You don't need to speak Mandarin to have a wonderful trip to China! A few simple phrases and the right translation app will take you a very long way.
Most Chinese people are delighted when foreign visitors try to speak even a few words of Mandarin. Don't worry about perfect pronunciation — a friendly smile and an attempt will always be appreciated. Locals will usually help you out enthusiastically!
These are the phrases you will use most often. Study them at home and refer to the table whenever you need a reminder.
How to read the pronunciation: The letters in brackets show how each word sounds in English. For example, nǐ hǎo sounds like "nee how".
| What You Want to Say | Chinese Characters | Pronunciation (Pinyin) |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | 你好 | Nǐ hǎo (nee-how) |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | Xièxiè (syeh-syeh) |
| Thank you very much | 非常感谢 | Fēicháng gǎnxiè (fay-chang-gahn-syeh) |
| You're welcome | 不客气 | Bù kèqì (boo kuh-chee) |
| Sorry / Excuse me | 对不起 | Duìbuqǐ (dway-boo-chee) |
| Yes | 是的 | Shì de (shir-duh) |
| No | 不是 | Bú shì (boo-shir) |
| Goodbye | 再见 | Zàijiàn (zye-jyen) |
| What You Want to Say | Chinese Characters | Pronunciation (Pinyin) |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the toilet / bathroom? | 厕所在哪里？ | Cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? (tsuh-swoh zye nah-lee) |
| I want to go to… | 我要去… | Wǒ yào qù… (woh yow choo) |
| How much does it cost? | 多少钱？ | Duōshǎo qián? (dwoh-shaow chyen) |
| Too expensive! | 太贵了！ | Tài guì le! (tie gway luh) |
| Can you give me a discount? | 可以便宜一点吗？ | Kěyǐ piányí yīdiǎn ma? (kuh-yee pyen-yee yee-dyen mah) |
| Turn left | 左转 | Zuǒ zhuǎn (zwoh jwahn) |
| Turn right | 右转 | Yòu zhuǎn (yo jwahn) |
| Straight ahead | 直走 | Zhí zǒu (jir zoh) |
| Stop here please | 请在这里停 | Qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíng (ching zye juh-lee ting) |
| What You Want to Say | Chinese Characters | Pronunciation (Pinyin) |
|---|---|---|
| I would like to order | 我要点菜 | Wǒ yào diǎncài (woh yow dyen-tsye) |
| The bill please | 买单 | Mǎidān (my-dahn) |
| I am vegetarian | 我吃素 | Wǒ chī sù (woh chir-soo) |
| No spicy food please | 不要辣 | Bú yào là (boo yow lah) |
| Delicious! | 很好吃！ | Hěn hǎochī! (hen how-chir) |
| Water please | 请给我水 | Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ (ching gay woh shway) |
| What You Want to Say | Chinese Characters | Pronunciation (Pinyin) |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | 救命！ | Jiùmìng! (jyoh-ming) |
| Call the police | 打警察 | Dǎ jǐngchá (dah jing-chah) |
| I need a doctor | 我需要医生 | Wǒ xūyào yīshēng (woh shoo-yow yee-shung) |
| I am lost | 我迷路了 | Wǒ mílù le (woh mee-loo luh) |
| I don't understand | 我不明白 | Wǒ bù míngbái (woh boo ming-by) |
| Do you speak English? | 你会说英语吗？ | Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? (nee hway shwoh ying-yoo mah) |
Even with a printed phrasebook, there will be times when you need to communicate something more complex. Here are the best free translation apps to download before you travel.
Google Translate is excellent, but Google is blocked in China. The solution: download the Chinese language pack for offline use before you leave home. Open Google Translate → tap the language → "Download". You can then use it without internet. It even has a camera mode to translate menus and signs instantly.
Youdao is a Chinese app that works fully inside China without a VPN. It is excellent for English-Chinese translation and includes a camera translation feature. Download it from your App Store. It's free and very reliable.
Baidu Translate also works inside China without a VPN. It is made by China's biggest tech company. The voice translation feature is particularly useful in restaurants and shops — hold your phone up and speak, then show the screen to the person you're talking to.
If you'd like to learn a little Mandarin before your trip, Pleco is the best Chinese dictionary app available. It has flashcards, example sentences, and even stroke-order guides for Chinese characters. Completely free for the basic version.
Both Google Translate and Youdao have a "Camera" mode where you point your phone camera at Chinese text (a menu, a sign, a label) and it instantly shows you the English translation overlaid on your screen. This works brilliantly in restaurants! Download Google Translate's offline Chinese pack before you leave home.
Write down your hotel's name and address in Chinese — show this to taxi drivers or when asking for directions. Your hotel's business card usually has this. Ask the front desk for several copies!
Smile and be patient — even if neither of you understands the other, a warm smile and relaxed attitude almost always gets you to a solution. People want to help.
Use fingers for numbers — In China, hand signals for numbers 6–10 are different from Western countries. Learn them before you go: 6 = pinky and thumb extended; 7 = three fingers bent; 8 = thumb and index like a gun shape; 9 = index finger curled; 10 = crossed index fingers.
Show, don't tell — Use Google Maps or Baidu Maps to show the driver exactly where you want to go on the screen. No language needed at all!
Learn to recognise a few key Chinese characters — Even if you can't read, recognising the characters for 出口 (exit), 入口 (entrance), 地铁 (metro), 厕所 (toilet) and 酒店 (hotel) will make navigating much easier.
Next: practical tips for getting around China comfortably:
🗺️ Practical Tips Guide →