Phrase list
50 Chinese phrases for your first week in China
Updated
These are 50 Mandarin phrases for your first week in China, in 8 groups by situation. Each one has the characters, pinyin as it is said, English, and one line on when to use it. We picked them by hand from Very Chinese Time in My Life, a game set over one week in a present-day Chinese city.
How this list was made
We picked this list by hand. It is not based on word counts or a survey. We went through the situations in Very Chinese Time in My Life, a week in a present-day Chinese city, and chose the phrases a visitor needs most often. The groups follow that week, from the airport on the first night to a pharmacy later on.
Every phrase is a line from the game, with the same pinyin. The pinyin shows how the phrase is said, tone changes included. The English is a plain translation.
Download all 50 as CSVGroup, Chinese, pinyin, English and when to use it. Opens in any spreadsheet.
If you only learn five
These five cover the most ground: greet, thank, point, ask the price, and ask someone to slow down.
- 你好！ (ní hǎo!) Hello
- 谢谢 (xiè xie) Thank you
- 这个 (zhè ge) This one
- 多少钱？ (duō shao qián?) How much?
- 听不懂，请慢一点。 (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.) I don’t understand. A bit slower, please.
Every day
Greetings and short polite words that you use many times a day.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 你好！ (ní hǎo!) | Hello | To greet a shop owner, a driver or anyone you start talking to. More on this phrase |
| 2 | 谢谢 (xiè xie) | Thank you | When someone hands you something, helps you or answers a question. More on this phrase |
| 3 | 不客气！ (bú kè qi!) | You’re welcome | When someone thanks you. |
| 4 | 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) | Excuse me | To get someone’s attention before asking a question, or to say sorry for a small thing. More on this phrase |
| 5 | 没关系 (méi guān xi) | It’s OK. / It doesn’t matter. | When someone says sorry to you. |
| 6 | 再见！ (zài jiàn!) | Goodbye | When you leave a shop or say goodbye to someone. More on this phrase |
| 7 | 明天见！ (míng tiān jiàn!) | See you tomorrow! | To someone you will see again the next day. |
| 8 | 好的，谢谢 (hǎo de, xiè xie) | OK, thanks | To accept what someone tells you or offers you. |
| 9 | 对！ (duì!) | Yes, that’s right. | When someone checks something with you, such as the food you pointed at. |
| 10 | 没问题 (méi wèn tí) | No problem | To agree to something someone asks of you. |
When you don’t understand
For the moment someone speaks too fast, or asks something you can’t answer.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 听不懂，请慢一点。 (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.) | I don’t understand. A bit slower, please. | When you did not catch what someone said. More on this phrase |
| 12 | 太快了！请慢一点。 (tài kuài le! qǐng màn yì diǎn.) | Too fast! A bit slower, please. | When someone explains something quickly, such as a pharmacist giving the dosage. |
| 13 | 只会一点点 (zhǐ huì yì dián diǎn) | Only a little. | When someone asks whether you speak Chinese. More on this phrase |
| 14 | 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhī dào) | I don't know | When someone asks you something you cannot answer, such as directions. |
Arriving
The airport, the ride into town and the hotel desk.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xiè xie) | No need, thanks | To say no to drivers who offer you a ride at the airport, and to anyone selling something you don’t want. More on this phrase |
| 16 | 太贵了 (tài guì le) | Too expensive | When a price is higher than you expected. |
| 17 | 第一次 (dì yī cì) | The first time. | When a driver or someone you meet asks if this is your first time in China. |
| 18 | 我有预订 (wǒ yǒu yù dìng) | I have a reservation | At the hotel front desk, when you arrive to check in. More on this phrase |
| 19 | 我是外国人 (wǒ shì wài guó rén) | I'm a foreigner | When you are asked for a Chinese ID card. Then show your passport. |
Eating
Breakfast stalls, noodle shops, night markets and meals with friends.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 这个 (zhè ge) | This one | While pointing at food you don’t know the name of. More on this phrase |
| 21 | 我要这个。 (wǒ yào zhè ge.) | I want this one. | To order or buy the thing you are pointing at, in a full sentence. |
| 22 | 在这里吃 (zài zhè lǐ chī) | For here | When asked whether you will eat at the stall or take the food away. |
| 23 | 带走 (dài zǒu) | To go | To take the food with you. |
| 24 | 不要辣 (bú yào là) | No chili, please. | When you order, if you don’t want your food spicy. More on this phrase |
| 25 | 辣吗？ (là ma?) | Is it spicy? | To check before you order or eat something. |
| 26 | 有不辣的吗？ (yǒu bú là de ma?) | Do you have a non-spicy one? | At a stall where most things are spicy. |
| 27 | 有位子吗？ (yǒu wèi zi ma?) | Are there any seats? | When you walk into a busy restaurant or night market. |
| 28 | 我可以坐这里吗？ (wǒ ké yǐ zuò zhè lǐ ma?) | Can I sit here? | Before sitting down at a shared table. |
| 29 | 真好吃！ (zhēn hǎo chī!) | Really tasty! | When someone asks if you like the food, or to thank a cook. More on this phrase |
| 30 | 吃饱了 (chī bǎo le) | I’m full. | When your host keeps offering more food. More on this phrase |
| 31 | 干杯！ (gān bēi!) | Cheers! | When people raise their glasses at a meal. More on this phrase |
Shopping and paying
Prices, paying by phone and looking around before you buy.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 多少钱？ (duō shao qián?) | How much? | To ask the price of anything. More on this phrase |
| 33 | 扫码付款 (sáo mǎ fù kuǎn) | I’ll pay by scanning the code. | To say you will pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay by scanning the shop’s QR code. |
| 34 | 就这些？ (jiù zhè xiē?) | That’s all. | When the seller asks if you want anything else. |
| 35 | 我先看看。 (wǒ xiān kàn kan.) | I'll take a look first. | When a shop assistant asks what you want and you are only browsing. |
| 36 | 我想试试。 (wǒ xiǎng shì shi.) | I want to try it on. | In a clothes shop, to try something on. |
| 37 | 苹果一斤多少钱？ (píng guǒ yì jīn duō shao qián?) | How much is one jin of apples? | At a market. Fruit is priced per jin, which is half a kilo. Swap 苹果 (apples) for the fruit you want. |
Getting around
Asking the way, the metro and the train.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 地铁站在哪里？ (dì tiě zhàn zài ná li?) | Where's the metro station? | To ask a stranger the way to the nearest metro station. |
| 39 | 洗手间在哪里？ (xí shǒu jiān zài ná li?) | Where is the restroom? | In a restaurant, a mall or a station. More on this phrase |
| 40 | 药店在哪里？ (yào diàn zài ná li?) | Where is a pharmacy? | When you need medicine and don’t know where to buy it. |
| 41 | 一直走 (yì zhí zǒu) | Straight on? | To check directions someone has given you. |
| 42 | 不好意思，这是我的位子。 (bù hǎo yì si, zhè shì wǒ de wèi zi.) | Excuse me, this is my seat. | On a train or at an event, when someone is sitting in your numbered seat. |
Small talk
The questions people ask a foreign visitor, in a taxi, a park or at a meal.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 我叫…… (wǒ jiào……) | My name is … | To give your name. Add your name at the end. |
| 44 | 我来了三天了。 (wǒ lái le sān tiān le.) | I've been here three days. | When someone asks how long you have been in China. Change 三 (three) to your number of days. |
| 45 | 旅游 (lǚ yóu) | Travelling. | When someone asks why you are in China. |
| 46 | 你呢？ (nǐ ne?) | And you? | To ask the same question back after you answer. |
| 47 | 我没有结婚 (wǒ méi yǒu jié hūn) | I'm not married | People you chat with, especially older people, may ask whether you are married. This is one answer. |
When something goes wrong
Feeling unwell and losing your phone.
| # | Chinese | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 我肚子疼。 (wǒ dù zi téng.) | I have a stomachache. | At a pharmacy, to say you have a stomach ache. |
| 49 | 一天几次？ (yì tiān jǐ cì?) | How many times a day? | To ask a pharmacist how many times a day to take the medicine. |
| 50 | 我的手机丢了。 (wǒ de shǒu jī diū le.) | I’ve lost my phone. | At a hotel desk, a lost and found or a police station. |
Notes on using the list
Tone colours
The colour of each syllable shows its tone, the same as in the game: orange for the first tone, green for the second, blue for the third, pink for the fourth. Grey is for short, soft syllables with no tone mark.
Pointing is fine
Many of these phrases work best with a gesture. Point at the food and say 这个 (this one). Point at the map on your phone and say 地铁站在哪里 (where is the metro station?).
Swap the words
Some phrases are patterns. Change the fruit in 苹果一斤多少钱 (how much is a jin of apples?), or the number in 我来了三天了 (I’ve been here three days).
Say them out loud
Say each phrase out loud a few times. Reading the list helps you recognise a phrase. Saying it helps you answer when someone is waiting. Why speaking helps.
Questions
What Chinese phrases do I need for a trip to China?
For a first week in China, you need phrases to greet, thank, order, pay, say no and say you do not understand. Five to start with: 你好 (hello), 谢谢 (thank you), 这个 (this one), 多少钱 (how much?) and 听不懂，请慢一点 (I don’t understand, a bit slower please). This page lists 50, grouped by situation.
How was this list of 50 phrases chosen?
We picked the 50 phrases by hand from the lines of Very Chinese Time in My Life, a game set over one week in a present-day Chinese city. They follow the situations a visitor meets in that week: arriving, eating, paying, getting around, small talk and problems. The list is not based on word-frequency statistics.
Why is the pinyin on this page different from a dictionary?
The pinyin on this page shows how the phrases are said, tone changes included. For example, 你好 is ní hǎo, not nǐ hǎo, because when two third tones come together, the first becomes a second tone. If you copy it, you say the phrase the way people do.
Can I download the list?
Yes. The 50 phrases are available as a CSV file at https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/phrases/first-week-in-china.csv, with the group, Chinese characters, pinyin, English and when to use each phrase. You can open it in a spreadsheet or import it into a flashcard app.
Do I need to learn Chinese characters for a trip to China?
You do not need to read Chinese characters for a short trip to China. Saying a few phrases matters more. The characters are on this page so you can show a phrase on your phone if someone does not understand you.
What is the most useful Chinese phrase for a visitor?
这个 (this one) is one of the most useful phrases for a visitor to China. Point at what you want and say it. It works at food stalls, markets and shop counters when you do not know the name of something.