How to Say “Welcome” in Chinese
Greetings and politeness · HSK 1
"Welcome" in Chinese is 欢迎 (Huān yíng). 欢迎 on its own is friendly; you say it when someone enters your home or you're welcoming them to a city. The extended 欢迎光临 (huān yíng guāng lín, 'welcome; your arrival brings light') is what shop and restaurant staff shout in unison the moment you cross the threshold, especially in chains like Uniqlo or 7-Eleven.
Primary translation
欢迎
Huān yíng
Traditional: 歡迎
Variants by register
Formal
欢迎光临
Huān yíng guāng lín
When to use it
欢迎 on its own is friendly; you say it when someone enters your home or you're welcoming them to a city. The extended 欢迎光临 (huān yíng guāng lín, 'welcome; your arrival brings light') is what shop and restaurant staff shout in unison the moment you cross the threshold, especially in chains like Uniqlo or 7-Eleven. In Taiwan the convenience-store chime plus a sing-song 歡迎光臨 is practically a national soundtrack. To respond to 'welcome to China,' people usually just smile or say 谢谢.
Example sentences
欢迎来到北京！
Huān yíng lái dào Běi jīng!
Welcome to Beijing!
欢迎光临，请问几位？
Huān yíng guāng lín, qǐng wèn jǐ wèi?
Welcome; how many in your party?
欢迎你随时来我家玩。
Huān yíng nǐ suí shí lái wǒ jiā wán.
You're welcome to come visit my place anytime.