<p>The answer is quite simple, it is a common practice in Chinese (and any other language) that when the identity of the subject (or object) is clear, it is routinely omitted.  </p>

<p>The subject in "很高兴认识你" is clearly "我" because "很高兴认识你" is a sentence spoken from the speaker to a second person. It didn't indicate the subject was anyone else beside the speaker. Unless it clearly stated "我的父亲很高兴认识你" in which "我的父亲" would be the subject. </p>

<p>Likewise, if "很高兴认识你" is a written sentence, the omitted subject would clearly be the writer unless stated otherwise.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-23T06:58:01.623Z
"when the identity of the subject is clear" in English we substitute a pronoun.  So pro-tip that in Chinese it is often omitted entirely.
Ben Jackson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-02T05:29:42.110Z
Not so sure that's always the case, @BenJackson. Should probably phrase that a little more carefully.
lly
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-23T01:11:43.093Z
2018-07-24T12:40:13.533Z
2018-07-24T12:40:13.533Z
Tang Ho
<p>很高兴认识你 is a general greeting, which is used when you meet a person for the first time. The literal translation is "<em>Very glad to know you!</em>". In practice, It's like saying "<em>Nice to meet you!</em>" in English. <em>Nice to meet you!</em> is shorthand for <em>It's nice to meet you!</em> in my opinion. </p>

<p>很高兴认识你 can be paraphrased as: 我很高兴认识你 (I'm happy to meet you.)or 认识你是(一件很让人）高兴的事情 (it's a very nice thing that I can meet you). Pulling 很高兴 ahead has some effect of emphasis. You can also say 认识你很高兴. With 我 implied, it sounds more like a generic formal greeting, rather than a personal one. </p>

<p>If you say 认识你<strong>我</strong>很高兴， that doesn't sound like a generic business meet, but rather personal(may have some romantic implication sometimes). It implies that you are  impressed by the person you meet, you are kind of person I want to meet, and those kind of ideas. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-23T00:08:51.893Z
2018-07-23T00:47:53.260Z
2018-07-23T00:47:53.260Z
dan
<p>In fact, 很高兴认识你 is a more native Chinese style. We know Chinese is also SVO mainly, but Chinese do not often use 我 at the beginning, yes, Chinese sometimes omit the subject 我.</p>

<p>So if you read some writings that full of sentences lead by 我, the writer's Chinese could be influenced by English.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T05:41:16.097Z
Subjects are more often omitted in speech, not as much in writing.
Nimrod
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-24T14:52:11.110Z
2018-07-24T14:52:11.110Z
sfy
<p>I know that I'm asking about an expression which doesn't have to follow the normal rules of grammar.  But if it makes sense to ask, I'd like to understand if that sentence is literally structured as "happily meeting you" or if it's "(I) am happy meeting you".</p>

<p>Or to put it another way, am <em>I</em> good or is the <em>meeting</em> good?  Is it "我很好了，认识你" or "(我)(很高兴认识)你"</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-22T23:33:34.897Z
what precedes this phrase? If 你好吗 precedes it, it could be the reply: I am fine, (all the better for) getting to know you.cf. iciba: 

"How are you?" —"All the better for seeing you."

“你好吗？”—“好，看见你更好了。”
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-23T12:49:06.447Z
Possibly related: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/19/9732
jf328
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-23T14:40:52.560Z
很高兴 is an adjectival phrase, and using it as an adverbial phrase to premodify a verb would, I think, be highly unusual in Mandarin, if not completely ungrammatical. To modify a verb with an adjective, it has to be turned into an adverb, just like in English: English adds _-ly_ (as in “I happily met you”, not “*I happy met you”), and Chinese adds the suffix 地 _-de_. So adverbially, you’d say （我）很高兴**地**认识你 (“I am making your acquaintance in a happy way”).
Janus Bahs Jacquet
<expressions>
In 很高兴认识你 is there an implied 我 at the front or is 很高兴 modifying 认识 as in "happily meet"?
# In 很高兴认识你 is there an implied 我 at the front or is 很高兴 modifying 认识 as in "happily meet"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-22)

I know that I'm asking about an expression which doesn't have to follow the normal rules of grammar. But if it makes sense to ask, I'd like to understand if that sentence is literally structured as "happily meeting you" or if it's "(I) am happy meeting you".

Or to put it another way, am *I* good or is the *meeting* good? Is it "我很好了，认识你" or "(我)(很高兴认识)你"

**Tags:** expressions
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: what precedes this phrase? If 你好吗 precedes it, it could be the reply: I am fine, (all the better for) getting to know you.cf. iciba:   "How are you?" —"All the better for seeing you."  “你好吗？”—“好，看见你更好了。”  
> **username_2**: Possibly related: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/19/9732  
> **username_3**: 很高兴 is an adjectival phrase, and using it as an adverbial phrase to premodify a verb would, I think, be highly unusual in Mandarin, if not completely ungrammatical. To modify a verb with an adjective, it has to be turned into an adverb, just like in English: English adds _-ly_ (as in “I happily met you”, not “*I happy met you”), and Chinese adds the suffix 地 _-de_. So adverbially, you’d say （我）很高兴**地**认识你 (“I am making your acquaintance in a happy way”).  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-07-23. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The answer is quite simple, it is a common practice in Chinese (and any other language) that when the identity of the subject (or object) is clear, it is routinely omitted.

The subject in "很高兴认识你" is clearly "我" because "很高兴认识你" is a sentence spoken from the speaker to a second person. It didn't indicate the subject was anyone else beside the speaker. Unless it clearly stated "我的父亲很高兴认识你" in which "我的父亲" would be the subject.

Likewise, if "很高兴认识你" is a written sentence, the omitted subject would clearly be the writer unless stated otherwise.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: "when the identity of the subject is clear" in English we substitute a pronoun.  So pro-tip that in Chinese it is often omitted entirely.  
> **username_5**: Not so sure that's always the case, @BenJackson. Should probably phrase that a little more carefully.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2018-07-23. Score: 8

很高兴认识你 is a general greeting, which is used when you meet a person for the first time. The literal translation is "*Very glad to know you!*". In practice, It's like saying "*Nice to meet you!*" in English. *Nice to meet you!* is shorthand for *It's nice to meet you!* in my opinion.

很高兴认识你 can be paraphrased as: 我很高兴认识你 (I'm happy to meet you.)or 认识你是(一件很让人）高兴的事情 (it's a very nice thing that I can meet you). Pulling 很高兴 ahead has some effect of emphasis. You can also say 认识你很高兴. With 我 implied, it sounds more like a generic formal greeting, rather than a personal one.

If you say 认识你**我**很高兴， that doesn't sound like a generic business meet, but rather personal(may have some romantic implication sometimes). It implies that you are impressed by the person you meet, you are kind of person I want to meet, and those kind of ideas.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2018-07-24. Score: 1

In fact, 很高兴认识你 is a more native Chinese style. We know Chinese is also SVO mainly, but Chinese do not often use 我 at the beginning, yes, Chinese sometimes omit the subject 我.

So if you read some writings that full of sentences lead by 我, the writer's Chinese could be influenced by English.

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Subjects are more often omitted in speech, not as much in writing.  

---

