Fifty Mandarin Chinese phrases for your trip to China, as a five-day plan of ten a day: greetings and manners, café and restaurant, paying and shops, getting around and signs, hotel and help. Every card has pinyin with tones, a real example exchange and a tip on when to use it and what catches tourists out, plus a bonus group of numbers 1–10. About 10 minutes a day.
CEFR A1 — Beginner
At this level you can introduce yourself, order food, ask directions. Vocabulary: ~500 words (cumulative).
Phrases you'll learn
How do you say “Hello / Good morning” in Chinese?
“Hello / Good morning” is “你好 / 早上好” in Chinese. For example: 你好！ – 你好，欢迎光临。 — Hello! – Hello, welcome.
How do you say “Good evening” in Chinese?
“Good evening” is “晚上好” in Chinese. For example: 晚上好，两位。 – 好的，这边请。 — Good evening, two of us. – OK, this way please.
How do you say “Please” in Chinese?
“Please” is “请” in Chinese. For example: 请给我一杯水。 – 好的。 — Please give me a glass of water. – OK.
How do you say “Thank you” in Chinese?
“Thank you” is “谢谢” in Chinese. For example: 谢谢你！ – 不客气。 — Thank you! – You're welcome.
Chinese → English60 words~6 days at 10 words/day0 downloadsA1A2
No ratingsNo ratingsby admin@wordsonrepeat.comSep 6, 2026
nǐ hǎo (said ní hǎo: two third tones, the first rises) / zǎoshang hǎo
见面时的问候语。早上可以说“早上好”或“早”。
Synonyms:您好, 早
Hello / Good morning
你好！ – 你好，欢迎光临。
Hello! – Hello, welcome.
'Nǐ hǎo' works at any hour and is also how you get a stranger's attention. The China twist: nobody greets shop staff on the way in; they call out 'huānyíng guānglín' (welcome) and expect no reply, so a nod is plenty. 'Zǎoshang hǎo', or just 'zǎo', is good morning until about ten. Hotel and airline staff say the more polite 'nín hǎo'.
晚上好A1
wǎnshang hǎo (the 'shang' is toneless and quick)
晚上见面时的问候语，多用于酒店和正式场合。
Good evening
晚上好，两位。 – 好的，这边请。
Good evening, two of us. – OK, this way please.
From dusk, roughly six in the evening. In practice ordinary people say 'nǐ hǎo' round the clock; 'wǎnshang hǎo' is what hotel receptionists, hosts and announcements use, so it sounds polite rather than odd. Trap: 'wǎn'ān' is good night only for going to bed, never for leaving a restaurant.
请A1
qǐng (like 'ching' with a dipping tone)
请求别人做事时，放在动词前面的礼貌用语。
Synonyms:麻烦你, 请问
Please
请给我一杯水。 – 好的。
Please give me a glass of water. – OK.
Goes at the START, before the verb: 'qǐng gěi wǒ…' (please give me). Chinese uses 'please' far less than English; the everyday softeners are 'máfan nǐ' (sorry to trouble you) before a request and 'qǐngwèn' (may I ask) before a question, and 'xièxie' at the end does the rest. 'Qǐng' on its own with an open hand means 'after you' or 'go ahead'.
谢谢A1
xièxie (roughly 'shyeh-shyeh', second syllable light)
表示感谢的话，回答是“不客气”。
Thank you
谢谢你！ – 不客气。
Thank you! – You're welcome.
The reply is 'bú kèqi' (don't be polite) or 'bú yòng xiè' (no need to thank). China trap: there is no tipping, anywhere; hotel staff, waiters and taxi drivers will hand money back or look puzzled, and the payment apps have no tip screen. A clear 'xièxie' is the whole tip. 'Duō xiè' or 'fēicháng gǎnxiè' is thanks a lot; don't overdo it with friends, who find it stiff.
不好意思A1
bù hǎoyìsi ('boo how-yee-suh', last syllable toneless)
打扰别人或轻微道歉时说的话。叫服务员直接喊“服务员”。
Synonyms:服务员, 请问
Excuse me / Sorry
不好意思，可以点菜吗？ – 可以，您说。
Excuse me, can we order? – Yes, go ahead.
The all-purpose 'excuse me': stopping a stranger, a small bump, interrupting staff. For a real apology say 'duìbuqǐ'. China trap: to get a waiter you do not wait to be noticed; call 'fúwùyuán!' (waiter) clearly across the room, or press the call button on the table. That is normal, not rude, and waiters will not come otherwise. 'Qǐngwèn' (may I ask) opens a question to a stranger.
'Ràng yíxià' is 'make way a moment', 'jièguò' the same in one breath; add 'máfan' in front to soften it. On the metro say it at the doors and people part. China trap: personal space is smaller than at home and a silent shoulder through the crowd is not rude here, so don't take it personally, and stand aside from the doors before they open because passengers pour off first, in theory.
是 / 不是A1
shì / bú shì ('shr' / 'boo shr')
“是”表示肯定，“不是”表示否定。拒绝时说“不要，谢谢”。
Synonyms:对, 好的, 不要
Yes / No
要袋子吗？ – 不要，谢谢。
Do you want a bag? – No, thanks.
Chinese has no single yes or no: you echo the verb. 'Shì' / 'bú shì' answers 'is it…?', 'duì' means 'right', 'hǎo de' means OK, and 'yào' / 'bú yào' answers 'do you want…?'. The polite no for street sellers, touts and the plastic-bag question at every till is 'bú yào, xièxie', with a small hand wave. 'Bù' turns into 'bú' before a falling tone, which is why it is 'bú yào'.
您会说英语吗？A1formal
nín huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma ('neen hway shwoh ying-yü ma')
礼貌地问对方会不会说英语。
Do you speak English?
请问，您会说英语吗？ – 一点点。
Excuse me, do you speak English? – A little bit.
'Nín' is the polite you, used to staff and elders, especially in the north; 'nǐ' is fine everywhere and is what you will hear back. The answer is usually 'yìdiǎndiǎn' (a little) or a headshake, then the phone comes out: most people would rather type into a translation app than speak, so hold up yours and it becomes a normal conversation. 'Ma' at the end makes any sentence a question.
我听不懂A1
wǒ tīng bu dǒng ('wo ting-boo-dong', 'bu' toneless)
听不明白对方说的话时说。可以接“请说慢一点”。
Synonyms:我不会中文
I don't understand
我听不懂。请说慢一点。 – 好，好。
I don't understand. Please speak more slowly. – OK, OK.
Literally 'I hear but don't get it'. Pair it with 'qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn' (please speak slower) or just 'wǒ bú huì Zhōngwén' (I don't do Chinese), which resets the conversation. Trap: it rarely helps; the fix in China is to switch to typing. Have the name of your hotel and destinations saved in Chinese characters, because pinyin means little to most locals.
再见A1
zàijiàn ('dzye-jyen', both syllables falling)
分别时的告别语。店员常说“慢走”。
Synonyms:拜拜, 慢走
Goodbye
谢谢，再见！ – 慢走。
Thanks, goodbye! – Take care (lit. 'walk slowly').
The safe farewell for anyone. You will hear 'bàibài' (from 'bye-bye') constantly, from staff and friends alike, and 'màn zǒu' (walk slowly, meaning take care) from shop and restaurant staff as you leave; a 'xièxie' or 'zàijiàn' back is enough. No goodbye is expected at all when you leave a shop without buying.
两位A1
liǎng wèi ('lyahng way')
进餐厅时回答“几位”，说明人数。“两位”就是两个人。
Synonyms:两个人
A table for two (lit. 'two persons')
几位？ – 两位。 – 好，里面请。
How many? – Two. – OK, come on in.
The greeter's first word is 'jǐ wèi?' (how many?); answer with the number plus 'wèi', the polite counter for people, or hold up fingers. Trap: two is 'liǎng' before a counter, never 'èr': 'liǎng wèi', 'liǎng ge'. Popular places hand out a queue number ('qǔ hào') and call it on a screen; at the table a QR code often replaces the waiter (see the menu card).
我要…A1
wǒ yào ('wo yow', 'yào' falling)
点菜或买东西时说想要什么。“不要辣”表示不要辣的。
Synonyms:来一份…, 给我…
I'd like… / I'll have…
我要一份宫保鸡丁。我要一瓶啤酒。
I'll have a kung pao chicken. I'll have a bottle of beer.
Frame: 'wǒ yào' plus a number, a counter and the item ('yí fèn' a portion, 'yì bēi' a cup, 'yì píng' a bottle). Unlike 'I want' in English it is not rude; it is simply how you order. The line every traveler needs with it: 'bú yào là' (no chilli) or 'wēi là' (mildly spicy), because Sichuan and Hunan food is hotter than any menu warns. 'Yào' with a falling tone; 'yāo' with a flat one means something else.
请给我菜单A1
qǐng gěi wǒ càidān ('ching gay wo tsigh-dahn')
请服务员拿菜单来。很多餐厅要扫桌上的二维码点餐。
Synonyms:有菜单吗？
The menu, please
请给我菜单。有英文菜单吗？ – 扫桌上的二维码点餐。
The menu, please. Is there an English menu? – Scan the QR code on the table to order.
China trap: in many city restaurants there is no paper menu. You scan the QR sticker on the table with WeChat or Alipay, order in the mini-program (often paying up front), and the food comes; some of them demand a Chinese phone number and few are in English, so use your phone's camera translation or ask for 'zhǐzhì càidān' (a paper menu), which most places keep for exactly this. Photo menus with prices are common and pointing works.
来一杯咖啡A1
lái yì bēi kāfēi ('lye yee bay kah-fay')
在咖啡店点一杯咖啡。店员会问“美式还是拿铁”“热的还是冰的”。
Synonyms:一杯美式, 一杯拿铁
A coffee, please (you will be asked which kind)
来一杯咖啡。 – 美式还是拿铁？热的还是冰的？ – 热美式。
A coffee, please. – Americano or latte? Hot or iced? – A hot Americano.
'Kāfēi' alone gets you the question back. The plain black coffee is 'Měishì' (Americano), a milky one is 'nátiě' (latte), and 'rè de' / 'bīng de' is hot / iced. Trap: China's coffee chains (Luckin, Manner, Cotti) are built around app ordering with big discounts; walk-in prices are higher and the counter staff will point you at the QR code, though they do take orders. Tea is the real default drink, and free hot water comes with it.
热水 / 冰水A1
rè shuǐ / bīng shuǐ ('ruh shway' / 'bing shway')
餐厅免费提供的是热水或常温水，想喝冰的要说“冰水”。
Synonyms:常温的, 矿泉水
Hot water / iced water (the drinks question)
服务员，有冰水吗？ – 只有热水和常温的。
Waiter, is there iced water? – Only hot and room temperature.
Nobody asks still or sparkling. Free water in China arrives hot ('rè shuǐ') or warm, in a teapot or a flask, because cold drinks are thought bad for you; ask for 'bīng shuǐ' and you may get bottled water at a price, or a polite no. 'Rè de háishi bīng de?' (hot or iced?) is the café question. Tap water is not drinkable anywhere; bottled 'kuàngquánshuǐ' costs a couple of yuan, and sparkling 'qìpàoshuǐ' is sold in every convenience store but rarely offered in ordinary restaurants.
买单A1
mǎidān ('my-dahn'; mǎi dips, not mài)
吃完饭请服务员结账。也可以说“结账”。
Synonyms:结账
The bill, please
服务员，买单！ – 扫码支付还是现金？
Waiter, the bill! – Scan-to-pay or cash?
The bill never comes on its own; call 'fúwùyuán, mǎidān' or 'jiézhàng', or just catch an eye and mime signing. Trap: if you ordered by QR code you may have paid up front already; if not, tap 'mǎidān' in the same mini-program, scan the code they show you, or pay at the 'shōuyíntái' (till) by the door. No tipping, no rounding up. Watch the tone: 'mǎi' (dipping) is buy and 'mài' (falling) is sell.
可以刷卡吗？A2
kěyǐ shuākǎ ma ('kuh-yee shwah-kah ma')
问能不能用银行卡付款。在中国大多数地方用支付宝或微信支付。
Can I pay by card?
可以刷卡吗？ – 不行，微信或者支付宝。
Can I pay by card? – No, WeChat or Alipay.
China runs on phones. Card terminals exist in hotels, malls, chain shops and bigger restaurants, but many take only UnionPay, and most cafés, taxis, street stalls and small shops take only Alipay or WeChat Pay. Before you fly, install Alipay (or WeChat), verify with your passport and link your foreign Visa or Mastercard; payments of 200 yuan or less carry no fee (3% above that) and you then scan the merchant's QR code, or show your own for them to scan. Cash is legal tender and shops must accept it, but small places may lack change for a 100-yuan note.
干杯！A1
gānbēi ('gahn-bay', both syllables flat)
喝酒时的祝酒词，字面意思是喝完。不想喝完可以说“随意”。
Synonyms:随意
Cheers! (lit. 'dry the glass')
来，干杯！ – 干杯！随意，随意。
Come on, cheers! – Cheers! Just a sip, just a sip.
Trap: it means bottoms up, and at a dinner with hosts it can mean it literally, glass after glass of 'báijiǔ' (grain spirit, 40–60%). Say 'suíyì' (as you please) to sip instead; nobody minds. Clink with your rim lower than an older or senior person's, and toast the host at least once. Tapping two fingers on the table when someone pours your tea says thank you without interrupting.
请慢用A1
qǐng màn yòng ('ching mahn yong')
服务员上完菜时说的客气话。朋友之间说“慢慢吃”。
Synonyms:慢慢吃
Enjoy your meal (lit. 'please take your time')
您的菜齐了，请慢用。 – 谢谢。……很好吃！
That's all your dishes, enjoy your meal. – Thanks. …It's delicious!
What staff say as the last dish lands ('cài qí le', the dishes are complete); you just say 'xièxie'. Friends say the warmer 'mànmàn chī' (eat slowly). Nobody says it to strangers at the next table. The compliment to give is 'hěn hǎochī' (very tasty), and 'chī bǎo le' (I'm full) is the polite way to stop a host from ordering more. Dishes are shared, so order one per person plus rice.
服务费A2
fúwùfèi ('foo-woo-fay')
高档餐厅账单上加收的服务费。中国没有小费。
Synonyms:茶位费, 餐具费
Service charge (on the bill)
本店收取10%服务费。 – 茶位费每位5元。
This restaurant adds a 10% service charge. – Tea charge 5 yuan per person.
There is no cover charge in China and no tipping. Upscale restaurants and hotel dining rooms may add 'fúwùfèi' (service charge, 10–15%), printed on the menu; that is the only line that changes the total. Two small ones that surprise tourists: 'chá wèi fèi', a per-person tea charge in Cantonese and dim-sum restaurants, and 'cānjù fèi', a yuan or two for the sealed set of plates and bowls. Both are normal.
…多少钱？A1
… duōshao qián ('dwoh-shao chyen')
问价钱。回答是数字加“块”或“元”。
How much is…?
这个多少钱？ 一斤多少钱？
How much is this? How much per jin (500 g)?
Frame: the item first, then 'duōshao qián', or just point and say it. The answer comes as a number plus 'kuài' (the spoken word for yuan; signs say 元) and is usually also typed on a phone calculator for you. Trap: markets price fruit, tea and meat per 'jīn', which is 500 g, not per kilo. 'Miǎnfèi' means free.
太贵了A1
tài guì le ('tye gway luh')
说价钱太高。在市场可以讲价，在商场不可以。
Synonyms:便宜一点
That's too expensive
太贵了，便宜一点吧。 – 那给你八十。
Too expensive, make it a bit cheaper. – Eighty for you, then.
Expected at markets, tourist bazaars and stalls with no price tags, where the opening price for a foreigner may be several times the real one: offer around a third to a half, meet in the middle, and walking away gets you called back. Rude, and pointless, in malls, supermarkets, chains and anywhere the price is printed. 'Piányi yìdiǎn' is 'a bit cheaper'.
The question at every till is not cash or card but which app. Answer with the app's name, or 'xiànjīn' (cash) or 'shuākǎ' (card) if they take them. Two ways to pay: you scan their printed QR code and type the amount ('sǎomǎ'), or you open your payment code and they scan you. 'Háishi' is the 'or' of a question; the two apps take foreign cards once you have linked one.
麻烦给我小票A2
máfan gěi wǒ xiǎopiào ('mah-fahn gay wo shyao-pyao')
请店员给购物凭证。“发票”是正式的报销凭证。
Synonyms:发票
The receipt, please
麻烦给我小票。 – 要发票吗？ – 不用，小票就行。
The receipt, please. – Do you want a fapiao? – No need, the till slip is fine.
Trap: there are two receipts. 'Xiǎopiào' is the till slip; with phone payment your proof is the record in the app and many places print nothing. 'Fāpiào' is the official tax invoice: staff ask 'yào fāpiào ma?', and unless your employer needs it say 'bú yòng'. The tourist tax refund ('tuìshuì', roughly 9% back) only works at shops with the 退税 / Tax Free sticker: spend at least 200 yuan there in one day, ask for the refund form ('tuìshuì shēnqǐngdān') and fapiao at the till, and claim at the airport within 90 days; it cannot be done later.
我随便看看A1
wǒ suíbiàn kànkan ('wo sway-byen kahn-kahn')
告诉店员自己只是看看，不一定买。
I'm just looking
想买点什么？ – 我随便看看，谢谢。
What are you looking to buy? – I'm just looking, thanks.
The answer to 'xiǎng mǎi diǎn shénme?' or 'xūyào bāngmáng ma?' (need help?). Trap: in Chinese shops an assistant may follow you round at your elbow the whole time; it is service, not suspicion, and this phrase plus a smile is all you need. Doubling the verb ('kànkan') makes it casual: just a little look.
就这些A1
jiù zhèxiē ('jyo juh-shyeh')
买东西时告诉店员不需要别的了。
Synonyms:不要了
That's all
还要别的吗？ – 就这些，谢谢。
Anything else? – That's all, thanks.
Ends the order at a market stall, bakery or snack counter after 'hái yào bié de ma?' (anything else?). 'Bú yào le' (no more) does the same job. Bakeries work on trays and tongs; at fruit stalls you point, they weigh by the 'jīn' (500 g), and the price appears on the scale.
来一个这个A1
lái yí ge zhège ('lye yee guh juh-guh')
指着东西说要一个。“个”是通用量词。
Synonyms:要一个这个
One of these, please
来一个这个。 – 这个吗？ – 对。
One of these, please. – This one? – Yes.
Point and say it; 'lái' (bring) is the friendly way to order over a counter. 'Ge' is the all-purpose counter that works for anything when you do not know the right one ('yì bēi' for drinks, 'yí fèn' for a portion, 'yì zhāng' for tickets). 'Yī' changes tone before a counter: 'yí ge' but 'yì bēi'. 'Zhège' is this one, 'nàge' that one.
有没有…A1
yǒu méiyǒu ('yo may-yo')
问店里有没有某样东西。回答“有”或“没有”。
Synonyms:有…吗？
Do you have…?
有没有大一点的？ 有没有英文菜单？
Do you have a bigger one? Do you have an English menu?
Frame: 'yǒu méiyǒu' (have not-have) plus the thing; the answer is simply 'yǒu' or 'méiyǒu'. Trap for shoppers: Chinese clothing sizes run one or two sizes smaller than Western ones, so an XL here is often a Western L, and shoe sizes use the EU scale. 'Dà hào' / 'zhōng hào' / 'xiǎo hào' are large, medium, small.
Opening hours 10:00–22:00. – Sorry, we've closed for the day.
The door signs, often on a flip board. 'Yíngyè shíjiān' is the opening hours; '24小时' means round the clock, common for convenience stores. Shops and malls open seven days, roughly ten to ten. Trap: many restaurants shut between lunch and dinner, about two to five, and staff say 'dǎyàng le' (we've closed) at the end of the night. 'Zàntíng yíngyè' is temporarily closed.
打折 / 收银台A1
dǎzhé / shōuyíntái ('dah-juh' / 'sho-yin-tye')
“打折”是减价，“打8折”是付八成。“收银台”是付款的地方。
Synonyms:特价, 收银
Sale (discount) / Checkout
全场打8折！ – 请到收银台付款。
20% off everything! – Please pay at the checkout.
Trap: a Chinese discount states what you PAY, not what you save. 'Dǎ bā zhé' is pay 80%, so 20% off; 'dǎ wǔ zhé' is half price; the lower the number, the better the deal. 'Tèjià' is a special price, 'qīngcāng' clearance, 'mǎi yī sòng yī' buy one get one. 'Shōuyíntái' is the till, where you pay after choosing.
…在哪里？A1
… zài nǎlǐ ('dzye nah-lee'; Beijing: zài nǎr)
问某个地方在哪儿。前面先说“请问”。
Synonyms:在哪儿？
Where is…?
请问，火车站在哪里？ 洗手间在哪里？
Excuse me, where is the railway station? Where is the bathroom?
Frame: the place first, then 'zài nǎlǐ'; open with 'qǐngwèn'. In Beijing you will hear 'zài nǎr'. Trap: people will answer by opening a map app, and yours may not work: Google Maps is blocked and mostly blank in China, while Apple Maps, Baidu Maps and Amap (Gaode) work, so download one and save your hotel in Chinese characters.
Excuse me, where is the bathroom? – Straight ahead, on the left.
'Xǐshǒujiān' (hand-washing room) is the polite word; 'cèsuǒ' is the plain one on street signs. Public toilets are everywhere in Chinese cities, free, and every metro station and mall has one. Traps: carry your own tissues, since paper is often missing, and expect squat toilets outside hotels and malls. On the doors 男 is men and 女 is women.
Where is the railway station? – Take metro line 2, three stops.
'Huǒchēzhàn' is the railway station, 'gāotiězhàn' a high-speed station, 'dìtiězhàn' a metro station, 'qìchēzhàn' a bus station. Trap: big cities have several railway stations (Beijing South, Beijing West, Shanghai Hongqiao), often far apart, so check the one printed on your ticket before you set off, and allow half an hour for the security and passport check at the entrance.
A ticket to Shanghai, tomorrow morning. – Passport, please.
Trap: trains in China are real-name. Every ticket is tied to a passport, popular high-speed trains sell out days ahead, and there is no paper ticket. Book in the 12306 app (it has an English version; register with your passport and pay through Alipay or WeChat with your foreign card linked, since direct foreign-card payment is hit and miss) or on Trip.com for a small fee, then show your passport at the gate; if the machine rejects it, use the staffed lane ('réngōng tōngdào'). The counter ('shòupiàochù') still sells tickets with your passport in hand. 'Zhāng' is the counter for tickets; 'èrděng zuò' is second class, the normal seat.
几号检票口？A1
jǐ hào jiǎnpiàokǒu ('jee how jyen-pyao-koh')
问火车在哪个检票口检票。检票后再去站台。
Synonyms:站台
Which gate / platform?
去上海的车在几号检票口？ – A12，站台在楼下。
Which gate for Shanghai? – A12, the platform is downstairs.
At a Chinese railway station you wait in a hall, not on the platform: the board lists the gate ('jiǎnpiàokǒu', like A12) for each train, it opens about fifteen minutes before departure, you scan your passport there and go down to the platform ('zhàntái'). Trap: gates close five minutes before departure and are not reopened. 'Jǐ hào' means 'which number'.
左 / 右 / 直走A1
zuǒ / yòu / zhí zǒu ('dzwoh' / 'yo' / 'jr dzoh')
问路时会听到的三个方向词：左、右、直走。
Left / right / straight on
一直走，到路口右转。
Keep going straight, turn right at the intersection.
What you will hear in the answer: 'zuǒ zhuǎn' or 'wǎng zuǒ guǎi' (turn left), 'yòu zhuǎn' (turn right), 'yìzhí zǒu' (keep straight), 'lùkǒu' (intersection), 'duìmiàn' (opposite), 'qiánmiàn' (up ahead). Trap: directions in Beijing and other grid cities often come as compass points, 'wǎng běi' (north), because locals think that way; ask them to point.
入口 / 出口A1
rùkǒu / chūkǒu ('roo-koh' / 'choo-koh')
入口是进去的地方，出口是出去的地方。地铁出口用字母表示。
Entrance / Exit
地铁出口 B。 – 紧急出口。
Metro exit B. – Emergency exit.
On every station, mall and attraction. Metro exits are lettered, and directions are given by them ('cóng B chūkǒu chū', leave by exit B), so note yours. Trap: at every metro entrance ('rùkǒu') bags go through an X-ray and you may be asked to sip from your water bottle; it takes a minute and is routine. 'Jǐnjí chūkǒu' is the emergency exit; 'jìnzhàn' / 'chūzhàn' are the metro's in and out.
推 / 拉A1
tuī / lā ('tway' / 'lah')
门上的字：推是往外推，拉是往里拉。
Push / Pull
推。 – 拉。
Push. – Pull.
The door words, one character each. 'Àn' (press) is on buttons and doorbells, 'kāi' / 'guān' (open / close) on lift buttons, and 'zìdòngmén' means an automatic door. Both characters carry the 'hand' radical on the left, which is a handy way to spot them.
刷卡 / 扫码A2
shuākǎ / sǎomǎ ('shwah-kah' / 'sao-mah')
坐地铁进站和出站都要刷卡或扫码，按距离收费。
Synonyms:乘车码
Tap card / scan code (in AND out)
请刷卡或扫码进站。 – 出站也要扫码。
Please tap your card or scan your code to enter. – Scan on the way out too.
No stamping machines in China. On the metro you tap or scan at the gates on the way in and again on the way out, because the fare is by distance: buy a single-journey ticket at the machine (cash or phone), or use the transport code inside Alipay (Transport, under your city), which works with a linked foreign card in most big cities and on buses too. Trap: no exit record means paying the maximum fare at the service desk, and fare dodging is fined at several times the fare (five times in Shanghai). Trains are the opposite: no ticket to validate at all, just your passport at the gate.
公交站A1
gōngjiāo zhàn ('gong-jyao jahn')
公共汽车停靠的地方。车上会报“下一站”。
Synonyms:车站, 下一站
Bus stop
下一站，天安门东。请从后门下车。
Next stop, Tiananmen East. Please exit by the rear door.
The sign at the bus stop; 'zhàn' alone is any stop or station, and 'xià yí zhàn' (next stop) is the announcement on buses and the metro, usually followed by an English repeat in big cities. Trap: board at the front and tap or scan there, get off at the back, and in some cities tap off as well; a flat fare of 1–2 yuan in coins works too but drivers give no change. 'Zhōngdiǎnzhàn' is the last stop.
我有预订A1
wǒ yǒu yùdìng ('wo yo yü-ding')
入住酒店时说自己已经订好了房间。酒店会登记护照。
I have a reservation
你好，我有预订，名字是 Smith。 – 好的，请给我护照。
Hello, I have a reservation, the name is Smith. – OK, your passport please.
The check-in opener; give the name from the booking, ideally shown on your phone. Every hotel scans your passport and registers you with the police: legal, routine, no need to worry. Traps: a deposit ('yājīn') is often taken on top of the room rate and refunded at checkout, and although a 2024 government order says hotels may no longer refuse foreigners, some cheap hotels and small-town guesthouses still claim they cannot register you, so book somewhere with recent foreign reviews. Staying with friends instead means registering yourself at the local police station within 24 hours.
请给我房卡A1
qǐng gěi wǒ fángkǎ ('ching gay wo fahng-kah')
在前台要房卡。房卡插在门口的卡槽里才有电。
Synonyms:钥匙
The key card, please
请给我房卡，808房间。 – 好的，房卡插这里取电。
The key card please, room 808. – Here you are; put the card in the slot for power.
Chinese hotels use key cards ('fángkǎ'), and a metal key is 'yàoshi'. Trap: the lights and air conditioning only work while the card sits in the slot by the door, so ask for two if you share, and take it with you or your phone stops charging. 'Fángjiān' is the room; hotels often skip floor and room numbers with a 4, which sounds like death.
What's the Wi-Fi password? – The password is on the key-card sleeve.
'Mìmǎ' is password; 'wúxiàn' (wireless) is the other word for Wi-Fi. The real trap: once you are online, Google, Gmail, Maps, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook do not work in China without a VPN, and a VPN must be installed BEFORE you arrive. Foreign roaming data or a travel eSIM bypasses the block, hotel Wi-Fi does not. Apple Maps, Baidu Maps and Amap work; so do Alipay, WeChat and Bing. Café Wi-Fi often wants a Chinese phone number for the login SMS.
早餐几点？A1
zǎocān jǐ diǎn ('dzao-tsahn jee dyen')
问酒店早餐的时间。回答是“几点到几点”。
What time is breakfast?
早餐几点？在哪里？ – 七点到十点，二楼。
What time is breakfast? Where? – Seven to ten, second floor.
'Jǐ diǎn' asks the hour; the answer is 'X diǎn dào Y diǎn'. 'Hán zǎo' on a booking means breakfast included. A Chinese hotel breakfast is a buffet of congee ('zhōu'), steamed buns ('bāozi'), noodles, fried dough sticks and eggs, with a Western corner in bigger hotels. The other question to know: 'jǐ diǎn tuìfáng?' (what time is checkout?), usually noon.
救命！A1
jiùmìng ('jyo-ming', both syllables falling; lit. 'save life')
遇到危险时大声求救。报警110，急救120，火警119。
Help!
救命！快叫救护车！ – 我打120。
Help! Call an ambulance, quick! – I'll call 120.
For a real emergency; 'bāng wǒ yíxià' (give me a hand) is the everyday 'help me'. China has three numbers: 110 police, 120 ambulance, 119 fire; 110 usually has English on request, so ask for 'Yīngyǔ'. Shout 'zhuā xiǎotōu!' (catch the thief!) for a snatched bag. Streets are safe; the danger is traffic, so never assume a car or scooter will stop for a green man.
I need a doctor, my stomach hurts badly. – Go to the hospital emergency department.
Ambulance: 120. Trap: there are no GPs; you walk into a hospital ('yīyuàn'), register at the 'guàhào' desk with your passport, pay upfront (phone, card or cash) and see a doctor the same day. Public hospitals are cheap and crowded and English is thin; the big cities also have international clinics with English-speaking staff at Western prices, so know your insurer's hotline. 'Jízhěn' is the emergency department.
药店在哪里？A1
yàodiàn zài nǎlǐ ('yow-dyen dzye nah-lee')
问药店在哪儿。招牌上有大大的“药”字。
Synonyms:药房
Where is the pharmacy?
请问，药店在哪里？ – 前面，绿色的招牌。
Excuse me, where is the pharmacy? – Up ahead, the green sign.
Look for a big 药 character, usually green, or 'dà yàofáng' on the shopfront; there is one on nearly every block and many are open late. Pharmacists sell most painkillers and cold remedies over the counter, alongside shelves of traditional Chinese medicine; show the generic name of what you take, since brands differ. 'Chǔfāng' is a prescription.
请帮我叫警察A2
qǐng bāng wǒ jiào jǐngchá ('ching bahng wo jyow jing-chah')
请人帮忙报警。报警电话是110。
Call the police, please
请帮我叫警察，我的护照丢了。 – 我打110。
Call the police please, my passport is lost. – I'll call 110.
Police: 110. 'Bāng wǒ' is 'help me' plus the action; 'jǐngchá' is the police, 'pàichūsuǒ' the local police station where you report a theft ('bào'àn') and get the written report your insurer and embassy want. Trap: a lost passport means a police report, then your embassy for an emergency document, then the local Exit-Entry Bureau for a replacement visa before you can fly, so keep a photo of your passport and visa on your phone.
我迷路了A1
wǒ mílù le ('wo mee-loo luh')
找不到路时说的话。最好给对方看中文地址。
I'm lost
我迷路了，这是我的酒店。 – 哦，不远，直走。
I'm lost, this is my hotel. – Oh, it's not far, straight ahead.
No gendered forms in Chinese; it is the same for everyone. Follow it by showing the address in Chinese characters on your phone, because pinyin and English names mean little to most people; a hotel business card does the same job for taxi drivers. 'Yuǎn ma?' (is it far?) gets a useful answer.
可以帮我叫辆出租车吗？A2
kěyǐ bāng wǒ jiào liàng chūzūchē ma ('choo-dzoo-chuh' is taxi)
请人帮忙叫出租车。也可以用滴滴打车。
Synonyms:帮我打个车
Can you call a taxi for me, please?
可以帮我叫辆出租车吗？ – 可以，去哪里？
Can you call a taxi for me? – Sure, where to?
Hotels and restaurants will order one, usually through Didi ('Dīdī'), China's ride-hailing app, which has an English version, takes foreign cards and shows the fare in advance; install it and you rarely need this phrase. Street taxis ('chūzūchē') are metered and cheap and most still take cash, but drivers speak no English, so show the destination in Chinese characters. 'Dǎchē' is the verb for getting a taxi.
一A1
yī ('ee', flat tone; yí or yì before a counter)
数字1。
one
一张票。 – 一位？
One ticket. – Just one person?
On its own it is 'yī' with a flat tone, but before a counter the tone shifts: 'yí ge' (one of them), 'yì bēi' (one cup), 'yì zhāng' (one ticket). In phone and room numbers it is read 'yāo' so it cannot be confused with 'qī' (seven). Hold up the index finger; the written character is a single stroke.
二 / 两A1
èr / liǎng ('ar' / 'lyahng')
数字2。数东西时用“两”，如“两位”。
two
两位，谢谢。 – 二楼。
Two people, please. – Second floor.
Trap: two has two words. 'Liǎng' before a counter, so for anything you order or count ('liǎng wèi' two people, 'liǎng ge' two of them, 'liǎng bēi' two cups); 'èr' when counting, in phone numbers, floors, and the number two on a sign ('èr hào xiàn', line 2). The one exception you will hear: staff politely say 'èr wèi' ('èr wèi zhè biān qǐng', this way for two), but 'liǎng wèi' is what you say. Two fingers in a V works for both.
三A1
sān ('sahn', flat tone)
数字3。
three
三站，然后换二号线。
Three stops, then change to line 2.
Three strokes, easy to read on signs and the character you will spot most: 三楼 is the third floor, 三号线 line 3. Chinese floors count like the US: 一楼 is the ground floor.
四A1
sì ('suh', falling tone; not shí)
数字4。发音像“死”，很多人觉得不吉利。
four
四个人。 – 好，四位。
Four people. – OK, four.
Trap: 'sì' (four) and 'shí' (ten) are the pair travelers mix up, and many southerners say both alike, so prices get typed on a phone screen to be safe; 'sìshí' is forty and 'shísì' fourteen. Four sounds like 'sǐ' (death), which is why some hotels have no fourth floor and gifts never come in fours.
五A1
wǔ ('woo', dipping tone)
数字5。“五块”是五元钱。
five
五块钱。 – 五块？好。
Five yuan. – Five? OK.
'Kuài' is the spoken yuan, so 'wǔ kuài' is five yuan; signs use 元. 'Wǔ máo' is 0.5 yuan. Open hand for five, and it is the last number you show with plain fingers: from six up, China has its own hand signs.
六A1
liù ('lyo', falling tone)
数字6。手势是伸出大拇指和小指。
six
六点在大堂见。
See you in the lobby at six.
'Diǎn' after the number gives the hour: 'liù diǎn' is six o'clock. Hand sign for six: thumb and little finger out, fist closed, like the surfer's 'hang loose'. Six is a lucky number (smooth going), so 666 in a chat means great, not the devil.
七A1
qī ('chee', flat tone)
数字7。手势是五指并拢向上。
seven
早餐七点开始。
Breakfast starts at seven.
'Qī diǎn' is seven o'clock; timetables use the 24-hour clock, so 19:00 is 'shíjiǔ diǎn' on the board but 'wǎnshang qī diǎn' (seven in the evening) in speech. Hand sign: all five fingertips pinched together, pointing up.
八A1
bā ('bah', flat tone)
数字8。发音像“发”，是吉利的数字。
eight
火车八点出发。
The train leaves at eight.
The lucky number: 'bā' sounds like 'fā' (get rich), so phone numbers, licence plates and room 888 cost extra, and shops love prices ending in 8. Hand sign: thumb and index finger out, like a pistol. 'Chūfā' is departs.
九A1
jiǔ ('jyo', dipping tone; same sound as 酒, alcohol)
数字9。手势是弯起食指。
nine
九号房间。
Room nine.
'Hào' after a number turns it into a label: room 9, gate 9, bus 9. Hand sign: index finger bent into a hook. It sounds exactly like 'jiǔ' (alcohol), which makes for a running joke at toasts; nine also means long-lasting, so it turns up in wedding gifts.
十A1
shí ('shr', rising tone; not sì)
数字10。手势是两根食指交叉。
ten
走路十分钟。
Ten minutes on foot.
The building block for everything above: 'shíyī' eleven, 'èrshí' twenty, 'wǔshí' fifty, then 'yìbǎi' a hundred. Trap: keep 'shí' (ten, rising) apart from 'sì' (four, falling) when a price is quoted, and when in doubt look at the phone screen they are holding up. Hand sign: two index fingers crossed, or a closed fist. 'Fēnzhōng' is minutes.