So a typical conversaion would go like this, two poeple out in the street
recogzine each other #1 greets
#2 :
Stranger may grett each other with:
#1: Ni Hao! (hi!)
#2 responds with: Ni Hao! (hi!)

Taking it further More aquianted people

#1: Ni Hoa ma? (How are you feeling?)
#2 Hen Hao Xie Xie! Ni Neh? (Very well thank you! And You?)
# Yeh Hen Hao! (I'm also well) Yeh menas "also"

Cheers!

Mel


--- In tristatewushukungfu@yahoogroups.com, "Mel" <tonji152@...> wrote:
>
> -
> Sorry about the follow up to this being so delayed. WE left off with
> the Mandarin(Pu Deng Hwa) phrase "Ni Hao", and "Ni Hao ma?"
> "Ni Hao" simply meaning Hi, literal translation is "You Well?". The
> usual response is the same.."Ni Hao! or even shorter "Hao!".. "Ni Hao
> ma?" Is more personal for someone you know well. Asking how are they
> feeling? if the response is "Hen Hao" it means very well. Bu Hoa
> is "Not well. "Xie xie!" (Thanks) They may respond back with Ni Neh?
> WHich means "You also?" which fires the question back at you.
>
> For Cantonese speakers (GuanDong Hwa) the phrase is "Nay Ho"
> and "Nay Ho Ma?". The answer is slightly different with "Ho Ho" or
> just "Ho" for short. "Ho" like "Hoa" means "Well". "Doh Jay" means
> thank you, the equivalent of Xie Xie (Shay-Shay). Nay Neh? again
> fires the queston back at you meaning "you also?" Saying good bye is
> easy, oddly enough is "Bye Bye!"
>
>
> -- In tristatewushukungfu@yahoogroups.com, Mel Roberts <tonji152@>
> wrote:
> >
> > Thank you so much Avishay,
> >
> > I really appreciate the encouragement, It's so great
> > to hear from other members of this yahoo group I
> > formed
> > Except for 3 or 4 others it's very rare to hear from
> > the members. I want more for this group then just
> > "Look and see" what I've been up to. Another new
> > member stated he wanted to learn more about Chinese
> > culture so I thought this would be fun and see where
> > it goes.
> >
> > Mel
> >
> >
> > --- avishay <avishayisaiah@> wrote:
> >
> > > 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
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