Notice to Tourists

Everyday Chinese phrases & expressions

2022-08-22

你好 ! [Nǐ hǎo] Hello!

谢谢 ! [Xièxie] Thank you!

不客气 ! [Bú kèqi] You're welcome!

请问 [qǐng wèn] Excuse me! (getting attention)

打扰一下 [Dǎrǎo yixià] Excuse me. (begging pardon)

对不起 [Duìbùqǐ] I'm sorry

没关系 [méiguānxi] It's okay. (polite response to "I'm sorry")

再见 [Zàijiàn] Goodbye!

拜拜 ! [Bai-bai ] Goodbye (informal)

我不会说汉语 [Wǒ bú huì shuō hànyǔ] I can't speak Chinese.

你会说英语吗? [Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?] Do you speak English?

救命 ! [Jiùmìng] Help! (in emergencies)

 

我听不懂 [Wǒ tīng bu dǒng] I don't understand.

洗手间在哪里? [Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ] Where is the bathroom?

____ 怎么说? [____ zěnme shuō?] How do you say ____?

你有没有英文菜单? [nǐ yŏu méi yǒu yīngwén càidān?] Do you have an English menu?

我吃素 [wǒ chī sù] I’m a vegetarian.

我只吃清真食品 [wǒ zhǐ chī qīngzhēn shípǐn] I only eat Halal food.

买单 Bill, please.

去 ____ 的票多少钱 ? [qù ____ de piào duō shǎo qián?] How much is a ticket to ____?

去不去 ____( 火车站 )? [qù bu qù____ (huǒ chē zhàn)] Do you go to____ (the central station)?

请开到 ____。[qǐng kāidào ____] Take me to _____, please.

请打表 [qǐng dǎbiǎo] Please use the meter machine.

公交车 [gōng jiāo chē] bus

火车 [huǒ chē] train

地铁 [Dì tiě] metro/subway

电车 [diàn chē] streetcar

轻轨 [qīng guǐ] light rail

高铁 [gāo tiě] high-speed train

机场 [jī chǎng] airport

出租车 [chū zū chē] Taxi

医院 [Yīyuàn ] Hospital

药店 [yàodiàn] Pharmacy

超市 [chāoshì] Supermarket

商场 [shāngchǎng ] Shopping mall

书店 [shūdiàn] Bookstore

警察局 [jǐngchá jú] Police station

 

Hospital

医生 [yīshēng] Doctor

中药 [zhōngyào] Chinese medicine

西药 [ xīyào] Western medicine

我生病了 [wǒ shēngbìng le] I am sick.

疼 / 痛 [téng/tòng] Painful

不舒服 [bù shūfu] Sick/Uncomfortable

发烧 [fāshāo] Fever

咳嗽 [késòu] Cough

拉肚子 [lā dùzi] Diarrhoea

呕吐 [ŏu tù] Vomiting

烧伤 [shāoshāng] Burn

 

Common signs

入口 [rùkǒu] Entrance

出口 [chūkǒu] Exit

推 [tuī] Push

拉 [lā] Pull

厕所 / 洗手间 [cèsuǒ] / [xǐshǒujiān] Toilet

男 Men [nán]

女 Women [nǚ]

禁止吸烟 [jìnzhǐxīyān] No smoking!

饮用水 [yǐnyòngshuǐ] Drinking water

 

To be or not to be?

Chinese does not have words for “yes” and “no” as such; instead, questions are typically answered by repeating the verb. Here are common examples:

To be or not to be: 是[shì], 不是[bú shì] Да, нет

To have or not have/there is or is not: 有[yǒu],没有[méi yǒu] Есть, нет

To be right or wrong: 对[duì],不对[bú duì] Правильно, неправильно

If all this seems like too much to handle, you can say “yes” with a short falling-tone grunt (嗯 ǹg), and you’ll usually be understood if you say 不bù for “no”.

 

Numbers

1 一 [yī]              6 六 [liù]

2 二 [èr]              7 七 [qī]

3 三 [sān]             8 八 [bā]

4 四 [sì]              9 九 [jiǔ]

5 五 [wǔ]             10 十 [shí]

 

你好 ! [Nǐ hǎo] Hello!

谢谢 ! [Xièxie] Thank you!

不客气 ! [Bú kèqi] You're welcome!

请问 [qǐng wèn] Excuse me! (getting attention)

打扰一下 [Dǎrǎo yixià] Excuse me. (begging pardon)

对不起 [Duìbùqǐ] I'm sorry

没关系 [méiguānxi] It's okay. (polite response to "I'm sorry")

再见 [Zàijiàn] Goodbye!

拜拜 ! [Bai-bai ] Goodbye (informal)

我不会说汉语 [Wǒ bú huì shuō hànyǔ] I can't speak Chinese.

你会说英语吗? [Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?] Do you speak English?

救命 ! [Jiùmìng] Help! (in emergencies)

 

我听不懂 [Wǒ tīng bu dǒng] I don't understand.

洗手间在哪里? [Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ] Where is the bathroom?

____ 怎么说? [____ zěnme shuō?] How do you say ____?

你有没有英文菜单? [nǐ yŏu méi yǒu yīngwén càidān?] Do you have an English menu?

我吃素 [wǒ chī sù] I’m a vegetarian.

我只吃清真食品 [wǒ zhǐ chī qīngzhēn shípǐn] I only eat Halal food.

买单 Bill, please.

去 ____ 的票多少钱 ? [qù ____ de piào duō shǎo qián?] How much is a ticket to ____?

去不去 ____( 火车站 )? [qù bu qù____ (huǒ chē zhàn)] Do you go to____ (the central station)?

请开到 ____。[qǐng kāidào ____] Take me to _____, please.

请打表 [qǐng dǎbiǎo] Please use the meter machine.

公交车 [gōng jiāo chē] bus

火车 [huǒ chē] train

地铁 [Dì tiě] metro/subway

电车 [diàn chē] streetcar

轻轨 [qīng guǐ] light rail

高铁 [gāo tiě] high-speed train

机场 [jī chǎng] airport

出租车 [chū zū chē] Taxi

医院 [Yīyuàn ] Hospital

药店 [yàodiàn] Pharmacy

超市 [chāoshì] Supermarket

商场 [shāngchǎng ] Shopping mall

书店 [shūdiàn] Bookstore

警察局 [jǐngchá jú] Police station

 

Hospital

医生 [yīshēng] Doctor

中药 [zhōngyào] Chinese medicine

西药 [ xīyào] Western medicine

我生病了 [wǒ shēngbìng le] I am sick.

疼 / 痛 [téng/tòng] Painful

不舒服 [bù shūfu] Sick/Uncomfortable

发烧 [fāshāo] Fever

咳嗽 [késòu] Cough

拉肚子 [lā dùzi] Diarrhoea

呕吐 [ŏu tù] Vomiting

烧伤 [shāoshāng] Burn

 

Common signs

入口 [rùkǒu] Entrance

出口 [chūkǒu] Exit

推 [tuī] Push

拉 [lā] Pull

厕所 / 洗手间 [cèsuǒ] / [xǐshǒujiān] Toilet

男 Men [nán]

女 Women [nǚ]

禁止吸烟 [jìnzhǐxīyān] No smoking!

饮用水 [yǐnyòngshuǐ] Drinking water

 

To be or not to be?

Chinese does not have words for “yes” and “no” as such; instead, questions are typically answered by repeating the verb. Here are common examples:

To be or not to be: 是[shì], 不是[bú shì] Да, нет

To have or not have/there is or is not: 有[yǒu],没有[méi yǒu] Есть, нет

To be right or wrong: 对[duì],不对[bú duì] Правильно, неправильно

If all this seems like too much to handle, you can say “yes” with a short falling-tone grunt (嗯 ǹg), and you’ll usually be understood if you say 不bù for “no”.

 

Numbers

1 一 [yī]              6 六 [liù]

2 二 [èr]              7 七 [qī]

3 三 [sān]             8 八 [bā]

4 四 [sì]              9 九 [jiǔ]

5 五 [wǔ]             10 十 [shí]