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IntroducedA first meeting
- You meet a new classmate. Start with one useful word: hello你好 — hello.
- Listen, then repeat. Pinyin is a guide to sound: nǐ hǎo. You do not need to memorise every character today.
Three more useful phrases
- to thank谢谢 xièxie — thank you; not不polite客气 bú kèqi — you’re welcome. The second syllable of to thank谢谢 is light.
- I'm sorry对不起 duìbuqǐ — sorry; goodbye再见 zàijiàn — goodbye. Learn these as whole phrases.
Choose by the situation
- A classmate lends you a pen: to thank谢谢. They reply: not不polite客气. A compliment can also be answered with to thank谢谢.
- You bump into someone: I'm sorry对不起. You leave: goodbye再见. hello你好 is not limited to one time of day.
A: hello你好！ B: hello你好！ A: to thank谢谢。 B: not不polite客气。 — Hello; hello; thank you; you’re welcome.
A classmate says 谢谢 after you lend them a pen. Reply:
不客气 is the usual reply to thanks.
Write the missing character in “thank you”: 谢____。
谢谢 repeats the same character.
You can reply 谢谢 to a compliment.
谢谢 can acknowledge kindness, help, or a compliment.
Try listening before reading
- Play this phrase and choose its meaning in the practice.
- Replay as often as you need. If playback is unavailable, read the phrases aloud; that is reading practice rather than a listening check.
In hello你好, two third-tone syllables occur together: the first sounds like a rising second tone. Written pinyin usually keeps nǐ hǎo. These phrases differ in consonants and vowels as well as tones.
What does the phrase mean?
再见 means goodbye; 谢谢 thanks someone and 对不起 apologises.
Match each phrase to the situation.
Choose the phrase for the social action, not its individual characters.
Use it with someone
- Without looking, greet a classmate, thank them for a pen, and say goodbye. Alone? Say both parts of the example, then change the situation.
- Tomorrow, recall the three phrases before reopening this page. If one is missing, listen and repeat it again.
hello你好 greets; to thank谢谢 thanks; not不polite客气 replies to thanks; I'm sorry对不起 apologises; goodbye再见 takes leave.
Next: say your name. For sound practice, visit Chinese Foundations.
Put this brief exchange in order: arrive, thank a classmate for help, leave.
The situation specifies arrival, help, then departure.