Chinese Phrases and Common Sentences
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Chinese Phrases and Common Sentences
This page contains a table including the following: Chinese phrases, expressions and words in Chinese, conversation and idioms, Chinese greetings, and survival phrases. It also helps if you simply want to know what to say when chatting in Chinese!
Most of the sentences below are used for everyday life conversations, so they might come handy if you memorize them.
If you don't know how to say a word then check our alphabet in Chinese to get some help.
Chinese Phrases
Here you can either watch the Chinese phrases in these 2 videos or read them as text in the table below:
| English Phrases | Chinese Phrases |
|---|---|
| English Greetings | Chinese Greetings: |
| Hi! | Ni3 hao3! 你好 |
| Good morning! | zǎo shàng hǎo/ zǎo 早上好/ 早 |
| Good evening! | Xia4 wu3 hao3!/ Wan3 shang4 hao3! 下午好！/ 晚上好！ |
| Welcome! (to greet someone) | Huan2 ying2! 欢迎！ |
| How are you? | Ni3 hao3 你好！ |
| I'm fine, thanks! | Hen3 hao3! Xie4 xie4 很好！谢谢！ |
| And you? | Ni3 ne1? 你呢？ |
| Good/ So-So. | Yi1 ban1 一般！ |
| Thank you (very much)! | Xie4 xie4 谢谢！ |
| You're welcome! (for "thank you") | huan2 ying2! 欢迎！ |
| Hey! Friend! | Hai4! Peng2 you4 嗨！朋友！ |
| I missed you so much! | Duo1 xiang3 ni3 ya4 多想你呀！ |
| What's new? | You3 shen2 me xi1 qi2 de? 有什么希奇的？ |
| Nothing much | Mei2 you2! 没有！ 没有！ |
| Good night! | Wan3 an1 晚安 |
| See you later! | dài huì ér jiàn 待会儿见 |
| Good bye! | zài jiàn 再见 |
| Asking for Help and Directions | |
| I'm lost | Wo3 mi2 lu4 le. 我迷路了。 |
| Can I help you? | You3 shen2 me xu1 yao4 wo3 bang1 ni3 de? 有什么需要我帮你的？ |
| Can you help me? | Ni3 ken3 bang1 zhu4 wo3 ma? 你肯帮助我吗？ |
| Where is the (bathroom/ pharmacy)? | (Xi3 shou3 jian1/yao4 fang2) zai4 na3 li3? （洗手间／药房）在哪里？ |
| Go straight! then turn left/ right! | Zhi2 wang3 qian2 zou3! Zuo3/you4 guai3 wan1 dao4! 直往前走！左／右拐弯到！ |
| I'm looking for john. | Wo3 zai4 zhao3 yue1 han4. 我在找约翰。 |
| One moment please! | Qing3 deng3 yi1 xia4! 请等一下！ |
| Hold on please! (phone) | Qing3 shao1 hou4! 请稍后！ |
| How much is this? | Zhe4 duo1 shao3 qian2? 这多少钱？ |
| Excuse me ...! (to ask for something) | Qing3 wen4! 请问！ |
| Excuse me! ( to pass by) | Bao4 qian4! 抱歉！ |
| Come with me! | Gen1 wo3 lai2! 跟我来！ |
| How to Introduce Yourself | |
|---|---|
| Do you speak (English/ Chinese)? | Ni3 hui4 shuo1 (ying1 yu2/ han4 yu2) ma2? 会一点点。 |
| Just a little. | Hui4 yi1 dian3 dian3. 会一点点。 |
| What's your name? | Ni3 jiao4 shen2 me ming2 zi4? 你叫什么名字？ |
| My name is ... | Wo3 jiao4…… 我叫… |
| Mr.../ Mrs.…/ Miss… | ……Xian1 sheng/……Nü3 shi4/……Xiao3 jie2 ……先生／……女士／……小姐 |
| Nice to meet you! | Ni3 hao3! 你好！ |
| You're very kind! | Ni3 zhen1 hao3! Ni3 zhen1 hao3! 你真好！ |
| Where are you from? | Ni3 cong2 na3 li lai2? 你从哪里来？ |
| I'm from (the U.S/ China) | Wo3 cong2 (mei3 guo1/ zhong1 guo1) lai2. 我从（美国／中国）来。 |
| I'm (American) | Wo3 shi4……(mei3 guo1) ren2. 我是……（美国）人。 |
| Where do you live? | Ni3 zai4 na3 li zhu4? 你在哪里住？ |
| I live in (the U.S/ China) | Wo3 zai4 (mei3 guo1/ fa3 guo1) zhu4. 我在（美国／法国）住。 |
| Did you like it here? | Zhe4 li zhu4 de guan4 ma? 这里住得惯吗？ |
| China is a wonderful country | Zhong1 guo2 shi4 ge4 mei3 hao3 de guo2 jia1. 中国是个美好的国家。 |
| What do you do for a living? | Ni3 shi4 gan4 shen2 me de? 你是干什么的？ |
| I work as a (translator/ businessman) | Wo3 shi4 (fan1 yi2). 我是（翻译）。 |
| I like Chinese | Wo3 xi3 huan1 han4 yu3. 我喜欢汉语。 |
| I've been learning Chinese for 1 month | Wo3 xue2 han4 yu3 yi1 ge4 yue4 le. 我学汉语一个月了。 |
| Oh! That's good! | O4! Tai4 hao3 la4! 噢！太好啦！ |
| How old are you? | Ni3 ji3 sui4 le? 你几岁了？ |
| I'm (twenty, thirty...) years old. | Wo3 (er4 shi2/ san1 shi2) sui4 le. 我（二十／三十）岁了。 |
| I have to go | Wo3 gai1 zou3 le. 我该走了。 |
| I will be right back! | Wo3 guo4 yi1 hui2r jiu4 hui2 lai2! 我过一会儿就回来！ |
| Wish Someone Something | |
| Good luck! | Zhu4 ni3 hao3 yun4! 祝你好运！ |
| Happy birthday! | Zhu4 ni3 sheng1 ri1 kuai4 le4! 祝你生日快乐！ |
| Happy new year! | Xin1 nian2 kuai4 le4! 新年快乐！ |
| Merry Christmas! | Sheng4 dan4 kuai4 le4! 圣诞快乐！ |
| Congratulations! | Zhu4 he4/Gong1 xi3! 祝贺／恭喜！ |
| Enjoy! (for meals...) | Qing3 yong4 can1! 请用餐！ |
| I'd like to visit China one day | Zong3 you3 yi1 tian1 wo3 hui4 qu4 zhong1 guo2. 总有一天我会去中国。 |
| Say hi to John for me | Ti4 wo3 xiang4 yue1 han4 wen4 hao3. 替我向（约翰) 问好． /td> |
| Bless you (when sneezing) | Gan3 mao4 le, mei2 shi4 ba? 感冒了，没事吧？ |
| Good night and sweet dreams! | Wan3 an1 & zuo4 ge4 mei3 meng4! 晚安&做个美梦！ |
| Solving a Misunderstanding | |
| I'm Sorry! (if you don't hear something) | Dui4 bu4 qi3! 对不起！ |
| Sorry (for a mistake) | Bao4 qian4! 抱歉！ |
| No Problem! | Mei2 wen4 ti2! 没问题！ |
| Can You Say It Again? | Shen4 me? Zai4 shuo1 yi1 bian4! 什么！再说一遍！ |
| Can You Speak Slowly? | Qing3 zai4 shuo1 yi1 bian4! 请再说一遍！ |
| Write It Down Please! | Qing3 ji4 xia4! 请记下！ |
| I Don't Understand! | Wo3 bu4 dong3! 我不懂！ |
| I Don't Know! | Wo3 bu4 zhi1 dao4! 我不知道！ |
| I Have No Idea. | Wo3 ye3 bu4 zhi1 dao4! 我也不知道！ |
| What's That Called In Chinese? | Na4 zai4 han4 yu3 li jiao4 shen2 me? 那在汉语里叫什么？ |
| What Does "gato" Mean In English? | "ni hao" zai4 ying1 yu3 li zen3 me shuo1? “ni hao”在英语里怎么说？ |
| How Do You Say "Please" In Chinese? | "Please" zai4 han4 yu3 li zen3 me shuo1? “Please”在汉语里怎么说？ |
| What Is This? | Zhe4 shi4 shen2 me? 这是什么？ |
| My Chinese is bad. | Wo3 han4 yu3 shuo1 de bu4 hao2. 我汉语说的不好。 |
| I need to practice my Chinese | Wo3 xu1 yao4 lian4 xi2 han4 yu3. 我需要练习汉语。 |
| Don't worry! | Bie2 dan1 xin1! 别担心！ |
| Chinese Expressions and Words | |
| Good/ Bad/ So-So. | Hao3/ zao1/ yi1 ban1 好／糟／一般 |
| Big/ Small | Da4/ xiao3 大／小 |
| Today/ Now | Jin1 tian1/ xian4 zai4 今天／现在 |
| Tomorrow/ Yesterday | Ming2 tian1/ zuo3 tian1 明天／昨天 |
| Yes/ No | Shi4/ bu4 是／不 |
| Here you go! (when giving something) | Na2 qu4! 拿去！ |
| Do you like it? | Ni3 xi3 huan1 ma? 你喜欢吗？ |
| I really like it! | Tai4 hao3 la4! 太好了！ |
| I'm hungry/ thirsty. | Wo3 e4 le/ Wo3 ke1 le. 我饿了／我渴了。 |
| In The Morning/ Evening/ At Night. | Zao3 shang4/wan3 shang4/ye4 li. 早上／晚上／夜里 |
| This/ That. Here/There | Zhe4/ na4. Zhe4 li/ Na4 li 这／那。这里／那里 |
| Me/ You. Him/ Her. | Wo3/ ni3. Ta3/ ta3 我／你。他／她 |
| Really! | Dang4 zhen1? 当真？ |
| Look! | Kan4! 看！ |
| Hurry up! | Kuai4 dian3! 快点！ |
| What? Where? | Shen4 me? Na3 li? 什么？哪里？ |
| What time is it? | Ji3 dian3 le? 几点了？ |
| It's 10 o'clock. 07:30pm. | Shi3 dian3 le. Qi1 dian3 ban4. 十点了。七点半。 |
| Give me this! | Gei1 wo3! 给我！ |
| I love you! | Wo3 ai4 ni3! 我爱你！ |
| I feel sick. | Wo3 you3 dian3 bu4 shu1 fu. 我有点不舒服。 |
| I need a doctor | Wo3 yao4 kan4 yi1 sheng1. 我要看医生。 |
| One, Two, Three | yi1, er4, san1 一、二、三 |
| Four, Five, Six | Si4, wu3 liu4 四、五、六 |
| Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten | Qi1, ba1, jiu3, shi2 七、八、九、十 |
I hope the content of this page was useful to you, and that you learned some Chinese phrases (Mandarin), expressions and words. Try to memorize them to be able to use them in your daily conversation. Make sure to check our Learn Chinese page, which contains several lessons that might help you in your learning process.