Simple Chinese Phrases for Beginners

Greeting People in Chinese

nǐ hǎo!

你好!

Hello!

hěn ɡāoxìnɡ rènshi nǐ！

很 高兴 认识 你！

Nice to meet you!

Check out more ways to make greetings in Chinese.

Asking Directions

Traveling in China can be quite an adventure, but if you want to have a pleasant journey without troubles, you’d better pick up some Chinese phrases for beginners. In this section you will learn how to ask directions in Chinese.

qǐnɡwèn, chāoshì zài nǎ ér？

请问，超市 在哪儿？

Excuse me, where is the supermarket?

dǎrǎo yíxià, qù huǒchēzhàn zěnme zǒu？

打扰 一下，去 火车站 怎么走？

Excuse me, how can I get to the train station?

Taking Taxis

Taxis in China are fast and convenient, but most taxi drivers speak only mandarin. So learning how to speak Chinese with them can be essential for your stay in China.

nǐ qù nǎlǐ？

你 去 哪里？

Where are you going?

wǒ qù tiān’ānmén ɡuǎnɡchǎnɡ.

我 去 天安门 广场。

I want to go to Ti’an Men Square.

Shopping

Shopping in China is great, because they are often very cheap, and the best thing is that you can bargain with the shop owners. So, let’s learn how to do shopping and get the price down in China.

zhèɡe duōshǎo qián？

这个 多少 钱？

How much is this?

kěyǐ piáyi diǎn ér mɑ？

可以便宜点儿吗？

Can you give me some discount?

Ordering Food

Chinese food is famous around the world. Before you dine out in a Chinese restaurant, it's necessary to learn how to use simple Chinese phrases to order food.

wǒ yào yìwǎn miàntiáo.

我要 一碗 面条。

I want a bowl of noodles.

wǒ yào diǎn zhèɡe cài.

我要 点 这个 菜。

I want to order this dish.

Making Phone Calls

In the weekend, you probably want to give your Chinese friends a call and ask them how they are doing. Now we will learn how to make phone calls in Chinese.

wéi, nǐ hǎo.

喂，你好。

Hello.

xiǎo wánɡ zài mɑ?

小王在吗?

Can I speak to Xiao Wang?

duì bù qǐ, nǐ dǎ cuò le.

对不起，你打错了。

Sorry, you made a wrong call.

Now you may want to learn more easy Chinese with videos or join our pop quiz to test what you have learned.