Useful Expressions
Chinese is considered one of the world’s most difficult languages, but don’t despair. Even if you can’t say a word in Chinese, just print out this sheet and show people what you need to say. As you get more comfortable with the language, try to learn some of these useful phrases.
Chinese Tones
Every syllable in Chinese is associated with one of five distinct tones.
The first tone is high. The pitch of the syllable is steady and stays high throughout the entire pronunciation. In the second tone, the syllable has a rising tone, as if it is a question at the end of a sentence. The third tone starts at a middle pitch, then dips low and rises slightly at the end. The fourth tone falls from a high pitch to a low pitch abruptly, as if the speaker is disappointed. The fifth tone, or soft tone, is neutral. Syllables with a soft tone are not emphasized.
Tones can be represented by placing lines above the syllable. For example, “mā” should be pronounced with the first tone and “má” should be pronounced with the second tone. The word “mǎ” should be pronounced as the third tone and the word “mà” should be pronounced with the fourth tone. Simple “ma” uses the fifth, soft tone.
Tones are essential to Chinese because the meaning of a word changes depending on its town. If you say the tone incorrectly, others may or may not be able to guess your intended meaning. It is one of the most difficult aspects of learning Chinese so don’t get upset if it takes time to learn them.
Basic Greetings
Hello nǐhǎo 你好
Goodbye zàijiàn 再见
Thank you xièxie 谢谢
You’re welcome bú yòng xiè 不用谢
Pleased to meet you hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ 很高兴认识你
Excuse me / I’m sorry duìbúqì 对不起
Excuse me (I have a question) qĭngwèn 请问
Places
Where are you from? nǐ shì nǎli de? 你是哪里的？
I am from… wǒ shì [name of country] rén 我是[a country]人
United States měiguó 美国
England yīngguó 英国
France fǎguó 法国
Ghana jiānà 加纳
Nigeria nírìlìyà 尼日利亚
Canada jiānádà 加拿大
India yìndù 印度
Pakistan bājīsītǎn 巴基斯坦
To say, for example, “I’m Canadian,” you can say “wǒ shìjiānádà rén” (我是加拿大人). This literally means “I’m a Canadian person”.
Asking Questions
Where? zài nǎli? 在哪里?
When? shénme shíhou? 什么时候?
Who? shéi? 谁?
Why? wèishénme? 为什么?
How do I get there? qù nàli zenme zou? 去那里怎么走?
Where is [a place]? …Zài nǎli? …在哪里?
…bathroom …xíshǒujiān ...洗手间
…long distance bus station …chángtúqìchēzhàn …长途汽车站
…the subway …dìtiě …地铁
…police station …pàichūsuǒ …派出所
…the exit …chūkǒu …出口
Notice that “nàli” means “there” but “nǎli” means “where?” The tones of these two words are different, so be careful when pronouncing them.
Shopping and Money
How much is this? zhè ge duōshăo qián? 这个多少钱?
Can you lower the price? néng bù néng piányi diǎn? 能不能便宜点?
It’s too expensive! tài guì le! 太贵了!
I don’t have any money wǒ méi qián 我没钱
Travel
I want to buy a ticket to… wǒ xiǎngmǎi qù…de piào 我想买去…的票
Long-distance bus chángtú qìchē 长途汽车
Airplane fēijī 飞机
Train huǒchē 火车
Hard-seat yìngzuò 硬座
Soft-seat ruǎnzuò 软座
Hard sleeper yìngwò 硬卧
Soft-sleeper ruǎnwò 软卧
Lower berth xiàpū 下铺
Middle berth zhōngpū 中铺
Upper berth shàngpū 上铺
Train station huǒchēzhàn 火车站
Airport jīchǎng 机场
Solving Problems
I can’t understand wǒ tīng bù dǒng 我听不懂
Can you speak English? nǐ huì shuō yīngwén ma? 你会说英文吗?
Who can speak English? shéi huì shuō yīngwén? 谁会说英文?
Please write it down qǐng xiě xià lái 请写下来
Don’t cheat me bié piàn wǒ le 别骗我了!
Go away! zǒukāi 走开!
Don’t touch me! fàngkāi! 放开!
Call the police! jiào jǐngchá! 叫警察!
Please help me qǐng bāng wǒ 请帮我
Save me! jiùmìng! 救命!
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