Saying good night?
deathblade13
October 11, 2007, 03:53 PM posted in General DiscussionI've searched high and low, but haven't found a good answer to the question of how to say "good night." For instance, you lay your head onto the pillow and as you are about to fall asleep, you turn to your loved one and say... ? Or perhaps you leave your friend's house late at night and as you are walking off you say... ?
Could anyone help me out with this? I can say good morning, but not good night!!!
bazza
October 11, 2007, 08:31 PM晚上好 (wăn shang hăo).
pulosm
October 11, 2007, 09:38 PMTo clarify, 晚上好 is a greeting, not a way of saying good bye, really. So, if you run into someone at night, you could say to them 晚上好 (though I have actually never heard anyone say this or most other greetings we are taught). 晚安 is more universal, it can have the sense of "hello" or "goodbye" at night.
deathblade13
October 11, 2007, 09:57 PMYes I have come across wǎn ān, but I wasn't sure if that was an everyday phrase. Thanks for the information. I'm going to start using it now! As for "wăn shang hăo," I did hear that a few times during my trip to China. One instance was on the cruise ship, during the captain's address. He started out by saying "wăn shang hăo," and then went into his speech. Is it a more formal greeting that you wouldn't use in everyday speech? For instance, you never really hear "Good Evening" in English unless it's a formal occasion or a speech to a group.
Kyle
October 12, 2007, 03:04 AM晚安 is what you say to your significant other after the good night kiss and before you close your eyes. 晚上好 is a greeting, as pulosm said. I'm not quite sure if you could say it's formal, but it's certainly not informal. Maybe just neutral?
pulosm
October 11, 2007, 04:42 PM晚安 (wǎn ān), or "evening peace," I think is the accepted Mandarin phrase for "good night." I can't think of another way to say it and since you've "searched high and low," I am sure you have found this one already! Not that anyone asked, but in Cantonese it is said: 早抖 (zhóu táu), which means "early rest." I like that better than Mandarin alternative, but the 早 might throw you off, for obvious reasons.