Basic Phrases (and Responses)
|
Hello |
níhăo |
你好 |
|
How are you? [Good/Okay/Bad] |
níhăoma? [wŏ hén hăo/hái kéyĭ/wŏ bù hăo] |
你好吗? [我很好/还可以/我不好] |
|
Bye |
zàijiàn |
再见 |
|
Thank you [You're welcome] |
xièxiè [búkèqi] |
谢谢 [不客气] |
|
Excuse me (sorry) [No Problem] |
duìbúqì [méiguānxì] |
对不气 [没关系] |
|
Excuse me (I have a question) |
qĭngwèn |
请问 |
|
Where’s the toilet? |
cèsuŏ zài nálĭ? |
厕所在哪里? |
|
How much? (money) |
duōshăo qián? |
多少钱? |
|
This |
zhèige |
这个 |
|
That |
nèige |
那个 |
|
Shall we go?/Let’s go |
zŏuba? |
走吧？ |
|
I don’t understand (what you said) |
wŏ tīngbùdŏng |
我听不懂 |
|
Can you speak English? |
nĭ huì jiăng yīngwén ma? |
你会讲英文吗？ |
|
Please give me a pair of chopsticks. |
qĭng géi wŏ yī shuāng kuàizi |
请给我一双筷子 |
|
Please give me two bottles of beer. |
qĭng géi wŏ liăng píng píjĭu |
请给我两瓶啤酒 |
Basic Generic Responses
|
I don’t want it (this, that, these, those) |
búyào |
不要 |
|
Yes/I agree/I heard you |
èn (pronounced “uh or uhn”, 4th tone) |
嗯 |
Numbers
There are two forms of the number “two” (2) in Mandarin. The first one, èr (二), is used when reciting telephone numbers, counting from 1 to 10, and for the tens and digits places in large numbers like “two thousand two hundred twenty two”. The other form, liăng (两), is used when counting anything (2 minutes, 2 yuan, 2 bottles of beer, 2 people), as well as the hundreds and greater places in large numbers in colloquial speech.
|
0 |
líng |
〇 or 零 |
|
1 |
yī |
一 |
|
2 (number) |
èr |
二 |
|
2 (things) |
liăng |
两 |
|
3 |
sān |
三 |
|
4 |
sì |
四 |
|
5 |
wŭ |
五 |
|
6 |
lìu |
六 |
|
7 |
qī |
七 |
|
8 |
bā |
八 |
|
9 |
jĭu |
九 |
|
10 |
shí |
十 |
|
11 |
shíyī |
十一 |
|
12 |
shíèr |
十二 |
|
13 |
shísān |
十三 |
|
27 |
èrshíqī |
二十七 |
|
100 |
yībăi |
一百 |
|
101 |
yībăilíngyī |
一百零一 |
|
110 |
yībăiyīshí |
一百一十 |
|
114 |
yībăiyīshísì |
一百一十四 |
|
1000 |
yīqiān |
一千 |
|
2222 |
liăngqiānliăngbăièrshíèr |
两千两百二十二 |
Internet
|
Internet Cafe |
wăngbā |
网吧 |
Time
|
Now |
xiànzài |
现在 |
|
Today |
jīntiān |
今天 |
|
2:34 pm |
xìawŭliăngdiănsānshísì |
下午两点三十四 |
|
11:00 am |
shàngwŭshíyīdiănzhōng |
上午十一点钟 |
|
Tomorrow |
míngtiān |
明天 |
|
Yesterday |
zuótiān |
昨天 |
|
Day after tomorrow |
hòutiān |
后天 |
|
Day before yesterday |
qiántiān |
前天 |
|
3 days later (3 days from now) |
sāntiān yĭhòu |
三天以后 |
|
2 months before (2 months ago) |
liăng gè yuè yĭqián |
两个月以前 |
|
December |
shíèryuèfen |
十二月份 |
|
November 28 |
shíyīyuèèrshíbā |
十一月二十八 |
|
November 28 (generally when written) |
shíyīyuèèrshíbārì |
11月28日 |
|
November 28 (optionally when spoken) |
shíyīyuèèrshíbāhào |
十一月二十八号 |
Money
|
How much is this? |
zhèige duōshăo qián? |
这个多少钱? |
|
Cheapest (literally: most cheap) |
zuìpíanyíde |
最便宜的 |
|
Get money (out of a bank account/using credit card) |
qŭqián |
取钱 |
Toilets
|
Men/Women |
nán/nǚ |
男/女 |
|
Toilet Paper |
wèishēngzhĭ |
卫生纸 |
Transportation
|
I want to go to Kunming |
wŏ yào qù kūnmíng |
我要去昆明 |
|
Train station |
huŏchē zhàn |
火车站 |
|
Hard seat (train) |
yìngzuŏ |
硬坐 |
|
Soft seat (train) |
ruănzuŏ |
软坐 |
|
Hard sleeper (train) |
yìngwò |
硬卧 |
|
Soft sleeper (train) |
ruănwò |
软卧 |
|
Public Bus |
gonggongqiche |
公共汽车 |
|
Taxi |
dishi |
的士 |
Accommodation
|
Hotel |
fàndiàn/jĭudiàn/bīn’guăn |
饭店/酒店/宾馆 |
|
Hostel |
kèzhàn/lǚguăn |
客栈/旅馆 |
|
Single Room |
dānrénfáng |
单人房 |
|
Double Room |
shuāngrénfáng |
双人房 |
|
Dormitory Room |
duōrénfáng |
多人房 |
Departures
|
Take care |
baozhong |
保重 |
|
Safe Trip |
yilu ping’an |
一路平安 |
You May Hear
|
Welcome! |
huānyíng guānglín |
欢迎光临 |
|
Is the food okay? [Yes/No] |
hăochī ma? [hăochī/bùhăochī] |
好吃吗？[好吃/不好吃] |
|
Do you understand? (meaning) [Yes/No] |
míngbái ma? [míngbái/bùmíngbái] |
明白吗? [明白/不明白] |
|
Do you understand? (listening) [Yes/No] |
tīngdedŏngma? [tīngdedŏng/tīngbùdŏng] |
听得懂吗? [听得懂/听不懂] |
|
Foreigner |
lăowài |
老外 |
|
Good friend |
hăopéngyŏu |
好朋友 |
|
Smoke? [Thanks/I don't smoke] |
xī yān ma? [xièxiè/wŏbúxīyān] |
吸烟吗? [谢谢/我不吸烟] |
You May See
|
Entrance |
rùkŏu |
入口 |
|
Exit |
chūkŏu |
出口 |
|
Car (on a train) |
chē |
车 |
|
Center (as in Shopping Center) |
zhōngxīn |
中心 |
|
China |
zhōngguó |
中国 |
|
Road |
lù |
路 |
|
Street |
jiē |
街 |
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