21 Essential Chinese Phrases

21 Essential Phrases You'll
Need in China
Greetings and essentials
你好 (nǐ hǎo) / Hello
It’s always good to start a conversation with ‘Ni Hao’. Although Chinese
people are friendly, they’ll be even more willing to chat with you if you greet
them in their native language. If you need help with the tone syllables for this
or any of the following words, just refer to this guide.
谢谢 (xiè xiè) / 不客气 (bú kè qì) – Thank you / You’re welcome
There’s an old saying that goes ‘Don’t hit a smiling guy’ (伸手不打笑脸人). A
simple ‘thank you’ along with a smile will make your life a lot easier in China. If
someone else says ‘Xie Xie’ to you, it’s considered polite to return it with a ‘Bu
Ke Qi’.
Chinese people ‘don’t hit a smiling guy’
是的 / 不是 (shì de/bú shì) – Yes / No
Most Chinese people know ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in English, but in case you meet
someone whose English isn’t strong, it’s essential to know how to say them in
Mandarin.
不好意思 (bù hǎo yì sī) / Excuse me

Considering how crowded China is, don’t be surprised by how often you’ll
need to say this phrase when walking the streets.
对不起 (duì bù qǐ) / 没关系 (méi guān xi) – Sorry / No worries
If you bump into someone on the street, or if you accidentally step on

somebody’s toes in the crowded subway cars, ‘Dui Bu Qi’ is the best way to
smooth the situation.
我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) / I don’t understand
This is your master key to all the complicated things Chinese people say.
Even more helpful, consider pulling out a blank piece of paper (or your phone)
and ask them to write on it.
再见 (zài jiàn) / Goodbye
Goodbye in Chinese literally translates to ‘see you again’. Chinese people

believe in 缘分 (Yuanfen), which means ‘fate’, and if there is yuanfenbetween
two people, they will meet again no matter how impossible it might seem.
Directions
卫生间在哪？ (wèi shēng jiān zài nǎ) / Where is the bathroom?
Remembering this complex sentence might be difficult when nature calls, so

know that you can also simply say ‘W.C.’ to locals, as most Chinese people
will know this as the English translation for ‘bathroom’.
左拐 / 右拐 (zuǒ guǎi / yòu guǎi) – Turn left / Turn right

It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that tourists will be ripped off on the roads
in China thanks to the invention of taxi-hailing apps that show the real-time trip
map. For those foreign travellers who don’t have an app, be sure to know the
basic directions to give to taxi drivers.
停下 / 走吧 (tíng xià / zǒu ba) – Stop / Go
Did your driver pass your destination? That’s when saying ‘Ting Xia’ (or a
simple ‘Ting’) will be useful. Use the same phrase on a rickshaw in
a hutongand to ask to stop to take a better look at something.
东 / 西 / 南 / 北 (dōng / xī / nán / běi) – East / West / South / North
There are some places in China that don’t have cardinal directions embedded
on their maps, but in some cities, such as Beijing and Jinan, it’s essential to
master the Chinese words for east, west, south and north in case someone
points the way by saying ‘往东！’ (‘Wang Dong’), which translates to, ‘Go
east’.
At the restaurant/bar
点餐 (diǎn cān) / 买单 (mǎi dān) – Can I make the order please? / Bill,
please!
Chinese restaurants (especially the good ones) can be quite busy during
dining hours, and it can be difficult to get the waiters’ attention to ask for or
pay the bill. Just make sure not to mix up the two phrases.
我饿了 (wǒ è le) / I’m hungry

A highly useful phrase to express to locals that you need some food (and to
make it quick) without having to exaggeratedly frown while rubbing your belly.
“Wo E Le” is a rather informal expression that most Chinese won’t expect to
hear from a foreigner, so it might be a surprisingly effective ice breaker, as
well.
白开水 (bái kāi shuǐ) / Water
A special tip: Don’t drink the tap water in China. Unboiled water is believed to
contain pollutants, so when in a Chinese restaurant, people ask for ‘Bai Kai
Shui’, which translates to ‘plain boiled water’.
不要辣 / 少辣 (bú yào là / shǎo là) – No spicy / Less spicy
A variety of Chinese cuisines, such as Sichuan (known for Kung Pao chicken
and sliced fish in hot chilli oil) and Hunan, use chilli as their main ingredient. If
you can’t take the heat but would like to try the authentic local food, ask the
chef to make your meal ‘Shao La’.
好吃 (hǎo chī) / Delicious
Everyone loves compliments, and you might even get a discount if you say
‘Hao Chi’ to the owner of the small restaurant where you’ve just enjoyed the
food.
At The Market
多少钱？(duō shǎo qián) / How much is this?
With the exception of supermarkets, where the prices are set, you’ll need this
phrase to start a conversation with the vendors.
便宜点吧 (pián yi diǎn ba) / Make it cheaper
In Chinese markets, bargaining is a must. It can even be fun. The price might
seem reasonable enough, but it’s still worth giving it a try. If you say the
phrase ‘Pian Yi Dian Ba’ in a cute way (with the ‘Pian’ tone stretched), it might
have a better effect.
Numbers:
一 (yī) / 1
二 (èr) / 2
三 (sān) / 3
四 (sì) / 4
五 (wǔ) / 5
六 (liù) / 6
七 (qī) / 7
八 (bā) / 8
九 (jiǔ) / 9
十 (shí) / 10
Making Friends
我喜欢你，可以和你认识一下吗？ (wǒ xǐ huān nǐ, kě yǐ hé nǐ rèn shi yí xià
ma) / I like you. Can I make friends with you?
You might have heard that Chinese people are shy and reserved, but when
communicating with shy people, sometimes the best strategy is to be
straightforward. Forget about the implications and simply tell them you like
them and you want to be friends. Treat people with honesty, and you’ll get
honesty in return – that’s what Chinese people believe.
For Everything Else

随便 (suí biàn) – Whatever
Although many people use this phrase in China, it’s not universally loved.
When Chinese people can’t think of an answer to a question, such as “What
do you want to have for dinner?”, they muddle through with “Sui Bian”, which
translates to ‘Whatever’, or ‘Meh’. It’s somewhat disrespectful to the person
who asked the question, so avoid this one while in China.

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21 Essential Phrases You'll

谢谢 (xiè xiè) / 不客气 (bú kè qì) – Thank you / You’re welcome

Chinese people ‘don’t hit a smiling guy’

是的 / 不是 (shì de/bú shì) – Yes / No

不好意思 (bù hǎo yì sī) / Excuse me

对不起 (duì bù qǐ) / 没关系 (méi guān xi) – Sorry / No worries

If you bump into someone on the street, or if you accidentally step on

我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) / I don’t understand

再见 (zài jiàn) / Goodbye

Goodbye in Chinese literally translates to ‘see you again’. Chinese people

Remembering this complex sentence might be difficult when nature calls, so

左拐 / 右拐 (zuǒ guǎi / yòu guǎi) – Turn left / Turn right

停下 / 走吧 (tíng xià / zǒu ba) – Stop / Go

东 / 西 / 南 / 北 (dōng / xī / nán / běi) – East / West / South / North

我饿了 (wǒ è le) / I’m hungry

白开水 (bái kāi shuǐ) / Water

不要辣 / 少辣 (bú yào là / shǎo là) – No spicy / Less spicy

好吃 (hǎo chī) / Delicious

便宜点吧 (pián yi diǎn ba) / Make it cheaper

For Everything Else

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