Chinese for Travel: 30 Phrases That Actually Help

You can travel in China, Taiwan and Singapore with very little Mandarin, but a few phrases change how people treat you and make your trip easier. Here are thirty, grouped by situation. Each is shown with characters and pinyin, and you can hear and practise most of them in the Chinese phrasebook.

Greetings and politeness

• 你好 nǐ hǎo: hello
• 谢谢 xièxie: thank you
• 不客气 bú kèqi: you are welcome
• 对不起 duìbuqǐ: sorry
• 没关系 méi guānxi: it does not matter, no problem
• 再见 zàijiàn: goodbye
• 请 qǐng: please (also "please go ahead")

When you do not understand

• 我不明白 wǒ bù míngbai: I do not understand
• 请再说一遍 qǐng zài shuō yí biàn: please say it once more
• 你会说英语吗？ nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?: do you speak English?
• 请帮我 qǐng bāng wǒ: please help me

Shopping and prices

• 多少钱？ duōshao qián?: how much is it?
• 太贵了 tài guì le: that is too expensive
• 便宜一点儿 piányi yìdiǎnr: a bit cheaper, please
• 我要这个 wǒ yào zhège: I would like this one
• 可以刷卡吗？ kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma?: can I pay by card?

Getting around

• 请问，洗手间在哪儿？ qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?: excuse me, where is the toilet?
• 我想去机场 wǒ xiǎng qù jīchǎng: I want to go to the airport
• 火车站 huǒchēzhàn: train station
• 地铁站 dìtiězhàn: metro station
• 往左 / 往右 wǎng zuǒ / wǎng yòu: to the left / to the right
• 一直走 yìzhí zǒu: go straight on
• 我迷路了 wǒ mílù le: I am lost

Eating and drinking

• 菜单 càidān: menu
• 我要一杯水 wǒ yào yì bēi shuǐ: I would like a glass of water
• 我不吃肉 wǒ bù chī ròu: I do not eat meat
• 买单 mǎidān: the bill, please

Hotel and emergencies

• 我要一间房 wǒ yào yì jiān fáng: I would like a room
• 有无线网吗？ yǒu wúxiànwǎng ma?: is there Wi-Fi?
• 我需要医生 wǒ xūyào yīshēng: I need a doctor

How the phrases are built

Many of them follow one pattern: 我要 + something ("I want / I would like") or 我想去 + place ("I want to go to"). Learn the pattern and you can swap words: 我要一杯茶 wǒ yào yì bēi chá (a cup of tea), 我想去火车站 wǒ xiǎng qù huǒchēzhàn. The measure-word guide explains the 杯 bēi in "一杯".

Questions are easy to make: add 吗 ma to a statement. 你会说英语 becomes 你会说英语吗？ with no change in word order.

Practise them in situations

Phrases stay in memory when you use them in a scene. Try these:

• The airport and taxi for arrival.
• The hotel for checking in.
• The restaurant and cafe for ordering.
• Directions and the metro for getting around.
• The doctor for when you are unwell.

In each, you hear the other person, choose the right reply, and see why a wrong reply does not work.

Tips that matter more than the phrases

• Tones first on the five words you will use most: 你好, 谢谢, 再见, 多少钱, 对不起.
• Show, do not only say. Point at the menu, show a written address, or type in a translation app and show the screen. Many places in China use mobile payment, so check what payment methods work for visitors before you go.
• Learn numbers. Prices, times and room numbers are all numbers. See Chinese numbers, dates and money.
• Smile and try. People notice the attempt, not the mistakes.

Three habits that make a trip smoother

Learn to say a number out loud. Prices, platform numbers and room numbers all depend on it, and you can learn 1 to 10 in ten minutes. Keep your destination written in characters. A taxi driver can read an address you show on a phone faster than he can decode your pronunciation of it. Say the polite words first. A short 你好 before a question and 谢谢 after the answer are the quickest way to a friendly reply, and in many shops and restaurants staff will switch to simple English or point and gesture to help.

If something goes wrong, 请帮我 qǐng bāng wǒ and 我需要医生 wǒ xūyào yīshēng are the two phrases to have ready. Write the emergency numbers of the country you are visiting on paper or in your phone, together with the address of your hotel in characters, so that anyone can help you find your way back.

Hear every phrase in a real scene: open the phrasebook and pick your first situation.