Learn to Say Hello in Cantonese

Nei hou. Welcome to your first phrase in Cantonese! In this article, we’ll cover the basics, starting with how to say “hello” and other essential phrases. Read until the end so that you will learn to say hello in Cantonese. Remember, we also have other articles about how to greet in Cantonese, don’t forget to read them. Okay. Let’s dive in!

你好 nei5 hou2

“Hello”

To say “Hi” or “Hello” in Cantonese, the word is 你好 nei5 hou2. The character 你 nei5 means “You” and 好 hou2 means “good.” The phrase “Hello” literally means “You well.” If you are in Hong Kong, it’s very common to hear people greeting each other in English with “Hi” and “Hello.” There are even transliterated Chinese characters for these words: 嗨 “Hi” and 哈囉 “Hello.”

This is the most polite way to greet others and you don’t have to worry if it is informal or formal. Just say it to people and you won’t go wrong. In the morning you can also say 你好 nei5 hou2 but it is more common to say “Good morning” in Cantonese.

Listen to the audio track below to learn the pronunciation in Cantonese

Nei ho OR Lei ho?

There’s been a lot of debate about whether the pronunciation is Nei ho OR Lei ho. The answer is 100% Nei ho, with the N sound. Why do we often hear people say Lei ho? It is incorrectly pronounced, in Cantonese we call these “lazy pronunciation”. However, it is so widely mispronounced and it has become widely accepted. We are not against learner saying Nei Ho, but as a professional Cantonese learning resource, it is advised against to say Lei ho because it doesn’t promote correct and official pronunciation.

喂 wai3

“Hey” (Informal)

To greet friends and family informally, you can also say 喂 wai3, which means “Hey” in Cantonese.

Only say this to people you know. Do not use this in a formal or professional setting. It’s more acceptable to say “hi” in English to another Cantonese speaker.

You can also use this to get people’s attention it is quite impolite but it is generally acceptable among friends and families. To politely get people’s attention, you can say 唔該 m4 goi1.

Listen to the audio track below to learn the pronunciation in Cantonese

“Hello” (When you pick up the phone)

How about when we pick up the phone to greet? How do we say Hello in Cantonese when we pick up the phone? What do we still say? Let’s leave this as a cliffhanger for you. If you want to find out the answer, you can read this article to find out more:

Learn Basic Canton Phrases

This article is part of a series. We recommend reading all the articles below to get a better understanding of how to greet in Cantonese:

How to Say Good Morning in Canton

Cantonese Basic Phrase: How Are You

Cantonese Informal Greetings: Hey

How to Say Thank You in Cantonese

How to Say Goodbye in Cantonese

Conclusion

Congratulations on your first word in Cantonese. We put together this blog because Cantonese learning resources are very scarce. Whether you are a series Cantonese learner, just someone curious about the culture, or a traveler in Hong Kong who wants to get a better deal at the night shopping market at Temple Street, we hope you enjoy our resources, and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram. We are also uploading Cantonese learning videos to our YouTube channel.