GN - Greetings and Names Module Overview

 

image of the greeting "NNǐhǎoGreetings and Names 

Introduction 

The correct way of greeting a person is very important in Chinese culture. Among strangers, acquaintances or on formal occasions, the greeting "Nǐhǎo 你好 "（or "Nínhǎo 您好" is very respectful or more polite.), it literally means 'you good'.  Normally, it is very important to have direct eye contact during greetings.  When greeting, a slight bow often accompanies the handshake.  Chinese people always say "Xiānsheng先生", "Nǚshì女士" to identify an elder or person with high social status. 

Please download the following attachment for your study that will help you to do well in assignments and test.

Etext Links to an external site.

Essential Questions

  • What is the difference between frequently used greetings and polite greetings?
  • How do you introduce yourself?
  • How do you ask and tell names?
  • How do you express and give response apologies?
  • How do you greet people at the first meeting?

"Nǐhǎo 你好" or "Nínhǎo 您好" is the first words you say when you meet somebody or write to him/her.  They both mean "hello". "Nǐhǎo 你好" is the most common form of greeting in China, and it can be used at any time of the day which requires the same phrase as an answer. While  "Nínhǎo 您好" is often used to an elderly or a senior person during a conversation. To introduce oneself, we often use the pattern"Wǒ shì…… 我是……",  and if you want to ask other people's name, you can say "Qǐng wèn nín jiào shén me míng zi？请问您叫什么名字？". When you apologize, you may say "Duìbù qǐ 对不起"," Bào qiàn 抱歉"or "bù hǎo yì si 不好意思", and the response can be "Méi guān xi 没关系"or ""Méi shì er 没事儿".

Use the presentation below to learn the keywords for this module.

A handout of keywords is also available to download here Links to an external site..

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR OPEN RESOURCE