Chinese phrasebook

Chinese script in Chinatown, Singapore

Mandarin Chinese is the official language of Mainland China and Taiwan, and is one of the official languages of Singapore. In English, it is often just called "Mandarin" or "Chinese". In China, it is called Putonghua (普通话), meaning "common speech", while in Taiwan it is referred to as Guoyu (國語), "the national language." It has been the main language of education in China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) since the 1950s. Standard Mandarin is close to, but not quite identical with, the Mandarin dialect of the Beijing area. In Singapore, it is officially referred to as HuaYu (华语).

Note that while the spoken Mandarin in the above places is more or less the same, the written characters are different. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau all still use traditional characters, whereas Mainland China and Singapore use a simplified derivative. Educated people living in Mainland China or Singapore can still understand traditional character with no problem but not vice versa, for example Taiwanese people may have difficulty recognising some simplified characters.

Understand

A map of dialects in China

Chinese dialects are sometimes mutually intelligible, for example Sichuanese and Mandarin or Henan dialect (Henanese) and Mandarin. The same way Japanese dialects are intelligible among each other, but some like Cantonese and Mandarin or Hokkien (Minnan) and Mandarin are not intelligible the same way some German dialects are not intelligible with standard German.

All Chinese dialects, in general, use the same set of characters in reading and writing. A Cantonese speaker and a Mandarin speaker will not be able to understand each other, but either can generally read what the other writes. Even a speaker of Japanese or Korean will recognise many characters.

While formal written Chinese is the same everywhere, there can be significant differences when the "dialects" are written in colloquial form. For example Cantonese as used in Hong Kong, more informal phrasings are used in everyday speech than what would be written. Thus, there are some extra characters that are sometimes used in addition to the common characters to represent the spoken dialect and other colloquial words.

One additional complication is that mainland China and Singapore use simplified characters, a long-debated change completed by the mainland Chinese government in 1956 to facilitate the standardization of language across China's broad minority groups and sub-dialects of Mandarin and other Chinese languages. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and some overseas Chinese still use the traditional characters. In addition, the Dungan language, which is spoken in some parts of neighbouring countries, is considered to be a variant of Mandarin but uses the Cyrillic alphabet instead of Chinese characters.

About one fifth of the people in the world speak some form of Chinese as their native language. It is a tonal language that is related to Burmese and Tibetan. Although Japanese and Korean use Chinese written characters the spoken languages are not related to Chinese. Also, the unrelated Vietnamese language (which uses a distinctive version of the Latin alphabet) language has borrowed many words from Chinese and at one time (for several centuries) used Chinese characters as well.

Travellers headed for Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong or Macau may find Cantonese more useful than Mandarin. Those heading for Taiwan or Southern Fujian may find the Minnan useful as well.

Chinese, like most other Asian languages such as Arabic, is famous for being difficult to learn. While English speakers would initially have problems with the tones and recognizing the many different characters (Chinese has no alphabet), the grammar is very simple and can be picked up very easily. Most notably, Chinese grammar does not have conjugation, tenses, gender, plurals or other grammatical rules found in other major languages such as English or French.

Pronunciation guide

The pronunciation guide below uses Hanyu pinyin, the official romanization of the People's Republic of China. Until recently, Taiwan used the Wade-Giles system, which is quite different, then switched to Tongyong pinyin, only slightly different from Hanyu pinyin, and now officially uses Hanyu pinyin just like the People's Republic.

Pinyin allows very accurate pronunciation of Chinese if you understand how it works, but the way that it uses letters like q, x, c, z and even i is not at all intuitive to the English speaker. Studying the pronunciation guide below carefully is thus essential. After you master the pronunciation you still may not be understood, its time to move on to the next challenge, speaking the accurate tones.

Some pinyin vowels (especially "e", "i", "ü") can be tricky, so it is best to get a native speaker to demonstrate. Also, beware of the spelling rules listed in the exceptions below.

a

as in father; otherwise, pronounced as in "awesome"

a in an

as "a" in "cat" or "back" (just the English short "a" sound)

e

unrounded back vowel (IPA [ɤ]), similar to duh; in unstressed syllables becames a schwa (IPA [ə]), like idea

i

as in see or key;
after sh, zh, s, z or r, not really a vowel at all but just a stretched-out consonant sound

o

as in more

u

as in soon; but read ü in ju, qu, yu and xu

ü

as in French lune or German grün

Diphthongs

These are the diphthongs in Chinese:

ai

as in pie

ao

as in pouch

ei

as in pay

ia

as in ya

ia in ' ian'

as in yes

iao

as in meow

ie

as in yes

iong

as in Pyongyang

ou

as in mow

ua

as in what

uo

as in war

Consonants

Chinese stops distinguish between aspirated and unaspirated, not voiceless and voiced as in English. Aspirated sounds are pronounced with a distinctive puff of air as they are pronounced in English when at the beginning of a word, while unaspirated sounds are pronounced without the puff, as in English when found in clusters.

Place a hand in front of your mouth and compare pit (aspirated) with spit (unaspirated) to see the difference.

	Unaspirated		Aspirated
b	as in spot	p	as in pit
d	as in do	t	as in tongue
g	as in skin	k	as in king
j	as in jeer	q	as in cheap
zh	as in jungle	ch	as in chore
z	as in ads	c	as in rats

Here are the other consonants in Chinese:

m

as in mow

f

as in fun

n

as in none or none

l

as in lease

h

as in her

x

as in sheep

sh

as in shoot

r

as in fair, but can be "zh" as in "pleasure"

s

as in sag

ng

as in sing

w

as in wing but silent in wu. Before a, ai, ang, eng, and/or o, this may sound like the English v/ German w.

y

as in yet but silent in yi, yu

If you think that is a fairly intimidating repertoire, rest assured that many Chinese people, particularly those who are not native Mandarin speakers, will merge many of the sounds above (especially q with ch and j with zh).

Exceptions

There is a fairly large number of niggling exceptions to the basic rules above, based on the position of the sound:

wu-

as u-, so 五百 wubai is pronounced "ubai"

yi-

as i-, so 一个 yige is pronounced "ige"

yü-

as ü-, so 豫园 Yuyuan is pronounced "ü-üan"

Tones

Where do I put my tone marks? If you are confused by how to put tone marks above the Hanyu Pinyin, follow the steps below: Always insert tone marks above the vowels. If there is more than one vowel letter, follow the steps below: (1) Insert it above the 'a' if that letter is present. For example, it is rǎo and not raǒ (2) If not, insert it above 'o'. For example, guó and not gúo (3) Insert it above the letter 'e' if the letters 'a' and 'o' are not present. For example, jué and not júe (4) If only 'i', 'u' and 'ü' are the only present letters, insert it in the letter that occurs last. For example, jiù and not jìu, chuí and not chúi. Note, if the vowel present is ü, the tone mark is put in addition to the umlaut. For example, lǜ

There are four tones in Mandarin that must be followed for proper pronunciation. If you are not used to tonal languages, never underestimate the importance of these tones. Consider a vowel with a different tone as simply a different vowel altogether, and you will realize why Chinese will not understand you if you use the wrong tone — mǎ is to mā as "I want a cake" is to "I want a coke". Be especially wary of questions that have a falling tone, or conversely exclamations that have an "asking" tone (eg jǐngchá, police). In other words, pronounced like does not imply meaning. While Mandarin speakers also vary their tone just like English speakers do to differentiate a statement from a question and convey emotion, this is much more subtle than in English. Do not try it until you have mastered the basic tones.

1. first tone ( ā )

flat, high pitch that is more sung instead of spoken.

2. second tone ( á )

low to middle, rising pitch that is pronounced like the end of a question phrase (Whát?).

3. third tone ( ǎ )

middle to low to high, dipping pitch: for two consecutive words in the third tone, the first word is pronounced as if it is in the second tone. For example, 打扰 dǎrǎo is pronounced as dárǎo.

4. fourth tone ( à )

high to low, rapidly falling pitch that is pronounced like a command (Stop!).

5. fifth tone

neutral pitch that is rarely used by itself (except for phrase particles) but frequently occurring as the second part of a phrase.

Phrase list

All phrases shown in here use the simplified characters used in mainland China and Singapore. See Chinese phrasebook - Traditional for a version using the traditional characters still used on Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Basics

Common signs 入口 Entrance [rùkǒu] 出口 Exit [chūkǒu] 推 Push [tuī] 拉 Pull [lā] 厕所 / 洗手间 Toilet [cèsuǒ] / [xǐshǒujiān] 男 Men [nán] 女 Women [nǚ] 禁止 Forbidden [jìnzhǐ] 吸烟 Smoking [xīyān]

To be or not to be? Chinese does not have words for "yes" and "no" as such; instead, questions are typically answered by repeating the verb. Here are common examples: To be or not to be 是 shì, 不是 bú shì To have or not have / there is or is not 有 yǒu, 没有 méi yǒu To be right or wrong 对 duì, 不对 bú duì

Hello.

你好。 Nǐ hǎo.

How are you?

你好吗？ Nǐ hǎo ma?

Fine, thank you.

很好, 谢谢。 Hěn hǎo, xièxie.

May I please ask, what is your name?

请问你叫什么名? Qǐngwèn nǐjiào shěnme míngzi?

What is your name?

你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

My name is ______ .

我叫 _____ 。 Wǒ jiào ______ .

Nice to meet you.

很高兴认识你。 Hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ.

Please.

请。 Qǐng.

Thank you.

谢谢。 Xièxiè.

You're welcome.

不客气。 Bú kèqi.

Excuse me. (getting attention)

请问 qǐng wèn

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

打扰一下。 Dǎrǎo yixià ; 麻烦您了, Máfán nín le.

Excuse me. (coming through)

对不起 Duìbùqǐ * or * 请让一下 Qǐng ràng yixià

I'm sorry.

对不起。 Duìbùqǐ.

It's okay. (polite response to "I'm sorry")

没关系 (méiguānxi).

Goodbye

再见。 Zàijiàn

Goodbye (informal)

拜拜。 Bāi-bāi (Bye bye)

I can't speak Chinese.

我不会讲中文。 Wǒ bú huì jiáng zhōngwén.

Do you speak English?

你会说英语吗？ Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?

Is there someone here who speaks English?

这里有人会说英语吗？ Zhèlĭ yǒu rén hùi shuō Yīngyǔ ma?

Help! (in emergencies)

救命！ Jiùmìng!

Good morning.

早安。 zǎo ān.

Good evening.

晚上好。 Wǎnshàng hǎo.

Good night.

晚安。 Wǎn'ān.

I don't understand (something heard).

我听不懂。 Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.

I don't understand (something read).

我看不懂。 Wǒ kàn bù dǒng.

Where is the toilet?

厕所在哪里？ Cèsuǒ zài nǎli?

Where is the bathroom（polite)?

洗手间在哪里？ Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎli?

Problems

Asking a question in Chinese There are many ways to ask a question in Chinese. Here are two easy ones for travelers... Verb/Adj. + bù + Verb/Adj. Example - 好不好？hăo bù hăo? - Are you all right? (literally - good not good?) Exception - 有没有？ yŏu méi yŏu? - Do you have? (literally - have not have?) Sentence + ma Example - nĭ shì zhōngguóren ma? - Are you Chinese? (literally - you are chinese + ma)

Leave me alone.

不要打扰我。 (búyào dǎrǎo wǒ)

I don't want it! (useful for people who come up trying to sell you something)

我不要 (wǒ búyào!)

Don't touch me!

不要碰我！ (búyào pèng wǒ!)

I'll call the police.

我会叫警察。 (wǒ yào jiào jǐngchá le)

Police!

警察！ (jǐngchá!) or in Mainland China: 公安！(gōng'ān) (either will be understood in Mainland China)

Stop! Thief!

住手！小偷！ (zhùshǒu! xiǎotōu!)

I need your help.

我需要你的帮助。 (wǒ xūyào nǐde bāngzhù)

It's an emergency.

这是紧急情况。 (zhèshì jǐnjí qíngkuàng)

I'm lost.

我迷路了。 (wǒ mílù le)

I lost my bag.

我丟了手提包。 (wǒ diūle shǒutíbāo)

I lost my wallet.

我丟了钱包。 (wǒ diūle qiánbāo)

I'm sick.

我生病了。 (wǒ shēngbìng le)

I've been injured.

我受伤了。 (wǒ shòushāng le)

I need a doctor.

我需要医生。 (wǒ xūyào yīshēng)

Can I make a telephone call?

我可以打个电话吗？ (wǒ kěyǐ dǎ ge diànhuà ma?)

Can I use your phone?

我可以用您的电话吗？ (wǒ kěyǐ yòng nín de diànhuà ne?)

Can I use your cell phone?

我可以用您的手机吗？ (wǒ kěyǐ yòng nín de shǒujī ma?)

Going to the doctor

I am sick.

我生病了。 (wǒ shēngbìng le)

Painful.

痛。 (tòng)

Uncomfortable.

不舒服。 (bù shūfú)

Itchy/ticklish.

痒。 (yǎng)

Sore (In muscle strains).

酸。 (suān)

Fever.

发烧。 (fāshāo)

Cough.

咳嗽。 (késòu)

Sneeze.

打喷嚏 (dǎ pēntì)

Diarrhoea.

泻肚子/拉肚子 (xiè dùzi/lā dùzi)

Running nose.

流鼻涕 (liú bítì)

Phlegm.

痰。 (tán)

Hands/Arms.

手。 (shǒu)

Fingers.

手指。 (shǒuzhǐ)

Wrist.

手腕。 (shǒuwàn)

Shoulder.

肩膀。 (jiānbǎng)

Feet.

脚。 (jiǎo)

Toes.

脚指。 (jiǎozhǐ)

Legs.

腿。 (tuǐ)

Nails.

指甲。 (zhǐjiǎ)

Body.

身体。 (shēntǐ)

Eyes.

眼睛。 (yǎnjīng)

Ears.

耳朵。 (ěrduo)

Nose.

鼻子。 (bízi)

Face.

脸。 (liǎn)

Hair.

头发。 (tóufǎ)

Head.

头。 (tóu)

Neck.

颈项/脖子。 (jǐngxiàng/bózi)

Throat.

喉咙。 (hóulóng)

Chest.

胸。 (xiōng)

Abdomen.

肚子。 (dùzi)

Hip/Waist.

腰。 (yāo)

Buttocks.

屁股。 (pìgǔ)

Back.

背。 (bèi)

Numbers

Chinese numbers are very regular. While Arabic numerals have become more common, the Chinese numerals shown below are still used, particularly in informal contexts like markets. The characters in parentheses can be seen as upper case of Chinese numerals. They are generally used in financial contexts, such as writing cheques and printing banknotes.

0

〇 (零) líng

1

一 (壹) yī

2

二 (贰) èr (两 liǎng is used when specifying quantities)

3

三 (叁) sān

4

四 (肆) sì

5

五 (伍) wǔ

6

六 (陆) liù

7

七 (柒) qī

8

八 (捌) bā

9

九 (玖) jiǔ

10

十 (拾) shí

11

十一 shí-yī

12

十二 shí-èr

13

十三 shí-sān

14

十四 shí-sì

15

十五 shí-wǔ

16

十六 shí-liù

17

十七 shí-qī

18

十八 shí-bā

19

十九 shí-jiǔ

20

二十 èr-shí

21

二十一 èr-shí-yī

22

二十二 èr-shí-èr

23

二十三 èr-shí-sān

30

三十 sān-shí

40

四十 sì-shí

50

五十 wǔ-shí

60

六十 liù-shí

70

七十 qī-shí

80

八十 bā-shí

90

九十 jiǔ-shí

For numbers above 100, any "gaps" must be filled in with 〇 líng, as eg. 一百一 yībǎiyī would otherwise be taken as shorthand for "110". A single unit of tens may be written and pronounced either 一十 yīshí or just 十 shí.

100

一百 (壹佰) yī-bǎi

101

一百〇一 (壹佰零壹) yī-bǎi-líng-yī

110

一百一十 (壹佰壹拾) yī-bǎi-yī-shí

111

一百一十一 yī-bǎi-yī-shí-yī

200

二百 èr-bǎi or 两百：liǎng-bǎi

300

三百 sān-bǎi

500

五百 wǔ-bǎi

1,000

一千 (壹仟) yī-qiān

2,000

二千 èr-qiān

or 两千 liǎng-qiān

Numbers starting from 10,000 are grouped by in units of four digits starting with 万 wàn (ten thousand). "One million" in Chinese is thus "hundred ten-thousands" (一百万).

10,000

一万 (壹萬) yī-wàn

10,001

一万〇一 yī-wàn-líng-yī

10,002

一万〇二 yī-wàn-líng-èr

20,000

二万 èr-wàn

50,000

五万 wǔ-wàn

100,000

十万 shí-wàn

200,000

二十万 èr-shí-wàn

1,000,000

一百万 yī-bǎi-wàn

10,000,000

一千万 yī-qiān-wàn

100,000,000

一亿 (壹億) yī-yì

1,000,000,000,000

一兆 yī-zhào

Number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : number measure word (路 lù, 号 hào, 次 cì...) _____ (huǒchē, gōnggòng-qìchē, etc.)

−

For example,

−

• Number Z263 train: zhí èrbǎi-liùshí-sān cì huǒchē.（直 二百六十三 次 火车） see also Train class number in China

−

• Bus Line 457: sìbǎi-wǔshí-qī lù gōnggòng-qìchē (四百五十七 路 公共汽车)

−

• Subway Line 8: dìtiĕ bā hào xiàn (地铁 八 号 线)

Measure words are used in combination with a number to indicate an amount of mass nouns, similar to how English requires "two pieces of paper" rather than just "two paper". [1] When unsure, use 个 (ge); even though it may not be correct, you will probably be understood because it is the most common measure word. (One person: 一个人 yīgè rén; two apples: 两个苹果 liǎnggè píngguǒ; note that two of something always uses 两 liǎng rather than 二 èr).

half

半 bàn

less than

少於 shǎoyú

more than

多於 duōyú

more

更 gèng

Time

now

现在 xiànzài

later

以后 or 稍后， yǐhòu or shāohòu

before

以前, yǐqián

morning

早上, zǎoshàng

noon

中午, zhōngwǔ

afternoon

下午, xiàwǔ

evening/night

晚上, wǎnshàng

midnight

半夜 bànyè or 午夜 (wǔyè)

Clock time

What time is it?

现在几点？ Xiànzài jǐ diǎn?

It is nine in the morning.

早上9点钟。 Zǎoshàng jǐu diǎn zhōng.

Three-thirty PM.

下午3点半. Xiàwǔ sān diǎn bàn.

3:38 PM

下午3点38分 Xiàwǔ sāndiǎn sānshíbā fēn.

Duration

_____ minute(s)

_____ 分钟 fēnzhōng

_____ hour(s)

_____ 小时 xiǎoshí

_____ day(s)

_____ 天 tiān

_____ week(s)

_____ 星期 xīngqī

_____ month(s)

_____ 月 yùe

_____ year(s)

_____ 年 nián

Days

today

今天 jīntiān

yesterday

昨天 zuótiān

the day before yesterday

前天qiăntiān

tomorrow

明天 míngtiān

the day after tomorrow

后天 hòutiān

this week

这个星期 zhè ge xīngqī

last week

上个星期 shàng ge xīngqī

next week

下个星期 xià ge xīngqī

Weekdays in Chinese are easy: starting with 1 for Monday, just add the number after 星期 xīngqī. In Taiwan, 星期 is pronounced xīngqí (second tone on the second syllable).

Sunday

星期天 xīngqī tiān or xīngqī rì (星期日)

Monday

星期一 xīngqī yī

Tuesday

星期二 xīngqī èr

Wednesday

星期三 xīngqī sān

Thursday

星期四 xīngqī sì

Friday

星期五 xīngqī wǔ

Saturday

星期六 xīngqī liù

星期 can also be replaced with 礼拜 lǐbài and occasionally 周 zhōu. eg. 星期三=礼拜三=周三/ xīngqī sān = lǐbài sān = zhōu sān

Months

Months in Chinese are also easy: starting with 1 for January, just add the number before 月 yuè.

January

一月, yī yuè

February

二月, èr yuè

March

三月, sān yuè

April

四月, sì yuè

May

五月, wŭ yuè

June

六月, liù yuè

July

七月, qī yuè

August

八月, bā yuè

September

九月, jiŭ yuè

October

十月, shí yuè

November

十一月, shí yī yuè

December

十二月, shí èr yuè

From January to December, you just need to use this pattern: number (1-12) + yuè.

Writing Dates

Writing dates in the lunar calendar If you are attempting to name a date in the Chinese lunar calendar, add the words ‘农历’ before the name of the month to distinguish it from the months of the solar calendar, although it is not strictly necessary. There are some differences: The words 日(rì)/ 号(hào) are generally not required when stating dates in the lunar calendar; it is assumed. Besides that, the 1st Month is called 正月 (zhèngyuè). If the number of the day is less than 11, the word 初 is used before the value of the day. Besides that, if the value of the day is more than 20, the word 廿 (niàn) is used, so the 23rd day is 廿三 for example. 15th day of the 8th lunar month (the mid-autumn festival) (农历)八月十五 ( (nónglì) bāyuè shí-wǔ). 1st day of the 1st lunar month (农历)正月初一 ( (nónglì) zhèngyuè chūyī). 23rd day of the 9th lunar month ( 农历) 九月廿三 ( (nónglì) jiŭ yuè niànsān).

When writing the date, you name the month (number (1-12) + yuè), before inserting the day (number (1-31) + 日(rì)/ 号(hào) ). Note that the usage of 号(hào), which is more often used in spoken language, is more colloquial than that of 日(rì), which is more often used in written documents.

6th January

一月六号 (yī yuè liù hào) or 一月六日 (yī yuè liù rì)

25th December

十二月二十五号 (shí-èr yuè èr-shí-wǔ hào)

Colors

black

黑色 hēi sè

white

白色 bái sè

grey

灰色 huī sè

red

红色 hóng sè

blue

蓝色 lán sè

yellow

黄色 huáng sè

green

绿色 lǜ sè

orange

橙色 chéng sè

purple

紫色 zǐ sè

brown

褐色 he sè, 棕色 zōng sè,

gold

金色 jīn se

Do you have it in another color?

你们有没有另外颜色? nǐmen yǒu méiyǒu lìngwài yánsè ?

Sè means 'color' so 'hóng sè' is literally 'red color'. More common for brown and easier to remember is 'coffee color': 咖啡色 kā fēi sè

Transportation

Bus and Train

Generally Number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : number measure word (路 lù, 号 hào, 次 cì...) _____ (huǒchē, gōnggòng-qìchē, etc.)

For example,

• Number Z263 train: zhí èrbǎi-liùshí-sān cì huǒchē.（直 二百六十三 次 火车） see also Train class number in China
• Bus Line 457: sìbǎi-wǔshí-qī lù gōnggòng-qìchē (四百五十七 路 公共汽车)
• Subway Line 8: dìtiĕ bā hào xiàn (地铁 八 号 线)

How much is a ticket to _____?

去______的票多少钱? qù _____ de piào duō shǎo qián?

Do you go to ___(the central station)?

去不去___(火车站)? qù bù qù ___ (huǒ chē zhàn)?

Directions

How do I get to _____ ?

怎么去_____ zěnme qù _____?

...the train station?

...火车站? ...huǒchē zhàn?

...the bus station?

...汽车总站? ...qìchē zǒngzhàn?

...the airport?

...机场? ...jī chǎng?

street

街 jiē;

road

路 lù

avenue

大道 dàjiē

Turn left.

左边转弯 zuǒbiān zhuǎnwān/左拐zuǒguǎi

Turn right.

右边转弯 yòubiān zhuǎnwān/右拐yòuguăi

Go straight

一直走 yìzhízŏu

I've reached my destination

到了dàole

U-turn

掉头 diàotóu

Taxi driver

司机 sījī

Please use the meter machine

请打表 qǐng dǎbiǎo

Please turn up the aircon/heater

请把空调开大一点。 qǐng kōngtiáo kāi dàdiǎn

left

左边 zuǒbiān

right

右边 yòubiān

straight ahead

往前走 wǎngqián zǒu

north

北 bĕi

south

南 nán

east

东 dōng

west

西 xī

Taxi

Taxi 出租车 chū zū chē

Take me to _____, please.

请您开到_____。 qǐng nín kāidào _____。

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available?

你们有房间吗？ Nǐmen yǒu fángjiān ma?

Does the room come with...

有没有... Yǒu méiyǒu...

...bedsheets?

...床单？ ...chuángdān?

...a bathroom?

...浴室？ ...yùshì?

...a telephone?

...电话？ ...diànhuà?

...a TV?

...电视？ ...diànshì ?

I will stay for _____ night(s).

我打算住_____夜。 Wǒ dǎsuàn zhù _____ yè.

Do you have a safe?

你们有没有保险箱？ Nǐmen yǒu méiyǒu bǎoxiǎn xiāng?

Can you wake me at _____?

请明天早上_____叫醒我。 Qǐng míngtiān zǎoshàng _____ jiàoxǐng wǒ.

I want to check out.

我现在要走了。 Wǒ xiànzài yào zǒu le.

Money

pay

付 fù

cash

现钱 xiàn qián

credit card

信用卡 xìn yòng kǎ

check

支票　zhīpiào

Eating

Reading a Chinese Menu Look for these characters to get an idea of what you're ordering. With help from The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters (J. McCawley) and using Simplified Chinese. dīng 丁 (cubed/diced) piàn 片 (thinly sliced) sī 丝 (shredded) kuài 块 (chunk/cut into bite-sized pieces) qiú 球 (curled) chăo 炒 (stir-fried) zhá or zhà 炸 (deep-fried) kăo 烤 (dry-roasted) shāo 烧 (roasted w/ sauce)

Can I look at the menu, please?

请给我看看菜单. qǐng gěi wǒ kànkan Càidān.

Do you have an English menu?

你有没有英文菜单？ nǐ yŏu méi yǒu yīngwén Càidān?

(Listen for... Yes, we have one. : 有 yǒu - No, we don't. : 没有 méi yǒu)

I'm a vegetarian

我吃素的 wǒ chī sù de

breakfast

早饭 zǎofàn or 早餐 zǎocān

lunch

午饭 wǔfàn or 中饭 zhōngfàn or 午餐 wǔcān

supper

晚饭 wǎnfàn or 晚餐 wǎncān

beef

牛肉 niúròu

pork

猪肉 zhūròu，or sometimes simply '肉' ròu.

mutton

羊肉 yángròu

chicken

鸡 jī

fish

鱼 yú

vegetable

蔬菜 shūcài

cheese

奶酪 nǎilào

eggs

鸡蛋 jīdàn

bread

面包 miànbāo

noodles

面条 miàntiáo

fried rice

炒饭 chǎofàn

dumpling

饺子 jiǎozi

rice

米饭 mĭfàn

soup

汤 tāng

coffee

咖啡 kāfēi

black coffee: 黑咖啡 hēi kāfēi

milk

牛奶 niúnǎi

sugar

糖 táng

tea (drink)

茶 chá

green tea

绿茶 lǜ chá

scented tea

花茶 huāchá

black tea

红茶 hóngchá

juice

(水)果汁 (shuǐ)guǒzhī, literally 'fruit juice'.

water

水 shuĭ

natural mineral water

矿泉水 kuàngquán shuǐ

beer

啤酒 píjiŭ

red/white wine

红/白 葡萄 酒 hóng/bái pútáo jiŭ

It was delicious.

很好吃。 hěn hǎochī.

The check, please.

请结帐。 qǐng jiézhàng.

Bars

Do you serve alcohol?

卖不卖酒？ ( mài búmài jiǔ?)

Is there table service?

有没有餐桌服务？ (yǒu méiyǒu cānzhuō fúwù?)

A beer/two beers, please.

请给我一杯/两杯啤酒。 (qǐng gěiwǒ yìbēi/liǎngbēi píjiǔ)

A glass of red/white wine, please.

请给我一杯红/白酒。 (qǐng gěi wǒ yìbēi hóng/bái jiǔ)

A pint, please.

请给我一品脱。 (qǐng gěi wǒ yìpǐntuō)

A bottle, please.

请给我一瓶。 (qǐng gěi wǒ yìpíng)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

请给我_____和_____。 (qǐng gěi wǒ _____ hé _____)

whiskey

威士忌 (wēishìjì)

vodka

伏特加 (fútèjiā)

rum

朗姆酒 (lángmǔ jiǔ)

water

水 (shuǐ)

mineral spring (i.e. bottled) water

矿泉水 (kuàngquánshuǐ)

boiled water

开水 (kāishuǐ)

club soda

苏打水 (sūdǎshuǐ)

tonic water

通宁水 (tōngníng shuǐ)/汤力水 (tānglì shuǐ)

orange juice

柳橙汁 （liǔchéng zhī)

Coke (soda)

可乐 (kělè)

Do you have any bar snacks?

有没有吧台小吃？ (yǒu méiyǒu bātái xiaochi?)

One more, please.

请再给我一个。 (qǐng zài gěi wǒ yígè')

Another round, please.

请再来一轮。 (qǐng zàilái yìlún)

When is closing time?

几点打烊/关门？ (jǐdiǎn dǎyáng/guānmén?)

Where is the toilet?

厕所在哪里？ (cèsuǒ zài nǎli?)

Where is the washroom?

洗手间在哪儿？（xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?）

Shopping

Do you have this in my size?

有没有我的尺寸？ (yǒu méiyǒu wǒde chǐcùn?)

How much is this?

多少钱？ (duōshǎo qián?)

That's too expensive.

太贵了。 (tài guì le)

Would you take _____? (in exchange for item)

_____元可以吗？ (_____ yuán kěyǐ ma?)

expensive

贵 (guì)

cheap

便宜 (piányi)

I can't afford it.

我付不起。 (wǒ fù bù qǐ)

I don't want it.

我不要。 (wǒ bú yào)

You're cheating me.

你在骗我。 (nǐ zài piàn wǒ) Use with caution!

I'm not interested.

我没有兴趣。 (wǒ méiyǒu xìngqù)

OK, I'll take it.

我要买这个。 (wǒ yào mǎi zhège)

Please provide me with a carrier-bag.

请给我袋子。 (qǐng gěi wǒ dàizi)

Do you ship (overseas)?

可以邮寄到海外吗？ (kěyǐ yóujì dào hǎiwài ma?)

I need...

我要_____ (wǒ yào _____)

...toothpaste.

牙膏 (yágāo)

...a toothbrush.

牙刷 (yáshuā)

...tampons.

卫生棉条 (wèishēng miántiáo)

...soap.

肥皂 (féizào)

...shampoo.

洗发精 (xǐfàjīng)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

镇痛剂 (zhèntòngjì)

...cold medicine.

感冒药 (gǎnmào yào)

...stomach medicine.

胃肠药 (wèicháng yào)

...a razor.

剃刀 (tìdāo)

...an umbrella.

雨伞 (yǔsǎn)

...sunblock lotion.

防晒油 (fángshàiyóu)

...a postcard.

明信片 (míngxìnpiàn)

...postage stamps.

邮票 (yóupiào)

...batteries.

电池 (diànchí)

...writing paper.

纸 (zhǐ)

...a pen.

笔 (bǐ)

...a pencil.

铅笔 (qiānbǐ)

...glasses.

眼镜 (yǎnjìng)

...English-language books.

英文书 (Yīngwén shū)

...English-language magazines.

英文杂志 (Yīngwén zázhì)

...an English-language newspaper.

英文报纸 (Yīngwén bàozhǐ)

...a Chinese-English dictionary.

汉英词典 (Hàn-Yīng cídiǎn)

...an English-Chinese dictionary.

英汉词典 (Yīng-Hàn cídiǎn)

Driving

I want to rent a car.

我想要租车。 (wǒ xiǎngyào zūchē)

Can I get insurance?

我可以买保险吗？ (wǒ kěyǐ mǎi bǎoxiǎn ma?)

stop (on a street sign)

停 (tíng)

one way

单行道 (dānxíngdào)

yield

让路 (rànglù)

no parking

禁止停车 (jìnzhǐ tíngchē)

speed limit

速度限制 (sùdù xiànzhì)

gas (petrol) station

加油站 (jiāyóuzhàn)

petrol

汽油 (qìyóu)

diesel

柴油 (cháiyóu)

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong.

我没有做错事。 (wǒ méiyǒu zuòcuò shì)

It was a misunderstanding.

这是误会。 (zhè shì wùhuì)

Where are you taking me?

你带我去哪里？ (nǐ dài wǒ qù nǎlǐ?)

Am I under arrest?

我被捕了吗？ (wǒ bèibǔle ma?)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.

我是 美国/澳洲/英国/加拿大 公民。 (wǒ shì měiguó/àozhōu/yīngguó/jiānádà gōngmín)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.

我希望跟 美国/澳洲/英国/加拿大 的 大使馆/领事馆 联系。 (wǒ xīwàng gēn měiguó/àozhōu/yīngguó/jiānádà de dàshǐguǎn/lǐngshìguǎn liánxì)

I want to talk to a lawyer.

我希望跟律师联系。 (wǒ xīwàng gēn lǜshī liánxì)

Can I just pay a fine now?

我可以支付罚款吗？ (wǒ kěyǐ zhī fù fákuǎn ma?)

Telephone and the Internet

Telephone & Internet In most Chinese cities, there are no telephone booths. Instead, small street shops have telephones which can usually be used for national calls. Look for signs like this: 公用电话 Public Telephone Most cafes are cheaper than in hotels. Many mid-range hotels and chains now offer free wireless or plug-in internet. Those cafes are quite hidden sometimes and you should look for the following Chinese characters: 网吧 Internet Cafe

Can I make international calls here?

可以打国际电话吗? (kěyǐ dǎ guójì diànhuà ma?)

How much is it to America/Australia/Britain/Canada?

打给 美国/澳洲/英国/加拿大 是多少钱? (dǎgěi měiguó/àozhōu/yīngguó/jiānádà shì duōshǎo qián?)

Where can I find an Internet cafe?

哪里有网吧? (nǎlǐ yǒu wǎng ba?)

How much is it per hour?

一小时是多少钱? (yī xiǎoshí shì duōshǎo qián?)

Learning more

Chinese is the most spoken language of the world, with more speakers than the next two, Hindi and Spanish, combined. However, there are still few learners of Chinese in the Western world and you might get weird looks if you say you want to start learning it: "Instead of anger of frustration, the student should instead feel a smug superiority of being ahead of everyone else!"

The first step is to learn to read the romanization with tones. Avoid any phrasebook that does not mark the tones.

For simple sentences, one may be able to get away without tones, but this can cause confusion in more complex situations, so tones are very important. A classic example is the difference between the Chinese characters for "four" (四, sì) and "death" (死, sǐ), different only by tones.

A good idea for practicing is to make Chinese friends online since millions of young people in China also look for somebody to practice English with. WikiPedia:Chinese language

This is a guide phrasebook. It covers all the major topics for traveling without resorting to English. But please Plunge forward and help us make it a star!