How to say it in Chinese

Greetings for shops, drivers and people you meet, and what to say when you leave.

• 你好！ (ní hǎo!) How to say hello in Chinese The everyday greeting, why its first syllable rises, and the greetings people use in the morning, in the evening and with older people. Read
• 再见！ (zài jiàn!) How to say goodbye in Chinese The standard goodbye, the everyday “bye-bye”, and the “take care” that shopkeepers say as you leave. Read

The short polite words you use many times a day.

• 谢谢 (xiè xie) How to say thank you in Chinese The word for thanks, how its soft second syllable sounds, when to use it, and what people say back. Read
• 不用了，谢谢 (bú yòng le, xiè xie) How to say no thank you in Chinese The polite way to turn down drivers, sellers and offers, and why it sounds softer than a plain “don’t want”. Read
• 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) How to say excuse me in Chinese What to say before you stop a stranger or after a small mistake, how it differs from a real “sorry”, and how people address strangers. Read

Asking the price and choosing something when you do not know its name.

• 多少钱？ (duō shao qián?) How to say how much in Chinese How to ask a price, how to ask about one thing or a price per half kilo, and how prices are said back. Read
• 这个 (zhè ge) How to say this one in Chinese The word for ordering food you cannot name: point, say it, then answer how many. Read

Spicy or not, saying the food is good, toasting, and saying you have had enough.

• 不要辣 (bú yào là) How to say no spicy in Chinese What to answer when a cook asks if you want it spicy: none, a little or extra, and how to ask whether a dish is spicy. Read
• 好吃 (hǎo chī) How to say delicious in Chinese The word for tasty food, the different word for tasty drinks, and what happens if you tell a cook her food is not good. Read
• 干杯！ (gān bēi!) How to say cheers in Chinese The word for cheers, what it means word for word, how a toast goes at a Chinese meal, and how to keep your glass small. Read
• 吃饱了 (chī bǎo le) How to say I’m full in Chinese What to say when your bowl keeps being refilled, why you may need to say it twice, and how to say “enough”. Read

Saying you do not understand, answering “can you speak Chinese?”, finding a restroom and checking in.

• 听不懂，请慢一点。 (tīng bu dǒng, qǐng màn yì diǎn.) How to say I don’t understand in Chinese How to say “I don’t understand, please slow down”, and what people do when you say it. Read
• 只会一点点 (zhǐ huì yì dián diǎn) How to say I speak a little Chinese The modest answer to “can you speak Chinese?” and to praise, and how to say its tricky last three syllables. Read
• 洗手间在哪里？ (xí shǒu jiān zài ná li?) How to say where is the bathroom in Chinese How to ask for the restroom, the polite word and the everyday word for it, and the short directions you will get back. Read
• 我有预订 (wǒ yǒu yù dìng) How to say I have a reservation in Chinese What to say at a hotel desk, why the receptionist may ask for an ID card, and how to get them to take your passport. Read