How do you say ni hao ma in Cantonese?

The characters 你好嗎 read nei5 hou2 maa1 in Cantonese and are understood. It is formal and textbook-like, so in daily speech people say 你好 (nei5 hou2) as hello and ask about recent life with 近排點呀 (gan6 paai4 dim2 aa1), or ask 食咗飯未 (have you eaten yet).

How do you answer how are you in Cantonese?

Say 幾好 (gei2 hou2), quite good, or 好好 (hou2 hou2), very well, then turn it round with 你呢 (nei5 nei1), and you?

Is long time no see used in Cantonese?

Yes. 好耐冇見 (hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3) is the natural opener for someone you have not seen in a while, often followed by a how-are-you question.

← Cantonese Dictionary

How to say ni hao ma in Cantonese?

In Cantonese, 你好嗎 (nǐ hǎo ma) is 你好嗎 nei5 hou2 maa1: the same characters, new sounds, and it is understood. The rule: it is the textbook way to ask. In daily speech people ask something more specific: 近排點呀 (gan6 paai4 dim2 aa1, "how have you been lately"), or 食咗飯未, "have you eaten yet". For hello itself see ni hao in Cantonese. The pinyin converter helps with Mandarin tone marks while you compare.

If you'd say (Mandarin)	Say (Cantonese)	Notes
你好嗎 nǐ hǎo ma	你好嗎 nei5 hou2 maa1	Understood; formal or textbook
你最近好嗎 nǐ zuìjìn hǎo ma	近排點呀 gan6 paai4 dim2 aa1	近排 is the spoken "lately"; 最近 (zeoi3 gan6) is the written one
好不好 hǎo bu hǎo (is it okay?)	好唔好 hou2 m4 hou2	The yes-no pattern uses 唔 for 不: good or not
好久不見 hǎojiǔ bú jiàn	好耐冇見 hou2 noi6 mou5 gin3	Long time no see; 冇 replaces 不 and 見 stays
我很好 wǒ hěn hǎo	幾好 gei2 hou2 or 好好 hou2 hou2	Quite good, or very well
你呢 nǐ ne (and you?)	你呢 nei5 nei1	Same characters, new sounds
吃飯了嗎 chīfàn le ma	食咗飯未	A greeting in itself; see the guide
不錯 búcuò (not bad)	唔錯 m4 co3	不 becomes 唔

Scenarios

Situation	Say	Why
Meeting an old friend	好耐冇見	The natural opener
Asking after a colleague	近排點呀	Casual, about recent life
Meeting someone at lunchtime	食咗飯未	A small-talk question, not an invitation
Replying that you are fine	幾好, 你呢	Then turn it round to them
Greeting a new classmate	你好	A plain hello does the job
Meeting someone for the first time	幸會 hang6 wui6	"Nice to meet you", formal

Variations

The question particle 嗎 is usually said maa3 (the dictionary entry lists maa1); many Hong Kong speakers prefer a yes-no pattern like 好唔好 over adding 嗎.
點呀 (dim2 aa1) is a flexible "so, what's up" opener when you already know the person.
問好 (man6 hou2) means to say hello to someone or send regards.
For a morning greeting see zǎoshang hǎo; for night see wǎn'ān.
Replies are short: nobody gives a full health report in answer to a greeting.

The mistake to avoid

Answering a real 你好嗎 with a long account of your week, or opening every conversation with it. In Hong Kong it can sound textbook-stiff to a friend. Start with 你好 or 好耐冇見, ask 食咗飯未 around mealtimes, and keep your reply to 幾好, 你呢. The reverse slip is to answer 食咗飯未 with a yes-or-no answer about health: it is a greeting about food, and the answer is simply 食咗喇 or 未食.

More learner answers on the FAQ page; next Mandarin bridges: chī fàn le ma, zǎoshang hǎo, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi, or browse all Mandarin-to-Cantonese guides.

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