Although in China there are no fixed rules for greeting one another, physical contact is much less common than in Europe. Only a small, though increasing, minority of young people hug or kiss their closest friends. Shaking hands has become a broadly accepted gesture in the great metropolises, but still by far not as widespread as in Europe.
The commonest and most neutral greeting are a polite ''ni hao'' and a slight nod of the head. Contrary to the Japanese, Chinese do not make deep bows.
hài
Hi!
huān
yíng
Welcome.
nǐ
hǎo
Good morning.
nǐ
hǎo
Good afternoon.
nǐ
hǎo
Good evening.
wǎn
ān
Good night.
zài
jiàn
Good bye.See you later.
The phrase ''Ni Hao'' is a very practical one, since it can be used at any time of the day or night.
