Nice to Meet You in Chinese: 很高兴认识你 and 5 Other Ways to Say It

沉浸 TeamOctober 15, 20265 min read

Nice to meet you in Chinese is 很高兴认识你 (hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ). Word by word it's "very happy to know you", and you say it right after you've swapped names. If the person is older or senior, swap 你 for the polite 您 (nín): 很高兴认识您.

That one phrase gets you through any introduction. But there are a few other versions worth knowing, including the formal 幸会 and the compliment 久仰, plus the reply when someone says it to you first. This guide covers the whole first-meeting script, as part of our essential Chinese phrases guide.

How to say and write nice to meet you in Chinese

Characters: 很高兴认识你
Pinyin: hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ
Traditional: 很高興認識你

The pieces: 很 (hěn, "very"), 高兴 (gāoxìng, "happy, glad"), 认识 (rènshi, "to know a person, to get to know"), 你 (nǐ, "you"). There's no word for "nice" or "meet" in it, which is why a word-for-word translation never sounds right in either direction. Want the stroke order? Our free character practice sheets print a grid for the whole phrase.

Two word orders, both correct

You'll hear the phrase both ways:

很高兴认识你 (hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ): "very glad to know you". The textbook order.
认识你很高兴 (rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng): "knowing you, I'm very glad". Equally common, and some speakers find it a touch warmer.

Pick either. Nobody will notice which one you chose.

5 other ways to say nice to meet you

很高兴见到你 (hěn gāoxìng jiàndào nǐ): "very glad to see you". Fine for a first meeting, and it also works when you run into someone you already know, which 认识 doesn't.
幸会 (xìnghuì): "a fortunate meeting". Formal, a little old-fashioned, and polished. Perfect for a business introduction or meeting a friend's parents. Often doubled: 幸会幸会.
久仰 (jiǔyǎng): "I've long admired you", meaning "I've heard so much about you". A compliment for someone with a reputation: your partner's boss, a professor, a well-known person. The full version is 久仰大名 (jiǔyǎng dàmíng), "long admired your great name".
请多关照 (qǐng duō guānzhào): "please look after me". Said when you join a new team, class, or host family. It signals that you know you're the newcomer.
请多指教 (qǐng duō zhǐjiào): "please give me lots of guidance". The same idea, aimed at a teacher, a senior colleague, or anyone you'll learn from.

How to reply: nice to meet you too

When someone says 很高兴认识你 to you, three natural answers:

我也很高兴认识你 (wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ): "I'm also very glad to know you". The full reply. 也 (yě, "also") goes before 很.
我也是 (wǒ yě shì): "me too". Short and friendly.
彼此彼此 (bǐcǐ bǐcǐ): "likewise". A slightly formal, slightly playful way to return any compliment, including 幸会 and 久仰.

A full first-meeting script

Here's how the whole exchange usually goes, so you can hear where 很高兴认识你 lands:

A: 你好！我叫李明。 (Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng.) Hi! I'm Li Ming.
B: 你好，我叫 Anna。很高兴认识你。 (Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Anna. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.) Hi, I'm Anna. Nice to meet you.
A: 我也很高兴认识你。你是哪国人？ (Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ. Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?) Nice to meet you too. Where are you from?
B: 我是美国人。 (Wǒ shì Měiguó rén.) I'm American.

Two things to borrow from this. First, Chinese introductions put the surname first (李明 is Mr. Li, given name Ming); our guide to how Chinese names work explains what to call people after that. Second, "what's your name?" is 你叫什么名字？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) between equals, and the respectful version is 您贵姓？ (nín guìxìng?, "your honored surname?"). More openers in our hello in Chinese guide.

Pronunciation tips

很 (hěn) + 高 (gāo): a low third tone followed by a high flat first tone. Keep 很 low and let 高 jump up.
兴 (xìng): fourth tone, falling. The "x" is a soft "sh" with your tongue tip down.
认识 (rènshi): the second syllable is neutral tone, light and quick. The "r" is closer to the "r" in "pleasure" than to an English "r".

Paste the phrase into our Chinese to pinyin converter to see the tone marks on every syllable.

Not sure your 很高兴认识你 sounds friendly rather than flat? A free Chenjin account lets you hear every word in this post read aloud and save the phrases you'll use on your next introduction as flashcards. Sign up free to practice before you meet someone.

FAQ

How do you say nice to meet you in Mandarin?

很高兴认识你 (hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ), "very glad to know you". Use 您 (nín) instead of 你 for someone older or senior.

What does hen gao xing ren shi ni mean?

It means "nice to meet you". 很 is "very", 高兴 is "happy", 认识 is "to know (a person)", and 你 is "you".

How do you reply to nice to meet you in Chinese?

我也很高兴认识你 (wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ), "nice to meet you too", or just 我也是 (wǒ yě shì), "me too".

What does xing hui mean?

幸会 (xìnghuì) is a formal "nice to meet you", literally "a fortunate meeting". Use it in business settings or when meeting someone's parents.

What's the difference between 认识 and 见到?

认识 (rènshi) is "to get to know", so 很高兴认识你 is for a first meeting. 见到 (jiàndào) is "to see", so 很高兴见到你 works for a first meeting and for seeing someone again.