First greetings

你好 nǐ hǎo, literally you good, is the first phrase in almost every textbook, and it already uses the third-tone change from unit 5.

This last unit puts the sounds to work in the phrases you will use on your first day. Each of them practises something from the earlier units: third-tone changes, the neutral tone, 不 before a fourth tone, and initials like x and zh. 你好 nǐ hǎo (said ní hǎo) works with anyone, at any time of day. For an older person, a teacher or a customer, swap 你 for the polite 您 nín: 您好 nín hǎo. Greeting a group, add the plural 们: 你们好 nǐmen hǎo, or say 大家好 dàjiā hǎo, hello everyone.

Titles and times of day

A common way to greet someone is to say their title followed by 好. Students greet their teacher with 老师好 lǎoshī hǎo, and a family name can go in front: 王老师好 Wáng lǎoshī hǎo. In Chinese names the family name comes first, so in 王明 Wáng Míng the family name is Wáng. In the morning you will hear 早上好 zǎoshang hǎo, good morning, often cut down to just 早 zǎo among friends. Note the neutral tone on 上 shang in zǎoshang.

Thank you, sorry, goodbye

Thank you is 谢谢 xièxie, with a full fourth tone on the first syllable and a light second one. The usual reply is 不客气 bú kèqi, you are welcome; 不 becomes bú because 客 kè is a fourth tone. Sorry is 对不起 duìbuqǐ, with 不 said lightly in the middle, and the reply is 没关系 méi guānxi, it does not matter. Goodbye is 再见 zàijiàn, literally again see. Swap 再 for a time and it becomes see you then: 明天见 míngtiān jiàn, see you tomorrow.

Your name and where you are from

To give your name, say 我叫 wǒ jiào, I am called, and the name: 我叫王明 Wǒ jiào Wáng Míng. To ask someone else, use 你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? What is your name? Chinese question words like 什么 shénme (what) sit in the same place as the answer, so the word order stays the same as the statement. 很高兴认识你 hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ means I am very glad to meet you. 高 gāo is a first tone, so 很 hěn does not change; say it as a low half third tone. For where you are from, 我是韩国人 wǒ shì Hánguórén is I am Korean, and 我是美国人 wǒ shì Měiguórén is I am American.

Yes or no questions with 吗

Unit 1 met 吗 ma as the syllable with no tone. Put it at the end of any statement and it becomes a yes or no question, with no change in word order: 你是老师 nǐ shì lǎoshī (you are a teacher) becomes 你是老师吗？ Are you a teacher? In the same way 你好吗？ Nǐ hǎo ma? asks how someone is, and a common answer is 我很好 wǒ hěn hǎo, I am fine, said wǒ hén hǎo with the third-tone change.