Unlike what many foreigners think, Chinese etiquette does not include bowing when greeting Chinese people. A simple, soft handshake, a smile, and a friendly 'hi' or 'ni hao' (or 'nin hao' to greet older Chinese people) will often suffice. When addressing Chinese people, address the eldest or most senior person first.
Be polite and formal
When first meeting someone in China, I learned you should always be formal and polite. A formal greeting includes a verbal “nĭ hăo / 你好” (hello - informal) or “nín hăo / 您好” (hello - formal for older generation) and a slight bow of your head.
Handshakes are the standard, casual greeting. The grip tends to be lighter than the Western handshake and is also sustained for longer. In formal situations, people bow slightly or nod politely to greet one another formally.
3. “Bye bye” in Chinese – 拜拜(bàibài)
It's exactly what it sounds like, “bye bye”, because it's a loanword from English. You'd be okay to just say 拜(bài) but the native Chinese speakers almost always say both of them.
If someone greets you with a simple 你好, the simplest way to respond is with a 你好 back. A warm smile and handshake could also accompany this.
Basic Etiquette
The correct decorum during interactions in China always entails showing deference to those who are older. It is expected that one bows their head slightly and speaks softly when conversing with someone elderly. The advice or opinion of the elderly should never be contested.
The simplest way to introduce yourself in Chinese is to say 你好 (nǐ hǎo) meaning “hello” and 我叫 (wǒ jiào) meaning “my name is.” But, if you want to know even more about the different ways you can introduce yourself and information about you in Chinese, we're here to help.
A simple, soft handshake, a smile, and a friendly 'hi' or 'ni hao' (or 'nin hao' to greet older Chinese people) will often suffice. When addressing Chinese people, address the eldest or most senior person first. Also, address the newly-met people with their honorific title and family name.
Although Chinese society is welcoming and Chinese people are friendly to foreigners, regularly failing to understand the culture or language can make you feel isolated. Poor internet connection. Chinese internet restricts access to Western social media and websites, including Google.
In Chinese culture, it is common to suppress feelings or express them in a non-verbal way. For example, instead of saying, “I love you,” it is common to express love by holding hands, hugging, cuddling, etc. Facial expressions and intonation while speaking are also indicators of emotions while communicating.
Good morning. / Good afternoon. / Good evening. We can use these simple and polite situations to greet somebody. Obviously, we use different expressions depending on the time of day. These expressions are great for formal situations, but we can also use them naturally with our friends and family.
In Mandarin, ma means horse and hu means tiger; the idiom mamahuhu literally translates, then, as “horse horse tiger tiger.” In one of the fables that explains its origins, a slapdash artist paints a tiger's head but changes his mind midway and completes the creature with a horse's body.
Chinese Chengyu || FAQs
Translated directly into English, mǎmǎhūhū literally means Horse Horse Tiger Tiger. However, its figurative meaning is 'so-so' or 'careless'.
The formal version of "you" is 您 (nín). 您 should be used when addressing elders, respected figures, and persons of higher rank or status. If you are addressing multiple people at once, "you" in the plural is 你 们 (nǐ men).
used for saying "goodbye" or, less often, "hello" 再见；你好（不太常用） (Translation of ciao from the Cambridge English-Chinese (Simplified) Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
The word ”xiān” means “first,” so “wǒ xiān zǒu le” actually means “I'm leaving first.” It's an acknowledgement that you're leaving ahead of the person or people you've been hanging out with. In English, you might say: See you tomorrow this evening at 8:00!
One of the easiest ways start a conversation with someone you don't know in Chinese is to make a comment about something in the current context/environment, e.g. the weather. When you do that it is likely that the other person will comment on it too…