Comments on: Nǐ hǎo 你好: A Very Fake Greeting http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm Tips and Strategies for Learning to Speak Mandarin Chinese Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:57:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: klw http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9647 klw Thu, 15 Jul 2010 04:03:51 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9647 is this probably related to in which part of China you are? I've been in Shenzhen studying chinese for one term now. One of my teacher said that 吃了吗， is an old term that is rarely used now. Or at least in the southern China, I guess. is this probably related to in which part of China you are? I’ve been in Shenzhen studying chinese for one term now. One of my teacher said that 吃了吗， is an old term that is rarely used now. Or at least in the southern China, I guess.

]]> By: AcidFlask http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9487 AcidFlask Fri, 28 May 2010 17:53:22 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9487 To me 吃了嗎？ is something I hear a lot from older relatives. Most people I know use a casual hi 嗨. To me 吃了嗎？ is something I hear a lot from older relatives. Most people I know use a casual hi 嗨.

]]> By: Carl http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9481 Carl Wed, 26 May 2010 13:41:43 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9481 Actually 你吃了嗎？ isn't that common nowadays either and I rarely hear it. Something like 你最近怎麼樣？ or 嗨 sounds a lot more contemporary IMO. Actually 你吃了嗎？ isn’t that common nowadays either and I rarely hear it. Something like 你最近怎麼樣？ or 嗨 sounds a lot more contemporary IMO.

]]> By: Adam Gong http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9400 Adam Gong Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:31:34 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9400 Exactly right! quote "xiaozhu said: i would say “chile ma” is used more often among people over 40 in China. “ni hao” is perfectly ok. i myself have never said “chile ma “as greetings.as some of the previous comments for this article have pointed out, my colleagues (around 25)agree that the only occasion for ‘chile ma” is around meal time and they really care about whether you’ve eaten or not. Comment date: Feb 26, 2010" Exactly right!

quote “xiaozhu said:

i would say “chile ma” is used more often among people over 40 in China. “ni hao” is perfectly ok. i myself have never said “chile ma “as greetings.as some of the previous comments for this article have pointed out, my colleagues (around 25)agree that the only occasion for ‘chile ma” is around meal time and they really care about whether you’ve eaten or not.

Comment date: Feb 26, 2010″

]]> By: JD http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9347 JD Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:37:34 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9347 I don't think it's 假 to say 你好. I say that all the time. Especially to people you are not familiar with. It's kinda formality. For close friends, I just say, 你来了 or nothing. 吃了吗 is not as popular as it was, I believe. And it would be absolutely absurd to ask in the wrong time, like 3 in the afternoon or 10 in the night or 10 in the morning. If it's close to lunch/dinner time, it's fine. I don’t think it’s 假 to say 你好. I say that all the time. Especially to people you are not familiar with. It’s kinda formality. For close friends, I just say, 你来了 or nothing.

吃了吗 is not as popular as it was, I believe. And it would be absolutely absurd to ask in the wrong time, like 3 in the afternoon or 10 in the night or 10 in the morning. If it’s close to lunch/dinner time, it’s fine.

]]> By: Rachel http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9310 Rachel Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:13:57 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9310 Since this post I have been doing an informal study of Chinese teachers coming into our school. I wait for them to greet me first to see what they naturally say, and they have all been saying "nihao". Maybe influenced by living in U.S.?? I don't know this topic is confusing. Since this post I have been doing an informal study of Chinese teachers coming into our school. I wait for them to greet me first to see what they naturally say, and they have all been saying “nihao”. Maybe influenced by living in U.S.?? I don’t know this topic is confusing.

]]> By: xiaozhu http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9307 xiaozhu Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:25:01 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9307 i would say "chile ma" is used more often among people over 40 in China. "ni hao" is perfectly ok. i myself have never said "chile ma "as greetings.as some of the previous comments for this article have pointed out, my colleagues (around 25)agree that the only occasion for 'chile ma" is around meal time and they really care about whether you've eaten or not. i would say “chile ma” is used more often among people over 40 in China. “ni hao” is perfectly ok. i myself have never said “chile ma “as greetings.as some of the previous comments for this article have pointed out, my colleagues (around 25)agree that the only occasion for ‘chile ma” is around meal time and they really care about whether you’ve eaten or not.

]]> By: SChnup http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9289 SChnup Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:19:30 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9289 I'm glad that I'm not the only one who feels that way about 你好. I'm from Singapore and have been living in Germany for about four and a half years, and when people started saying that to me, both Germans who were trying to be friendly or smartasses, I found it extremely weird. I personally would never say that, and I have never had anyone in Singapore greet me that way. For some reason it sounds really sterile to me, like someone was trying to distance himself from me, which is not at all a good feeling. I’m glad that I’m not the only one who feels that way about 你好. I’m from Singapore and have been living in Germany for about four and a half years, and when people started saying that to me, both Germans who were trying to be friendly or smartasses, I found it extremely weird. I personally would never say that, and I have never had anyone in Singapore greet me that way. For some reason it sounds really sterile to me, like someone was trying to distance himself from me, which is not at all a good feeling.

]]> By: Stephen Cronin http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9285 Stephen Cronin Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:56:42 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9285 Olle, I'm obviously not Albert, but that ties in with what I was saying.. Olle,

I’m obviously not Albert, but that ties in with what I was saying..

]]> By: Olle Linge http://laowaichinese.net/n%c7%90-h%c7%8eo-%e4%bd%a0%e5%a5%bd-a-very-fake-greeting.htm/comment-page-1#comment-9284 Olle Linge Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:33:50 +0000 http://laowaichinese.net/?p=1585#comment-9284 Well, okay, that was quick. I've asked some people now and it confirms what has already been said. 你好 is mostly used when meeting someone the first time or on the phone when you don't really know whom you're talking to. I then went on to ask if it would be very strange if I used 你好 to greet my friends and they said, no, not very strange, but a little bit, because it sounds a bit distanced and too polite. Well, okay, that was quick. I’ve asked some people now and it confirms what has already been said. 你好 is mostly used when meeting someone the first time or on the phone when you don’t really know whom you’re talking to. I then went on to ask if it would be very strange if I used 你好 to greet my friends and they said, no, not very strange, but a little bit, because it sounds a bit distanced and too polite.

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