Question 1

What does 欢迎 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

欢迎 (huānyíng) is a verb meaning 'to welcome,' and by extension the standalone greeting 'welcome!' shouted as guests arrive or printed on shop signs. Literally 'joy-greet,' it captures the warm hospitality nuance well. Three patterns English speakers should learn: first, it works as a transitive verb — 欢迎你 'we welcome you,' 欢迎大家 'welcome everyone'; second, it doubles up for emphatic warmth — 欢迎欢迎!

is a common spoken greeting when you really want to make someone feel welcome; third, it forms invitation patterns — 欢迎光临 'welcome (formal, in shops),' 欢迎再来 'come again.' Unlike English 'welcome,' Chinese 欢迎 is rarely used as the response to 'thank you' (that's 不客气). Don't say 欢迎 when someone thanks you — it sounds odd.

Question 2

How do you pronounce 欢迎?

Accepted Answer

欢迎 is pronounced huānyíng — 欢 (huān), 迎 (yíng).

Question 3

Is 欢迎 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

欢迎 is a verb, register: neutral. Polite by default. Common as both a verb (we welcome you) and a standalone greeting on signs and at entrances.

Question 4

What's the difference between 欢迎 and 不客气?

Accepted Answer

Beginners often translate English 'you're welcome' literally and try 欢迎 as a response to thanks. Wrong. The reply to 谢谢 is 不客气 or 不用谢 — never 欢迎.

Question 5

What's the difference between 欢迎 and 请?

Accepted Answer

请 means 'please' or 'to invite.' 请进 'please come in' and 欢迎 'welcome' often appear together but mean different things. 请 is the verb of polite invitation; 欢迎 is the warm reception that follows.

欢迎

What does 欢迎 mean?

Character breakdown

Example sentences

Common phrases with 欢迎

Synonyms

Don't confuse 欢迎 with

FAQ

Hear 欢迎 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.