您好 (nín hǎo) is a polite, formal greeting in Chinese, equivalent to 'Hello' or 'Good day' in English. It combines the respectful second-person pronoun 您 (nín), which replaces the plain 你 (nǐ) when addressing elders, superiors, or strangers to show deference, and the adjective 好 (hǎo), meaning 'good' or 'well'. Together, they literally mean 'You are well', expressing goodwill and respect upon meeting someone.

This greeting is widely used in professional settings, customer service, formal introductions, and whenever politeness is expected—such as answering the phone, entering a shop, or meeting someone for the first time. Unlike informal 你好 (nǐ hǎo), 您好 signals awareness of social hierarchy and cultural norms around respect. It is rarely used among close friends or family members, where 你好 or even more casual greetings are preferred.