How to read this page: Line 1 = Chinese characters. Line 2 = pinyin (lined up character-by-character above each word). Line 3 = English meaning of the whole sentence, with the matching key word marked in (parentheses). Words in a pink box are this lesson's key vocabulary — look them up in the vocabulary list below.
📖 Text
Read the story once for the general idea, then go through it again line by line.
A ：nǐ你hǎo好 ！
A: (Hello)!
B ：nǐ你hǎo好 ！
B: Hello!
A ：nín您hǎo好 ！
A: (Hello)! (polite)
B ：nǐ你men们hǎo好 ！
B: Hello, (everyone)!
A ：duì对bu不qǐ起 ！
A: (I'm sorry)!
B ：méi没guān关xi系 ！
B: (That's OK)!
📋 Key Vocabulary
Each word shows the part of speech, meaning, and an extra example sentence.
你pron.
you (singular)
你好吗？
How are you?
How are you?
好adj.
good, fine
我很好。
I am fine.
I am fine.
您pron.
you (polite)
您好，老师！
Hello, teacher! (polite)
Hello, teacher! (polite)
你们pron.
you (plural)
你们好！
Hello, everyone!
Hello, everyone!
对不起v.
to be sorry
对不起，我来晚了。
I'm sorry, I'm late.
I'm sorry, I'm late.
没关系phr.
that's OK, it doesn't matter
没关系，别担心。
That's OK, don't worry.
That's OK, don't worry.
🧩 Grammar Focus
Structures from this story worth practicing.
① 你 / 您 / 你们 — three ways to say "you"
你 / 您 / 你们 的差别
你 (nǐ) · 您 (nín) · 你们 (nǐmen)
你 is the everyday word for "you" (one person). 您 is the polite form — use it for teachers, elders, or anyone you want to show respect to. 你们 is simply "you" for more than one person, made by adding 们 to 你.
您好！你们好！
Nín hǎo! Nǐmen hǎo!
Hello! (polite, to one person) Hello, everyone! (to a group)
② 对不起 ↔ 没关系 — apology and response pair
对不起 与 没关系 的搭配
对不起 (duìbuqǐ) → 没关系 (méi guānxi)
These two phrases work as a pair: someone says 对不起 to apologize, and the natural reply is 没关系, meaning "it doesn't matter" / "that's OK" — not a literal translation, just a fixed polite response.
A：对不起！ B：没关系！
A: Duìbuqǐ! B: Méi guānxi!
A: I'm sorry! B: That's OK!
⭐ Key Sentences
Practice saying these sentences out loud. Try covering the English and translating from Chinese yourself.
你好！
Nǐ hǎo!
Hello! (to one person)
您好！
Nín hǎo!
Hello! (polite form)
你们好！
Nǐmen hǎo!
Hello, everyone! (to a group)
对不起，没关系！
Duìbuqǐ, méi guānxi!
I'm sorry — that's OK!
✅ Quick Check
Answer in your head, then check with your teacher.
1. Which greeting would you use to say hello to a group of friends?
2. Which word is the polite, respectful form of "you"?
3. If someone says "对不起" to you, what's the natural reply?
Great start — every "你好" is a new beginning! 🌟