oh btw have you checked out zhongwen.com its a great site for
chinese-english / english-chinese online dictionary

--- In tristatewushukungfu@yahoogroups.com, "Mel" <tonji152@y...>
wrote:
>
> Hi group, I'm far from being a linguist expert but I have been
> studying Pu Deng Hwa (Mandarin) from a native speaker for nearly 8
> months. I love the reaction I get when I greet a Chinese National
> using such a simple phrase. Ni hao ma? Pronounced "KNEE"-"HOW"-
"MA?"
> if you leave off the "MA?" Ni hao will simply mean "HI". Ni (KNEE)-

> Means "YOU", Hao (HOW) refers to being good and "Ma?" in this case
> signifies the phrase as a direct question with an expected answer.
> Whereas just saying "Ni Hao?" without the "MA?" on the end. (Hi)
as
> you are walking by without having time to stop for a long
> conversation, no answer is really expected or you are very
familiar
> to the person you are speaking with and there is no need to be
> formal. To say hi to more than one person or a group you add "MEN"
to
> the word "NI" Changing the phrase to "Nimen Hao?" These greetings
are
> appropriate for morning, noon and night. The answer back is the
same.
> If someone says "Ni Hao?" to you, you would anwer back "Ni Hao!"It
> gets more complicated when Ma is used. THe answer back will be
more
> invloved. "I'm very well, thank you and you?" would be "Wo hen
> hao,xie xie,ni neh?" Wo sounds like "Wa" which means I, "Hen"
(means
> very) Hoa (Good or well) and thank you "Xie Xie" sounds like "Shay-
> Shay!" "Ni Neh" sounds like "Knee Nuh?" (And you?) NOw the
question
> is back in the in face of the person who started the conversation
the
> standard response would be I'm also very good or Yeh hen hao! Yeh
> (also) Hen (Very) and Hao (Good or well).
>
> Zhai Jian, Sound like (Z'eye Gee-ann) means Bye!
> Mel