn,recently)
国家博物馆(guó jiā bó wù guǎn, National Museum)
美术馆(měi shù guǎn, Art Gallery)
银行(yín háng, bank)
上班(shàng bān, go to work)
回见(huí jiàn, see you later)
Supplementary words:
忙(máng, busy)
累(lèi, tied)
饿(è, hungry)
渴(kě, thirsty)
困(kùn, sleepy)
爸爸(Bàba, Dad)
妈妈(mama, Mom)
哥哥(gēge, elder brother)
姐姐(jiějie, elder sister)
弟弟(dìdi, younger brother)
妹妹(mèimei, younger sister)
家人(jiārén, family member)
朋友(péngyou, friend)
同学(tóngxué, classmate)
老师(lǎoshī, teacher)
英国(Yīngguó, Britain)
法国(fǎguó, France )
意大利(yìdàlì, Italy)
澳大利亚(àodàlìyà, Australia)
加拿大(jiānádà, Canada)
韩国(hánguó, south Korea)
日本(rìběn, Japan)
俄罗斯(èluósī, Russia)
① Many western countries accept hugs and kisses as a popular form of greeting although a handshake is still the formal way of greeting people. In China, a handshake or a simple and kind salutation is common.
② And it’s common to use 喂(wéi), rather than 你好(Nǐ hǎo) to answer a call. This is also used in other electronic situations such as testing A/V equipment (as in “hello hello testing”), but not used in face-to-face communication or in writing.
Dialogue1:
(Alex encounters Hotel clerk Xiǎo Wáng first time in the hallway)
Xiǎo Wáng:你好!(nǐ hǎo!-Hi)
Alex:你好!(nǐ hǎo!-Hi)
Xiǎo Wáng:你好吗?(nǐ hǎo ma?-How are you?)
Alex:我很好,谢谢,你呢?( wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè, nǐ ne?-I am fine, thanks ,and you?)
Xiǎo Wáng:我也很好。(wǒ yě hěn hǎo.-I’m fine too)你叫什么( nǐ jiào shénme?- what’s your name?)
Alex:我叫Alex, 你呢?(Wǒ jiào Alex, nǐ ne?-My name is Alex, what’s yours?)
Xiǎo Wáng:我叫小王. 你是哪国人?( Wǒ jiào Xiǎo Wáng, nǐ shì nǎ guórén?-My name is XX, what’s your nationality?)
Alex:我是美国人.( Wǒ shì měiguó rén-I am American.)
Xiǎo Wáng:很高兴认识你.( hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ-nice to meet you)
Alex: 我也很高兴认识你.( wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ-nice to meet you too)
Xiǎo Wáng:再见(zài jiàn,good-bye)!
Alex:再见(zài jiàn, good-bye)!
Dialogue2:
(几天后, Alex旅行回来在酒店门口又遇到小王,a couple of days later, Alex comes back to hotel, and encounters Xiǎo Wáng again at the portal of the hotel.)
Xiǎo Wáng:早(zǎo!-Morning)
Alex:早 (zǎo!-Morning)
Xiǎo Wáng:好久不见, 最近好吗?( hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn , zuì jìn hào ma? – long time no see.
How’ve you been recently?)
Alex: 还好,这些天我参观了国家博物馆、美术馆…,你最近怎么样? (hái hǎo, zhè xiē tiān wǒ cān guān le guó jiā bó wù guǎn 、měi shù guǎn… Nǐ zuì jìn zěnmeyàng? –
Not bad, these days I visited the National Museum, Art Gallery…How are you doing recently?)
Xiǎo Wáng:还可以, 今天你去哪儿?( hái kě yǐ, jīn tiān nǐ qù nǎr ? – So so, where are you going today? )
Alex:我去银行,你呢?(wǒ qù yín háng, nǐ ne ? – I’m going to the bank, and you?)
Xiǎo Wáng:我去上班,回见!( wǒ qù shàng bān ,huí jiàn! – I’m going to work, see you later)
Alex:回见!( huí jiàn! – See you later)
S.+adj.+ma? E.g.你好吗?( nǐ hǎo ma? How are you?)
S.+呢(ne)? E.g. 你呢? (nǐ ne? what about you?)
S.+叫( jiào) shén me? E.g. 你叫什么?( nǐ jiào shén me?,what’s your name?)
S.+ 叫(jiào) … E.g. 我叫Alex. (Wǒ jiào Alex, my name is Alex.)
S. + 是(shì) 哪国人(nǎ guórén)? E.g. 你是哪国人? (nǐ shì nǎ guórén? What’s your nationality?)
S.+是(shì)country’s name+人(rén). E.g.我是美国人.( Wǒ shì měiguó rén,I’m American)
好久不见 ( hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn , long time no see)
最近好吗?/最近怎么样?(zuì jìn hǎo ma?/zuì jìn zěnmeyàng?,How’ve you been recently?)
还好/还可以(hái hǎo/ hái kě yǐ, not bad)
S.+ 去哪儿(qù nǎr)?E.g.他去哪儿? 他去银行(tā qù nǎ ér ? tā qù yín háng, where is he going? He is going to the bank.)
你 (nǐ, you)
好(hǎo, good/fine)
我 ( wǒ, I)
也 (yě, too)
很(hěn, very)
谢谢(xièxiè, thanks)
叫(jiào, to be called)
哪 (nǎ, which)
国 (guó, country/kingdom)
人(rén, person/people)
美国 ( měiguó, America)
美国人( měiguó rén, American)
高兴(gāoxìng, happy)
认识 (rènshí, to know)
再见(zài jiàn, good-bye)
最近(zuì jìn,recently)
国家博物馆(guó jiā bó wù guǎn, National Museum)
美术馆(měi shù guǎn, Art Gallery)
银行(yín háng, bank)
上班(shàng bān, go to work)
回见(huí jiàn, see you later)
Supplementary words:
忙(máng, busy)
累(lèi, tied)
饿(è, hungry)
渴(kě, thirsty)
困(kùn, sleepy)
爸爸(Bàba, Dad)
妈妈(mama, Mom)
哥哥(gēge, elder brother)
姐姐(jiějie, elder sister)
弟弟(dìdi, younger brother)
妹妹(mèimei, younger sister)
家人(jiārén, family member)
朋友(péngyou, friend)
同学(tóngxué, classmate)
老师(lǎoshī, teacher)
英国(Yīngguó, Britain)
法国(fǎguó, France )
意大利(yìdàlì, Italy)
澳大利亚(àodàlìyà, Australia)
加拿大(jiānádà, Canada)
韩国(hánguó, south Korea)
日本(rìběn, Japan)
俄罗斯(èluósī, Russia)
① Many western countries accept hugs and kisses as a popular form of greeting although a handshake is still the formal way of greeting people. In China, a handshake or a simple and kind salutation is common.
② And it’s common to use 喂(wéi), rather than 你好(Nǐ hǎo) to answer a call. This is also used in other electronic situations such as testing A/V equipment (as in “hello hello testing”), but not used in face-to-face communication or in writing.