中国人zhōng guó rén真的zhēn de用yòng“你好nǐ hǎo”吗ma？ ▸ 

▸ 我们wǒ men都dōu会huì说shuō“你好nǐ hǎo”、“您好nín hǎo”，但dàn在zài中国zhōng guó，人们rén men真的zhēn de都dōu用yòng“你好nǐ hǎo”、“您好nín hǎo”吗ma？

We all know how to say “ni hao”, and “nin hao”, but in China, do people really use “ni hao” and “nin hao”?

▸ 第dì一yī次cì见面jiàn miàn，我们wǒ men会huì用yòng“你好nǐ hǎo”，也yě用yòng“您好nín hǎo”。

The first time you meet someone, we use “ni hao”, and also use “nin hao”.

▸ 但dàn如果rú guǒ是shì朋友péng you见面jiàn miàn，人们rén men很hěn少shǎo用yòng“你好nǐ hǎo”，

But when two friends meet, people very seldom use “ni hao”.

▸ 人们rén men喜欢xǐ huan用yòng“吃饭chī fàn了le吗ma”、“去qù哪儿nǎ'r”，或者huò zhě叫jiào对方duì fāng的de名字míng zi。

People like to use “Have you eaten?”, “Where are you going?”, or calling out the other person's name.

▸ 比如bǐ rú邻居lín jū见面jiàn miàn可能kě néng会huì说shuō：

For example if two neighbors meet they might say:

▸ “吃chī了le吗ma？”“吃chī了le。你nǐ呢ne？”“没méi吃chī。等děng会儿huì'r去qù吃chī。”

“Did you eat yet?” “I did. What about you?” “No, I'll go eat something in a while.”

▸ 朋友péng you见面jiàn miàn可能kě néng会huì说shuō：“去qù哪儿nǎ'r呢ne？”“去qù那儿nà'r。你nǐ呢ne？”“随便suí biàn走走zǒu zǒu。”

When friends meet they might say: “Where are you going?” “Over there. And you?” “I'm just strolling about.”

▸ 在zài公司gōng sī见面jiàn miàn可能kě néng会huì说shuō“王wáng总zǒng！”，“小xiǎo李lǐ！”。

When you meet someone at work you might say: “Manager Wang!”, “Little Li!”.

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ见面jiàn miàn时shí，当dāng别人bié ren和hé你nǐ说shuō“吃chī了le吗ma”，

So when you meet someone and they ask you “Did you eat?”, ..

▸ 不bú是shì真的zhēn de想xiǎng知道zhī dào你nǐ吃chī了le吗ma，也yě不bú是shì要yào你nǐ请qǐng吃饭chī fàn；

.. they don’t really want to know if you’ve eaten or not, nor are they trying to get you to treat them to a meal.

▸ 当dāng别人bié ren问wèn你nǐ“去qù哪儿nǎ'r”，不bú是shì真的zhēn de想xiǎng知道zhī dào你nǐ去qù哪儿nǎ'r，

If the person asks you “Where are you going?”, they don't really want to know where you are going.

▸ 人们rén men只zhǐ是shì在zài和hé你nǐ打招呼dǎ zhāo hu。

They're just greeting you.

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