On the first pages of most Chinese textbooks, you’ll usually come across the question “你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo ma?)”meaning “How are you?”. However, as your Chinese improves and you begin watching Chinese TV shows, listening to native speakers, or having real conversations, you’ll notice something interesting: Chinese people rarely use “你好吗?” in daily life. It is perfectly correct, yet it often sounds a bit textbook-like, formal, or unnatural in everyday conversation, especially between people who already know each other.

As your Chinese improves, you’ll likely start using “你最近怎么样？ (Nǐ zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?)”, meaning “How have you been lately?” Unlike the English “How are you?”, which is often just a polite greeting, this question is usually asked with genuine interest. Don’t be surprised if the other person responds with details about their work, studies, family, or recent experiences.

If you’d like to move beyond textbook Chinese and sound more like a native speaker, here are a few other useful phrases to add to your toolkit.

A very common one is “最近好吗？ (Zuìjìn hǎo ma?)”, meaning “Have you been well lately?” Another is “最近忙吗？ (Zuìjìn máng ma?)”, which translates as “Have you been busy lately?” Since work, studies, family responsibilities, and daily activities play an important role in Chinese culture, this question often feels more relevant and personal. If you want to be a bit nosy, you can follow up with “忙什么呢？ (Máng shénme ne?)” — “What have you been busy with?” Of course, there are many other variations you can use in different situations, and we’ll explore them here in the future, so don’t worry!

The final boss of Chinese greetings among friends might very well be “干嘛呢？ (Gànmá ne?)”. While textbooks politely teach you “你好“ and “你好吗”, native speakers eventually unlock “干嘛呢?”, a phrase that can mean anything from “What are you up to?” to “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” or even “What’s going on?!” depending entirely on the tone.

Chinese people are quite efficient, and the younger generation even more so. With them, you’ll eventually reach the peak of conversational efficiency. A simple “嘿！ (Hēi!)” meaning “Hey!” or “嗨！ (Hāi!) “Hi!” — will do. You’ll come across these shortcuts especially in chats, on social media, in gaming, or during casual conversations.

Have you ever heard Chinese people greeting each other by asking whether they’ve eaten? Sometimes even when it’s obvious there hasn’t been time to eat? This phrase is particularly interesting because it carries a deep cultural subtext. Let’s explore it together next time!