Phrases |
'Useful' phrases |
Idioms |
Tongue twisters |
Language-related proverbs
A collection of useful phrases in Mandarin Chinese. Click on the English phrases to see them in many other languages. The phrases are shown in traditional Chinese characters first, then in simplified characters in [square brackets] and pinyin in (brackets).
| English | 普通话/ 國語/ 華語 (Mandarin Chinese) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | 歡迎光臨 [欢迎光临] (huānyíng guānglín) |
| Hello | 你好 (nǐ hǎo),
您好 (nín hǎo) - frm 喂 (wéi) - on phone |
| How are you? I'm fine, thanks. And you? |
你好嗎? [你好吗] (nǐ hǎo ma) |
| 我很好，你呢？ (wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne) | |
| Long time no see | 好久不見 [好久不见] (hǎojǐu bújiàn) |
| What's your name? My name is ... |
您貴姓大名？
[您贵姓大名？] (nín guìxìng dàmíng) (frm) 你叫什麼名字 [你叫什么名字] (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi) |
| 我姓 ... (wǒ xìng ...) 我叫 ... (wǒ jiào ...) | |
| Where are you from? I'm from ... |
你是從那裡來的？
[你是从哪儿来的]
(nǐ shì cóng nǎli/nǎr lái de) 你是哪國人？ [你是哪国人] (nǐ shì nǎguórén) |
| 我是從 ... 來的
(wǒ shì cóng ... lái de) 我是 ... 人 (wǒ shì ... rén) |
|
| Pleased to meet you | 很高興認識你 [
很高兴认识你]
(hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ) 我很高興跟你見面 [我很高兴跟你见面] (wǒ hěn gāoxìng gěn nǐ jiànmiàn) 幸會 [幸会] (xìnghuì) |
| Good morning | 早安 (zǎoān)
早上好 (zǎoshànghǎo) 早晨好 (zǎochénhǎo) 你早 (nǐzǎo) |
| Good afternoon | 午安 (wǔān) |
| Good evening | 晚安 (wǎnān) 晚上好 (wǎnshànghǎo) |
| Good night | 晚安 (wǎnān) |
| Goodbye | 再見 [再见] (zàijiàn) 拜拜 (bàibài) |
| Good luck | 祝你好運 (zhù nǐ háoyùn) |
| Cheers/Good health! | 乾杯! [干杯!] (gān bēi) - lit. "dry glass" |
| Bon appetit | 慢慢吃！ (mànmàn chī!) - eat slowly 請慢用 [请慢用] (qǐng màn yòng) - please eat slowly 請入席 [请入席] (qǐng rù xí) - please be seated - frm |
| Bon voyage | 一路順風
[一路顺风] (yī lù shùn fēng) 一路平安 [一路平安] (yī lù píng ān) |
| I don't understand | 我聽不懂
[我听不懂] (wǒ tīngbùdǒng) 我不懂 (wǒ bùdǒng), 我不明白 (wǒ bù míngbai) |
| Please say that again | 麻煩你再説一邊
[麻烦你再说一边]
(máfán nǐ zài shuō yībiān) 請你再説一次好嗎？ [请你再说一次好吗？] (qǐng nǐ zài shuō yīcì hǎo ma?) |
| Please speak more slowly | 麻煩你講慢一點 [麻烦你讲慢一点] (máfan nĭ jiǎng màn yīdiǎn) |
| Please write it down | 麻煩你寫一下,好不好？
[麻烦你写一下，好不好？] (Máfan nǐ xiě yīxià, hǎo bù hǎo?) |
| Do you speak Mandarin? Yes, a little |
你會不會講國語／
華語？
[你会不会讲普通话？] (nǐ huìbúhuì jiǎng guóyŭ/huáyŭ/pŭtōnghuà?) |
| 會，一點點 [会，一点儿] (huì, yīdiǎndiǎn/yīdiǎnr) | |
| How do you say ... in Mandarin? | ... 中文怎麼說？ [... 中文怎么说？] (... zhōngwén zěnme shuō) |
| Excuse me | 請問
[请问] qǐngwén - to attract attention (lit. "may I ask") 對不起 [对不起] duìbùqǐ - asking people to move |
| How much is this? | 這個多少錢? [这个多少钱?] (Zhège duōshǎo qián?) |
| Sorry | 對不起 [对不起] duìbùqǐ 抱歉 bàoqiàn |
| Thank you Response |
謝謝
[谢谢] (xièxie) 感謝你 [感谢你] (gǎnxiè nǐ) 非常感謝(你) (fēicháng gǎnxiè (nǐ)) |
| 不客氣
[不客气] (bú kèqi) 不用謝 [不用谢] (bú yòng xiè) 沒關係 [没关系] (méi guānxi) 沒問題 [没问题] (méi wèntí) |
|
| Where's the toilet? | 廁所在哪裡？
[厕所在哪里？] cèsuǒ zài nǎli? 洗手間哪裡？ [洗手间在哪里？] xǐshǒujiān zài nǎli? |
| This gentleman/lady will pay for everything |
這位先生會清單
[这位先生会清单/埋单] (zhèiwèi xiānsheng huì qīngdān/máidān) - gentleman 這位女士會清單 [这位女士会清单/埋单] (zhèiwèi nǔshì huì qīngdān/máidān) - lady |
| Would you like to dance with me? |
你要不要跟我跳舞？ (nǐ yào bú yào gēn wǒ tiàowǔ) |
| I love you | 我愛你 [我爱你] (wǒ ài nǐ) |
| Get well soon | 快點好啦 [快点好啦]
(kuài diǎn hào la) 祝您早日康復 (zhù nín zǎorì kāngfù) |
| Leave me alone! | 不要打擾我!
[不要打扰我!] (búyào dǎrǎo wǒ) 别管我! (bié guǎn wǒ) |
| Help! Fire! Stop! |
救命啊!
(jìumìng ā!) 火啊! (huǒ a!) 停! (tíng!) 停下! (tíngxià!) 停車! [停车] (tíng chē) when in vehicle 站住! (zhànzhù) to someone on foot 立正 (lìzhèng) - halt! used by the military |
| Call the police! | 叫警察! (jiào jǐngchá) |
| Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year |
聖誕快樂 新年快樂
[圣诞快乐 新年快乐] (shèngdàn kuàilè xīnnián kuàilè) 恭喜發財 [恭喜发财] (gōngxǐ fācái) - used at Chinese New Year |
| Happy Easter | 復活節快樂 [复活节快乐] (fùhuójié kuàilè) |
| Happy Birthday | 生日快樂 [生日快乐] (shēngrì kuàilè) |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | 我的氣墊船充滿了鱔魚
[我的气垫船充满了鳝鱼] (Wǒ de qìdiànchuán chōngmǎn le shànyú) |
| One language is never enough | 一種語言永遠不夠
[一种语言永远不够] ( yīzhǒng yǔyán yǒngyuǎn bùgòu) |
Download all the audio files (Zip format, 3.7MB)
Recordings, plus some corrections, provided by 吴蓝 (Wu Lan)
Chinese Translation
Get names and phrases translated into Chinese
Information about written Chinese
Language learning materials for Mandarin
Other collections of Mandarin phrases
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese/
http://www.wku.edu/~yuanh/AudioChinese/
http://www.chinaadviser.com/useful_chinese_phrases.html
http://www.languageguide.org/mandarin/
http://www.slanguage.com/fun_chinese_mand.html
http://chinese.travel-way.net
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