Formal:
* 下午好 (Xiàwǔ hǎo): This is the most common and formal way to say "good afternoon." It literally means "good afternoon."
Informal:
* 下午 (Xiàwǔ): This is a more casual way to say "afternoon" and can be used with friends and family. You can add "好 (hǎo)" to make it more polite, but it's not strictly necessary.
* 午安 (Wǔ ān): This is a more literary way to say "good afternoon," often used in writing or formal speeches. It literally means "peaceful afternoon."
It's important to note that:
* Chinese doesn't have a direct equivalent of "good afternoon" like English does. The phrase "下午好 (Xiàwǔ hǎo)" covers a wider time frame than "good afternoon" in English. It can be used from noon to evening.
* The choice of which phrase to use depends on the context and your relationship with the person you're talking to.
Example:
* Formal: "下午好, 张先生 (Xiàwǔ hǎo, Zhāng Xiānsheng)." (Good afternoon, Mr. Zhang.)
* Informal: "下午, 小明 (Xiàwǔ, Xiǎomíng)." (Afternoon, Xiaoming.)