你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma) — how are you?

你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma)

你好吗 is a greeting phrase meaning "how are you?" or literally "are you well?" It is the standard question for asking about someone's current wellbeing.

Meanings

1. [phrase] How are you? Are you well? (Asking about someone's health or general state.)

Example Sentences

A: 你好吗？ B: 我很好，谢谢！你呢？ A: Nǐ hǎo ma? B: Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè! Nǐ ne? A: How are you? B: I am doing well, thank you! And you?

你最近好吗？ Nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma? How have you been recently?

你妈妈好吗？ Nǐ māma hǎo ma? How is your mother?

A: 你好吗？ B: 还不错，你呢？ A: Nǐ hǎo ma? B: Hái bùcuò, nǐ ne? A: How are you? B: Not bad, and you?

Usage Notes

你好吗 is structurally 你好 (hello) + 吗 (question particle). The standard responses are: 我很好 (I am fine), 还好 (so-so, all right), 还不错 (not bad), 一般吧 (just okay). After answering, it is polite to bounce the question back with 你呢 (and you?). In everyday Chinese among people who see each other regularly, 你好吗 is less common than in English — Chinese speakers often open with 你吃了吗 (have you eaten?) or 去哪儿啊 (where are you going?) as casual greetings.

Collocations or Common Phrases

Memory Hook

你好吗 is simply 你好 with a question mark particle 吗 — you are asking whether the "hello" you are sending is matched by the other person's wellbeing.