How to start informal texts with friends in Chinese
The Ultimate Guide to Texting in Chinese: Navigate Informal Communication and Abbreviations: How to start informal texts with friends in Chinese
To start informal texts with friends in Chinese, common casual openers include:
- 嘿 (hēi) — “Hey” is like “hi” in English and is very casual and friendly.
- 嗨 (hāi) or 哈喽 (hā lóu) — informal transliterations of “hello” used with friends.
- 你干嘛？(nǐ gàn ma?) — “What are you doing?” is a common, casual conversation starter.
- 你咋样？(nǐ zǎ yàng?) — “How are you?” or “How’s it going?” used informally.
- 吃了吗？(chī le ma?) — “Have you eaten?” is a traditional, culturally warm way to start a chat.
- 最近怎么样？(zuì jìn zěn me yàng?) — “How have you been lately?” is a friendly and popular phrase.
- 在吗？(zài ma?) — “Are you there?” is often used to check if the friend is available to chat.
Chinese people often skip formal greetings like 你好 in texts with close friends, jumping straight to small talk or questions. Using emojis, memes, or playful tones like 嗨呀 or 嘛呢 also works well for informal texts.