First recorded in 1945–50; from Vietnamese hào “dime”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During her studies under his supervision, Mei reflects: “The first, simplest words I learned became the basis of more characters. ‘Woman’ and ‘son’ combined to mean ‘good’: 好, hao.
From Washington Post • May 23, 2022
With a friend, he produces dried snacks called hao bang, which means “good bat” in English.
From New York Times • Oct. 6, 2016
On sale were T-shirts reading: “Ni hao, y’all” - combining the Chinese version of “hello” with a colloquial Southernism.
From Washington Times • Jun. 23, 2014
European bosses are saying "ni hao" a lot more these days.
From Reuters • Dec. 2, 2011
“Ni hao? Wo Jiao Shirley. Wo yeh shr Chung Kuo lai de....”
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
