nei5 hou2 maa1你好嗎你好吗
Jyutpingnei5 hou2 maa1
Yalenéih hóu mā
Definition
How are you?
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Native speakers rarely use this phrase in casual daily interactions. It often sounds like a direct translation from English textbooks or formal written correspondence. For friends and family, it is much more natural to ask about specific things like 食咗飯未 or 最近忙唔忙.
Examples
Long time no see, how have you been lately?
Hey, how are you doing today?
Related words
Common phrases
How are you?
Common mistake
Beginners often use this as a standard greeting for everyone, but it can sound stiff or overly inquisitive in informal settings. If you want to sound more like a local, stick to asking about what someone is currently doing or how their day is going.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
