Very Chinese Time

Studying in China

Chinese for studying abroad in China

Updated

Students in China usually arrive knowing some Chinese, but the first weeks are still hard. Outside the university, people speak at full speed. They also ask foreign students the same few questions. This page lists those questions, with answers you can prepare.

Wishlist on Steam See the phrases

Outside the classroom

  1. The questions every foreign student gets

    Where are you from? Are you a student? How long have you studied Chinese? Did you come alone? Drivers, shop owners, classmates and older people ask these, often in the first minute.

  2. Adding people on WeChat

    WeChat is the messaging app most people in China use, for friends, group projects, class news and even landlords. After a good chat, someone may suggest adding each other. One of you shows a QR code in the app, and the other scans it.

  3. Ordering drinks and food

    Milk tea shops ask the size and if you want ice. Small restaurants ask if you want it spicy. You order every day, so you learn these answers fast.

  4. A fast cashier

    A convenience store cashier may ask several questions at once. Say you do not understand and ask them to slow down.

  5. Getting sick far from home

    At some point, food may upset your stomach. At a pharmacy, you say what hurts, say what you ate, and need to understand how often to take the medicine.

Phrases to learn

  • 我叫…… (wǒ jiào……) My name is…

    Use it to introduce yourself. Say your name after it, or your Chinese name.

    They may say 我叫阿婷，她叫小周。你叫什么名字？ (wǒ jiào ā tíng, tā jiào xiǎo zhōu. nǐ jiào shén me míng zi?) I'm Ating, she's Xiaozhou. What's your name? (Two new friends at a night-market table in the game.)
  • 我来了三天了。 (wǒ lái le sān tiān le.) I’ve been here three days.

    Say it when someone asks how long you have been here. Change the number as the weeks go by.

  • 只会一点点 (zhǐ huì yì dián diǎn) Only a tiny bit

    Say it when someone asks if you speak Chinese, or says your Chinese is good.

    They may say 你学中文多久了？ (nǐ xué zhōng wén duō jiǔ le?) How long have you been learning Chinese? (Often the next question.)
  • 一个人？ (yí ge rén?) By myself.

    Say it when someone asks if you came alone.

    They may say 一个人跑这么远，厉害！ (yí ge rén pǎo zhè me yuǎn, lì hai!) One person, running this far. Impressive!
  • 好的 (hǎo de) OK / sure

    Say it when someone suggests adding each other on WeChat. Then one of you scans the other’s code.

    They may say 我们加个微信吧！ (wǒ men jiā ge wēi xìn ba!) Let's add each other on WeChat!
  • 大杯。 (dà bēi.) A large one.

    Say it when you order a drink and they ask the size. A small one is 小xiǎo杯bēi (small cup).

    They may say 要冰吗？ (yào bīng ma?) Want ice?
  • 听不懂，请慢一点。 (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.) Don't understand, please a bit slower.

    Say it when someone talks faster than you can follow.

    They may say 好的好的，我慢慢说。 (hǎo de hǎo de, wǒ màn man shuō.) OK, OK, I will say it slowly.
  • 我肚子疼。 (wǒ dù zi téng.) I have a stomachache.

    Say it at a pharmacy or a front desk when your stomach hurts.

    They may say 你好，哪里不舒服？ (ní hǎo, ná li bù shū fu?) Hello, where do you feel unwell? (The pharmacist’s first question.)

The pinyin shows how the words are really said, as in the game.

Where to practise it in the game

The game has no university campus. But most of what a new student does outside class is in it.

  • The night market

    You ask for a free seat and end up sharing a table with locals. They ask your name, if you are a student and if you came alone. Later that evening, someone suggests adding each other on WeChat.

  • The milk tea shop

    At a mall, you choose a size, say if you want ice and pay by scanning the code.

  • Mistaken for a student

    In a convenience store, an older woman thinks you are a student and asks which university. You say you are not a student, you came to visit.

  • The pharmacy

    You wake up with a stomach ache and ask the hotel desk where a pharmacy is. You tell the pharmacist what you ate, and ask her to explain the medicine again, more slowly.

At a milk tea counter the server asks “好的。大、中，还是小？” (OK. Large, medium or small?). Three cards float below: 大 (large), 中 (medium), 小 (small).
The milk tea counter. The server asks: large, medium or small?

Practical tips

  • Get a Chinese phone number early

    Many apps need a Chinese mobile number, including food delivery, bike sharing and some banking apps. Your university will usually tell you where to get a SIM card.

  • Ask the international office about registration

    Foreign residents must register their address with the local police. Students on a long-term study visa also apply for a residence permit soon after arrival. The international office usually helps with both. Ask them about the deadlines, because rules change.

  • Set up WeChat and a payment app before you go

    Classes, clubs and friends use WeChat. Set it up at home, where you have time for the account checks. Link a card to WeChat Pay or Alipay.

  • Use the questions as practice

    You will hear the same questions many times. Prepare short, true answers, and add a little more each time.

Questions

How much Chinese do I need to study abroad in China?

For an English-taught programme, very little. But daily life outside class is in Mandarin: shops, restaurants, pharmacies and small talk. The first weeks are easier if you can answer a few common questions and make simple requests out loud.

What do people ask foreign students in China?

Four questions come up most: 你nǐ是shì哪ná里li人rén (where are you from), 你nǐ是shì学xué生sheng吗ma (are you a student), 你nǐ学xué中zhōng文wén多duō久jiǔ了le (how long have you studied Chinese) and 一yí个ge人rén (by yourself). Prepare a short spoken answer to each.

How do you add someone on WeChat in Chinese?

Someone says 我wǒ们men加jiā个ge微wēi信xìn吧ba (let’s add each other on WeChat). Answer 好hǎo的de (OK). Then one of you shows a QR code in the WeChat app, and the other scans it.

I’ve studied Chinese in class. Why is it hard to understand people in China?

Because people in shops and on the street speak at full speed, ask several questions at once, and use short spoken forms that textbooks teach late. You can always say 听tīng不bu懂dǒng，请qǐng慢màn一yì点diǎn (I don’t understand, please speak more slowly). Most people will repeat it.

Can a game help me prepare for a semester in China?

Yes, with the part classes cover least: answering out loud in everyday situations. In Very Chinese Time in My Life, you speak to shop owners, drivers, a pharmacist and new friends in a present-day Chinese city. The phrases come back in reviews each night.

Does the game follow the HSK?

No. The HSK is China’s official Chinese test. Very Chinese Time in My Life is organised by situations, not HSK levels. Most of its words are beginner words, so you can use it alongside HSK 1–3 study for speaking practice.

Sources

Official pages for the facts on this page. Rules change, so check them before you travel.