How to Say Good Morning in Chinese
Learn how to say good morning in Mandarin Chinese. '早上好' (Zǎoshang hǎo) is the full phrase; '早' (Zǎo) is the casual one. Pronunciation guide + time-of-day greetings.
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Quick answer
To say good morning in Mandarin Chinese, say '早上好' (Zǎoshang hǎo, dzao-shang how) — the full polite phrase. Casually, just '早' (Zǎo, dzao — 'morning!') is extremely common and friendly. After morning, use '下午好' (Xiàwǔ hǎo, good afternoon) and '晚上好' (Wǎnshang hǎo, good evening). '早' alone is the quick everyday morning greeting.
早上好
/dzao-shang how/ — Chinese
How to Say Good Morning in Chinese
Mandarin gives you a polite full phrase and a punchy one-syllable shortcut for greeting the morning — and they follow the same neat pattern as “hello.”
The Phrase
早上好 — Zǎoshang hǎo — pronounced dzao-shang how
Literally “morning good,” following the same pattern as 你好 (nǐ hǎo = “you good”).
Copy the Phrase
The Chinese phrase for “good morning” is 早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo, dzao-shang how) — or just 早 (Zǎo) casually.
The Casual Shortcut: Zǎo
早 (Zǎo) — just “morning!” — is extremely common and friendly, like a quick “mornin’!” among colleagues, classmates, and friends. The single character 早 means “early/morning.”
| Chinese | Pinyin | Register |
|---|---|---|
| 早上好 | Zǎoshang hǎo | Full, polite |
| 早 | Zǎo | Casual (very common) |
The Tones
- Zǎo — “dzao” (the ‘z’ is a “dz” sound), dipping 3rd tone
- shang — neutral tone (light)
- Hǎo — “how,” dipping 3rd tone
When the two 3rd tones (zǎo… hǎo) are separated by “shang,” they each keep their dipping tone.
The Time-of-Day System
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 早上好 / 早 | Zǎoshang hǎo / Zǎo | Good morning |
| 上午好 | Shàngwǔ hǎo | Good (late) morning |
| 中午好 | Zhōngwǔ hǎo | Good noon |
| 下午好 | Xiàwǔ hǎo | Good afternoon |
| 晚上好 | Wǎnshang hǎo | Good evening |
| 晚安 | Wǎn’ān | Good night (bedtime) |
They all follow [time] + 好 (hǎo, good) — except 晚安 (good night), which uses 安 (ān, peace).
Pronunciation Recap
- Zǎoshang hǎo — “dzao-shang how”
- Zǎo — “dzao” (dipping 3rd tone)
- Xiàwǔ hǎo — “syah-woo how”
- Wǎnshang hǎo — “wahn-shang how”
Wishing a Good Day
- 祝你今天愉快 (Zhù nǐ jīntiān yúkuài) — Wish you a pleasant day
- 早点休息 (Zǎodiǎn xiūxi) — Rest early (a caring evening send-off)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Zǎoshang hǎo?
'早上好' (Zǎoshang hǎo) is pronounced dzao-shang how. 'Zǎo' = dzao (the 'z' is a 'dz' sound; rhymes with 'cow' with a 'dz'), 3rd tone (dipping). 'Shang' = shang, neutral tone. 'Hǎo' = how, 3rd tone (dipping). So 'DZAO-shang HOW.' The casual '早' (Zǎo) is just 'dzao' with a dipping 3rd tone.
What is the difference between Zǎoshang hǎo and Zǎo?
'早上好' (Zǎoshang hǎo) is the full, polite 'good morning' (literally 'morning good'). '早' (Zǎo) is the short, casual version — just 'morning!' — extremely common in everyday life, like a quick 'mornin'!' among colleagues, classmates, and friends. Both are friendly; '早' is more casual and what people often actually say.
What does Zǎoshang hǎo literally mean?
'早上好' literally means 'morning good' — 早上 (zǎoshang) = morning, 好 (hǎo) = good. It follows the same pattern as '你好' (nǐ hǎo, hello = 'you good'). The single character 早 (zǎo) means 'early/morning,' so '早' on its own works as a casual 'morning!'
What are the Chinese time-of-day greetings?
'早上好' (Zǎoshang hǎo) / '早' (Zǎo) = good morning; '上午好' (Shàngwǔ hǎo) = good (late) morning/forenoon; '中午好' (Zhōngwǔ hǎo) = good noon; '下午好' (Xiàwǔ hǎo) = good afternoon; '晚上好' (Wǎnshang hǎo) = good evening; '晚安' (Wǎn'ān) = good night (for bed). They all follow '[time] + 好' (good), except 晚安 (good night) which uses 安 (peace).
Is Zǎoshang hǎo formal?
'早上好' (Zǎoshang hǎo) is polite and standard — perfectly fine in any situation, including with people you respect. But in casual daily life, many Chinese speakers (especially in northern China) just say '早!' (Zǎo) as a quick, friendly 'morning!' Neither is rude — '早' is simply more casual and common among people who see each other regularly.