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30 basic expressions in Chinese
Learning Chinese is a slow process. It is a mistake to think that in the first few months you are studying you will start speaking without any problems. It is normal to take a while to get the hang of the language and to get the hang of it.
Chinese tutor, Serinna Lin, explains there's been a huge demand in learning Chinese since the pandemic. Watch our interview below to find out more:
That is why many people choose to know some basic Chinese expressions for three reasons:
- Surviving without going to China: these expressions can save us from any trouble at any time if we travel to China, especially if we don't have Chinese classes.
- Politeness: it is polite if you go to a country or talk to a native speaker to show that you are interested in learning their language.
- Purely for learning: it is much easier to learn the theory of a language if we know a few things in practice first.
There are Chinese classes that can give you some introductory lessons before you go on any trip. But we have also prepared the following table to help you master the most basic expressions in Chinese.
English |
Phonetic |
Chinese |
Thank you! |
xiè xie |
谢谢! 谢谢! |
You are welcome |
bú yòng xiè |
不用谢 |
Hello |
nǐ hǎo |
你好 |
Goodbye |
zài jiàn |
再见 |
Good morning |
zǎo shàng hǎo |
早上好 早上好 |
Good afternoon |
xià wǔ hǎo |
下午好 |
Good evening (evening) |
wǎn shàng hǎo |
晚上好 |
Good evening |
wǎn ān |
晚安 |
How are you doing? |
nǐ hǎo ma |
你好吗 |
Well |
hǎo |
好 |
Mal |
bù hǎo |
不好 |
I'm fine, thank you, and you? |
wǒ hěn hǎo, xiè xiè, nǐ ne? |
我很好,谢谢,你呢 |
Sorry... |
qǐng wèn |
请问 |
I am sorry |
duì bu qǐ |
对不起 对不起 |
Do you speak English? |
nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma? |
你会说英语吗 |
Where is the bathroom? |
xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ? |
洗手间在哪里 |
Help! |
jiù mìng |
救命 |
Sorry, I don't understand you |
bù hǎo bù yì si, wǒ méi tīng dǒng |
不好意思,我没听懂 |
No/denial |
méiyǒu |
没有 |
Sorry, let me pass |
jiè guò yī xià |
借过一下 借过一下 |
Wait a moment |
děng yī xià |
等一下 |
Welcome! |
huān yíng guāng lín |
欢迎光临 |
The bill! |
mǎi dān |
买单 |
I want to... |
wǒ yào |
我要 |
...a bottle of water... |
yī píng shuǐ |
瓶水 瓶水 |
How much does it cost? |
zhè ge duō shao qián? |
这个多少钱 |
How do you say this in Chinese? |
zhè ge yòng hàn yǔ zěn me shuō? |
这个用汉语怎么说 |
I don't understand you |
bú tài míng bai |
不太明白 |
Can you repeat, please? |
qǐng zài shuō yī biàn |
请再说一遍 |
I love you |
wǒ ài nǐ |
我爱你 |
How to speak Chinese well?
This is the main concern of those who want to master Chinese for practical purposes. That's why many people turn to books to learn Chinese, which teach you basic concepts to defend themselves on specific occasions. Without a doubt, the material supports your Chinese private tuition, as reading alone is one of the 4 aspects of learning a language: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
This aspect is a bit easier because many people find it a bit difficult to read and write Chinese. Some people prefer to do the online tuition with a tutor to help them... So if you only have to speak it, it will probably be much quicker and more fun.
- Listen as much as you can: this is something you have to do even if it's hard at first, you have to make your ear to Chinese. It's a very different language and you have to master the phonetics perfectly.
- Read aloud: even if it is not with the Chinese characters and you do it as phonetic reading, but it is the only way to get your pronunciation used to Chinese.
- Try to do language exchanges: there are Chinese people trying to learn Spanish all over the world, especially on the internet. Try to talk to some of them and practise as much as you can what you learn.
- Conversation classes: if you just want to learn to speak Chinese and you are not interested in the rest, hire a tutor who will teach you how to communicate.
Although this is a faster way to learn Chinese because it is not as complete, remember that Chinese is a very different language from English and it will take you a long time to master and understand it. So be patient and don't give up.