Hi everyone, this is Masa, the founder of SCAL (Singapore Chinese AI Lab) — your friendly neighborhood AI nerd who teaches Chinese in the most unserious, stress-free way possible.
Today’s topic?
GREETINGS.
Yes, those magical words that turn strangers into friends, friends into besties, and—if you mess them up—can also turn conversations into absolute chaos.
But don’t worry. We’ll avoid chaos.
(…Well, maybe just a tiny bit. For fun.)
Let’s learn five super-useful daily greetings in Chinese.
All simple. All friendly. All things you can use TODAY in a Singapore hawker centre, on the MRT, or with your Chinese-speaking friends.
AI can absolutely help you practice these, but first — let’s master the basics!
🥟 1. “Good morning” → 早安 zǎo’ān
It literally means “morning peace.”
Pretty classy, right?
If someone greets you with this, congratulations — you officially look awake enough to talk.
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Chinese: 早安
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Pinyin: zǎo’ān
Use it before 11am… unless you woke up at 2pm and want to pretend it’s still morning.
No judgment here.
☀️ 2. “Hello / Good afternoon” → 你好 nǐ hǎo
Simple. Friendly. Universal.
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Chinese: 你好
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Pinyin: nǐ hǎo
Fun fact:
If you say nǐ hǎo with too much confidence, you instantly become that enthusiastic foreigner Singaporeans secretly admire.
Use it anytime during the day.
🌙 3. “Good evening” → 晚上好 wǎnshàng hǎo
Perfect for after work, or when you finally escape the humidity and walk into an air-conditioned mall like an absolute hero.
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Chinese: 晚上好
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Pinyin: wǎnshàng hǎo
Say this and you instantly sound polite AND charming. Double win.
🙏 4. “Thank you” → 谢谢 xièxie
The most important one.
Use it everywhere — hawker stalls, taxi drivers, bubble tea shops.
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Chinese: 谢谢
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Pinyin: xièxie
⚠️ And please, don’t say “shie-shie” with a Japanese accent.
Singaporeans are kind, but native Chinese speakers will notice immediately (and grin).
Practicing with AI helps a lot — zero embarrassment, maximum progress.
🤝 5. “Nice to meet you” → 初次见面 chūcì jiànmiàn
A little formal, but if you can say it, you instantly level up.
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Chinese: 初次见面
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Pinyin: chūcì jiànmiàn
Yes, most people just say “Nice to meet you!” in English,
but saying it in Chinese gives you instant respect points.
🎉 Final Message
Greetings are the first step to building confidence in Chinese.
Use them TODAY — when you buy kopi, order chicken rice, or chat with a colleague.
You don’t need perfection.
You just need one brave moment to say:
“你好！(nǐ hǎo!)”
And boom — you’re officially on your way to becoming a Chinese-speaking Singapore explorer.
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