你好吗 ? (singular form) ni3 hao3 ma0 ? 你们好吗 ? (plural form) ni3 men0 hao3 ma0 ? Possible answer to the singular form: -- 我很好谢谢， 你呢？ I am fine, thank you, and you ? wo3 hen3 hao3 xie4 xie, ni3 ne0 ? -- 我也很好， 谢谢。 I am also fine, thank you wo3 ye3 hen3 hao3 xie4 xie.

There are several ways to translate this, depending on what you specifically want to convey. If "how are you" means "hello", ni hao 你好 is probably the most direct. If "how are you" is the follow up to hello as in, "Hello! Hi! How are you? Fine thanks..." then the "how are you" might be translated "How have you been recently?" ni zui jin hao ma? 你最近好马？ If "how are you" is a question of concern, like asking a person after returning from the hospital "how are you", you might use Zenma yang? Hai hao ma? 怎码洋？还好吗？ I hope this helps. :)

你好

how are you means 你好吗(pronounced nǐ hǎo mā) in madarin.　

thanks tiger