A collection of useful phrases in Mandarin Chinese. The phrases are shown in traditional Chinese characters first, then in simplified characters in [square brackets] and pinyin in (brackets).
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
| English | 普通话 / 國語 / 華語 (Mandarin Chinese) |
|---|---|
| Welcome | 歡迎光臨 [欢迎光临] (huānyíng guānglín) |
| Hello (General greeting) | 你好 (nǐ hǎo) - inf 您好 (nín hǎo) - frm |
| Hello (on phone) | 喂 (wéi) |
| How are you? | 你好嗎? [你好吗] (nǐ hǎo ma) |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | 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? | 你貴姓大名？ [你贵姓大名？] (nǐ guìxìng dàmíng?) 你叫什麼名字？ [你叫什么名字？] (nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?) |
| My name is ... | 我姓 ... (wǒ xìng ...) 我叫... (wǒ jiào ...) |
| Where are you from? | 你是從哪裡來的？ [你是从哪里来的？] (nǐ shì cóng nǎli lái de) 你是從哪兒來的？ [你是从哪儿来的？] (nǐ shì cóng nǎr lái de) 你是哪國人？ [你是哪国人] (nǐ shì nǎguórén) |
| I'm from ... | 我是從 ... 來的 [我是从 ... 来的] (wǒ shì cóng ... lái de) 我是 ... 人 (wǒ shì ... rén) |
| Pleased to meet you | 我很高興跟你見面 [我很高兴跟你见面] (wǒ hěn gāoxìng gēn nǐ jiànmiàn) 幸會 [幸会] (xìng huì) |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
早安 (zǎo'ān) 早上好 (zǎoshànghǎo) 早晨好 (zǎochénhǎo) 你早 (nǐ zǎo) |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
午安 (wǔ'ān) |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
晚安 (wǎn'ān) 晚上好 (wǎnshànghǎo) |
| Good night | 晚安 (wǎnān) |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
再見 [再见] (zàijiàn) 拜拜 (bàibài) |
| Good luck! | 祝你好運 (zhù nǐ háoyùn) |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
乾杯! [干杯!] (gān bēi) - "dry glass" |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
慢慢吃 (mànman chī) - eat slowly (not often used) |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
一路順風
[一路顺风] (yīlùshùnfēng) 一路平安 [一路平安] (yīlùpíngān) 一帆風順 [一帆风顺] (yīfānfēngshùn) |
| I don't know | 我不知道 (wǒ bù zhīdào) |
| Do you understand? | 你聽得懂嗎? [你听得懂吗?] (Nǐ tīngdédǒng ma?) 你明白嗎? [你明白吗?] (Nǐ míngbai ma?) |
| I understand | 我聽得懂 [我听得懂] (wǒ tīngdedǒng) 我懂 (wǒ dǒng) 我明白 (wǒ míngbai) |
| I don't understand | 我聽不懂 [我听不懂] (wǒ tīngbùdǒng) 我不懂 (wǒ bù dǒng) 我不明白 (wǒ bù míngbai) |
| Please say that again | 麻煩你再説一遍
[麻烦你再说一遍] (máfán nǐ zài shuō yībiàn) 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 English? | 你會說英語嗎？ [你会说英语吗？] (nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?) 你會講英語嗎？ [你会讲英语吗？] (nǐ huì jiǎng yīngyǔ ma?) |
| Do you speak Mandarin? | 你會不會講國語? [你会不会讲国语} (nǐ huìbúhuì jiǎng guóyŭ?) 你會不會講普通話？ [你会不会讲普通话？] (nǐ huìbúhuì jiǎng pŭtōnghuà?) 你會說中文嗎? [你会说中文吗?] (nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma?) |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
會，一點點 [会，一点点] (huì, yīdiǎndiǎn) 會，一點兒 [会，一点儿] (huì, yīdiǎnr) |
| I'm learning Mandarin | 我正在学习普通话 [我正在學習普通話] (wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí pǔtōnghuà) |
| Do you speak a language other than Mandarin? |
除了中文之外、你還會講其他的語言嗎？ [除了中文之外、你还会讲其他的语言吗？] (Chúle zhōngwén zhī wài, nǐ hái huì jiǎng qítā de yǔyán ma?) |
| 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 |
| I would like ... | 我想 ... (wǒ xiǎng ...) 我想要... (wǒ xiǎng yào ...) |
| 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) |
| Please | 麻煩你 [麻烦你] (máfán nǐ) 請 [请] (qǐng) |
| Thank you | 謝謝 [谢谢] (xièxie) 感謝你 [感谢你] (gǎnxiè nǐ) 非常感謝你 (fēicháng gǎnxiè nǐ) |
| Reply to thank you | 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 / bathroom? | 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 will pay for everything | 這位先生會清單 [这位先生会清单] (zhèiwèi xiānsheng huì qīngdān) 這位先生會埋單 [这位先生会埋单] (zhèiwèi xiānsheng huì máidān) |
| This lady will pay for everything | 這位女士會清單 [这位女士会清单] (zhèiwèi nǔshì huì qīngdān) 這位女士會埋單 [这位女士会埋单] (zhèiwèi nǔshì huì máidān) |
| Would you like to dance with me? | 你要不要跟我跳舞？ (nǐ yào bú yào gēn wǒ tiàowǔ) |
| Do you come here often? | 你常来这儿吗？ [你常來這兒嗎？] (nǐ cháng lái zhè'er ma?) 你经常来这里吗？ [你經常來這裡嗎？] (nǐ jīngcháng lái zhèlǐ ma?) |
| I miss you | 我想念你 (wǒ xiǎngniàn nǐ) 我想你 (wǒ xiǎng nǐ) |
| 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) |
| Go away! | 不要打擾我! [不要打扰我!] (búyào dǎrǎo wǒ) 别管我! (bié guǎn wǒ) |
| Leave me alone! | 不要打擾我!
[不要打扰我!] (búyào dǎrǎo wǒ) 别管我! (bié guǎn wǒ) |
| Help! | 救命啊! (jìumìng ā!) |
| Fire! | 火啊! (huǒ a!) |
| Stop! | 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) |
| Christmas greetings | 聖誕快樂 [圣诞快乐] (shèngdàn kuàilè) 聖誕節快樂 [圣诞节快乐] (shèngdànjié kuàilè) |
| New Year greetings | 新年快樂
[新年快乐] (xīnnián kuàilè) 恭喜發財 [恭喜发财] (gōngxǐ fācái) - used at Chinese New Year |
| Easter greetings | 復活節快樂 [复活节快乐] (fùhuójié kuàilè) |
| Birthday greetings | 生日快樂 [生日快乐] (shēngrì kuàilè) |
| Congratulations! | 恭喜！ (gōngxǐ) 祝贺你 [祝賀你] (zhùhè nǐ) |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | 我的氣墊船裝滿了鱔魚 [我的气垫船装满了鳝鱼] (Wǒ de qìdiànchuán zhuāngmǎn le shànyú) 我的氣墊船裝滿了鰻魚 [我的气垫船装满了鳗鱼] (Wǒ de qìdiànchuán zhuāngmǎn le mànyú) |
| 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) |
Note: the word 鱔魚 [鳝鱼] (shànyú) can be translated as eel, but refers specifically to the Asian swamp eel (monopterus albus), an eel-like fish found in China and other parts of Asia. 鰻魚 [鳗鱼] (mànyú) refers eels, that is any fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes. [Thanks to Ge Tianyu for pointing this out]
Download all the audio files (Zip format, 3.7MB)
Recordings, plus some corrections, provided by 吴蓝 (Wu Lan)
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Information about Mandarin | Phrases | Numbers | Colours | Family words | Terms of endearment | Time | Weather | Tongue twisters | Tower of Babel | Articles | Links | Learning materials
Other collections of Mandarin phrases
http://www.linguanaut.com/english_chinese.htm
https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/learn/chinese/chinese-tips/common-chinese-phrases
https://ltl-beijing.com/basic-mandarin/
https://wikitravel.org/en/Chinese_phrasebook
Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Teochew
Written Chinese: Oracle Bone Script, Simplified characters, Bopomofo, Types of characters, Structure of written Chinese, Evolution of characters, How the Chinese script works, Xiao'erjing, General Chinese
Spoken Chinese: Mandarin, Dungan, Wu, Shanghainese, Wenzhounese, Yue, Cantonese, Weitou, Min, Jian'ou, Taiwanese, Teochew, Fuzhounese, Puxian, Hakka, Xiang, Gan, How many people speak Chinese?
Other Chinese pages: Chinese numbers (數碼) | Chinese classifiers (量詞) | Electronic dictionaries | Chinese links | Books: Chinese characters and calligraphy | Cantonese | Mandarin, Shanghainese, Hokkien and Taiwanese
[top]
You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com
[top]
