50 Common Chinese Phrases for Travel & Everyday Conversation (with Audio)
With Mandarin, the gap between recognizing a phrase and producing one with the right tones, at speed, is where most study time quietly disappears. Reading 你好 is easy; having 多少钱？ ready at a market stall is another thing entirely.
These 50 Mandarin Chinese phrases come with pinyin and tone marks, organized by situation: greetings, small talk, directions, restaurants, shopping, and emergencies. Use them free here, download the printable PDF, or study the same deck in Repetra with native audio and spaced repetition.
Greetings & Courtesy
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 很高兴认识你。 | hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ. | It's nice to meet you. |
| 最近怎么样？ | zuì jìn zěn me yàng? | How's it going? |
| 祝你今天愉快！ | zhù nǐ jīn tiān yú kuài! | Have a nice day! |
| 非常感谢你的帮助。 | fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ de bāng zhù. | Thank you very much for your help. |
| 请问，我可以问你一件事吗？ | qǐng wèn, wǒ kě yǐ wèn nǐ yī jiàn shì ma? | Excuse me, may I ask you something? |
| 不好意思，打扰了。 | bù hǎo yì si, dǎ rǎo le. | Sorry to bother you. |
Small Talk
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你是哪里人？ | nǐ shì nǎ lǐ rén? | Where are you from? |
| 我来自美国。 | wǒ lái zì měi guó. | I'm from the United States. |
| 你做什么工作？ | nǐ zuò shén me gōng zuò? | What do you do for a living? |
| 你住在这附近吗？ | nǐ zhù zài zhè fù jìn ma? | Do you live around here? |
| 这是我第一次来这里。 | zhè shì wǒ dì yī cì lái zhè lǐ. | This is my first time here. |
| 我很喜欢这里。 | wǒ hěn xǐ huan zhè lǐ. | I like it here very much. |
| 今天天气真好。 | jīn tiān tiān qì zhēn hǎo. | The weather is beautiful today. |
Communication
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我听不懂。 | wǒ tīng bu dǒng. | I don't understand. |
| 请说慢一点。 | qǐng shuō màn yī diǎn. | Could you speak more slowly, please? |
| 请再说一遍。 | qǐng zài shuō yī biàn. | Could you repeat that, please? |
| 你会说英语吗？ | nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma? | Do you speak English? |
| 这个用中文怎么说？ | zhè ge yòng zhōng wén zěn me shuō? | How do you say this in Chinese? |
| 这个词是什么意思？ | zhè ge cí shì shén me yì si? | What does this word mean? |
| 请帮我写下来。 | qǐng bāng wǒ xiě xià lái. | Could you write it down, please? |
| 我只会说一点中文。 | wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yī diǎn zhōng wén. | I only speak a little Chinese. |
| 我还在学中文。 | wǒ hái zài xué zhōng wén. | I'm still learning Chinese. |
Directions & Transport
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请问，洗手间在哪里？ | qǐng wèn, xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ? | Excuse me, where is the bathroom? |
| 去火车站怎么走？ | qù huǒ chē zhàn zěn me zǒu? | How do I get to the train station? |
| 离这里远吗？ | lí zhè lǐ yuǎn ma? | Is it far from here? |
| 我迷路了。 | wǒ mí lù le. | I'm lost. |
| 你能在地图上指给我看吗？ | nǐ néng zài dì tú shàng zhǐ gěi wǒ kàn ma? | Can you show me on the map? |
| 在哪里可以买票？ | zài nǎ lǐ kě yǐ mǎi piào? | Where can I buy a ticket? |
| 公交车几点出发？ | gōng jiāo chē jǐ diǎn chū fā? | What time does the bus leave? |
| 左转，然后一直走。 | zuǒ zhuǎn, rán hòu yī zhí zǒu. | Turn left, then go straight ahead. |
| 附近有好的餐厅吗？ | fù jìn yǒu hǎo de cān tīng ma? | Is there a good restaurant nearby? |
At the Restaurant
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 两位，谢谢。 | liǎng wèi, xiè xie. | A table for two, please. |
| 请给我看一下菜单。 | qǐng gěi wǒ kàn yī xià cài dān. | Could I see the menu, please? |
| 你有什么推荐的吗？ | nǐ yǒu shén me tuī jiàn de ma? | What do you recommend? |
| 我想要一杯咖啡。 | wǒ xiǎng yào yī bēi kā fēi. | I would like a coffee, please. |
| 我是素食者。 | wǒ shì sù shí zhě. | I'm vegetarian. |
| 请慢用！ | qǐng màn yòng! | Enjoy your meal! |
| 买单，谢谢。 | mǎi dān, xiè xie. | The check, please. |
| 太好吃了！ | tài hǎo chī le! | It was delicious! |
Shopping
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个多少钱？ | zhè ge duō shao qián? | How much does this cost? |
| 你们收信用卡吗？ | nǐ men shōu xìn yòng kǎ ma? | Do you take credit cards? |
| 我只是看看，谢谢。 | wǒ zhǐ shì kàn kan, xiè xie. | I'm just looking, thank you. |
| 我可以试穿吗？ | wǒ kě yǐ shì chuān ma? | Can I try it on? |
Emergencies & Health
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我需要帮助。 | wǒ xū yào bāng zhù. | I need help. |
| 请叫救护车！ | qǐng jiào jiù hù chē! | Call an ambulance, please! |
| 我不舒服。 | wǒ bù shū fu. | I don't feel well. |
| 我需要看医生。 | wǒ xū yào kàn yī shēng. | I need a doctor. |
| 最近的药店在哪里？ | zuì jìn de yào diàn zài nǎ lǐ? | Where is the nearest pharmacy? |
Everyday Essentials
| Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 现在几点了？ | xiàn zài jǐ diǎn le? | What time is it? |
| 请稍等。 | qǐng shāo děng. | Just a moment, please. |
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All 50 Chinese phrases on a clean sheet you can print or keep on your phone.
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