Beginner Mandarin guide · 18 min read
40 Basic Chinese Phrases for Beginners
Learn 40 useful Mandarin Chinese phrases with tone-marked pinyin, natural English meanings, usage notes, and practical examples.
Published
You do not need hundreds of sentences to begin communicating in Mandarin. A small set of flexible phrases can help you greet people, introduce yourself, ask simple questions, and recover when you do not understand.
Each phrase below includes tone-marked pinyin and a natural example. Read the usage note before memorizing it: a literal translation does not always show when a phrase sounds natural in real conversation.
Greetings and politeness
Use these phrases to open and close everyday conversations politely.
你好
Hello
Hello, my name is Anna.
您好
Hello (polite)
Hello, may I ask your surname?
早上好
Good morning
Good morning, teacher!
晚上好
Good evening
Good evening, everyone.
谢谢
Thank you
Thank you for your help.
不客气
You're welcome
You're welcome. It's what I should do.
对不起
I'm sorry
I'm sorry I'm late.
没关系
It's okay; no problem
It's okay. Don't worry.
Introducing yourself
Replace the dots with your own name, country, city, or occupation.
我叫……
My name is…
My name is David.
你叫什么名字？
What's your name?
Hello, what's your name?
我是……
I am…
I'm a new student.
很高兴认识你
Nice to meet you
Nice to meet you. I'm also learning Chinese.
我来自……
I come from…
I come from Canada.
我住在……
I live in…
I live in Shanghai now.
我在学中文
I'm learning Chinese
I'm learning Chinese, but I don't speak it very well.
你会说英语吗？
Do you speak English?
Excuse me, do you speak English?
When you do not understand
These repair phrases keep a conversation going when your Chinese is still limited.
我听不懂
I don't understand what I'm hearing
Sorry, I don't understand.
请再说一遍
Please say it again
I didn't hear clearly. Please say it again.
请说慢一点
Please speak a little more slowly
My Chinese isn't very good. Please speak a little more slowly.
这是什么意思？
What does this mean?
What does this word mean?
这个用中文怎么说？
How do you say this in Chinese?
How do you say this in Chinese?
你能写下来吗？
Can you write it down?
Can you write this address down?
我不知道
I don't know
Sorry, I don't know.
我明白了
I understand now
Okay, I understand now.
Everyday needs
Use these flexible patterns while shopping, eating, arranging a time, or finding a place.
多少钱？
How much is it?
Excuse me, how much is this?
我想要这个
I'd like this one
I'd like this one, thank you.
有没有……？
Do you have…?; Is there…?
Do you have an English menu?
洗手间在哪里？
Where is the restroom?
Excuse me, where is the restroom?
现在几点？
What time is it now?
Excuse me, what time is it?
今天几号？
What's today's date?
What month and date is it today?
请给我……
Please give me…
Please give me a glass of water.
可以吗？
Is that okay?; May I?
May I sit here?
Getting help
Learn these before a trip so you can communicate clearly in an urgent situation.
请帮帮我
Please help me
Excuse me, please help me.
我迷路了
I'm lost
I'm lost. Where is the subway station?
我需要帮助
I need help
My friend is injured. I need help.
我不舒服
I don't feel well
I don't feel well and want to go to a hospital.
请叫救护车
Please call an ambulance
Someone is injured. Please call an ambulance!
请报警
Please call the police
My bag was stolen. Please call the police.
最近的医院在哪里？
Where is the nearest hospital?
Excuse me, where is the nearest hospital?
我丢了护照
I lost my passport
I lost my passport. What should I do?
How to practice these phrases
- Choose eight phrases from one section instead of trying to memorize all forty at once.
- Say each example aloud and replace one detail, such as the name, place, object, or time.
- Practice the repair phrases first. Being able to ask someone to repeat or slow down keeps a real conversation going.
Put it into practice
Practise the Chinese you just learned
Paste a word, phrase, or passage to hear it in Mandarin and follow the text with karaoke highlighting.
Hear Chinese read aloud →Frequently asked questions
Is Mandarin Chinese the same as Chinese?
Chinese includes several spoken varieties. This guide teaches Standard Mandarin, the national standard in mainland China and a widely used standard variety in Taiwan and Singapore.
Do I need to learn Chinese characters before speaking?
No. Pinyin can help you begin speaking, but learning characters early helps you read signs, messages, menus, and dictionaries without depending on romanization.
Why do some written tones sound different in speech?
Mandarin has tone-change rules. For example, 不 is written bù but is pronounced bú before another fourth-tone syllable. The pinyin here reflects common connected speech where it helps beginners.
How should I practice these phrases?
Learn them in small groups, listen to native audio when available, repeat complete examples, and substitute your own names, places, and needs rather than memorizing isolated words.