Phrase Book

The Chinese language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages and uses characters which are ideographic – a symbol is used to represent an idea or an object. Mandarin Chinese, known as Putonghua in mainland China, is fairly straightforward as each character is monosyllabic. Traditionally, Chinese is written in vertical columns from top right to bottom left, however the Western style is widely used. There are several Romanization systems; the Pinyin system used here is the official system in mainland China. This phrase book gives the English word or phrase, followed by the Chinese script, then the Pinyin.

Guidelines

Pronounce vowels as in these English words:

a = as in “father”

e = as in “lurch”

i = as in “see”

o = as in “solid”

u = as in “pooh”

ü = as the French u or German ü (place your lips to say “oo” and try to say “ee”)

Letter combinations

Most of the consonants are pronounced as in English. As a rough guide, pronounce the following consonants as in these English words:

c = as ts in “hats”

q = as ch in “cheat”

x = as sh in “sheet”

z = as ds in “heads”

zh = as j in “Joe”

Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language with four tones, represented in Pinyin by one of the following marks above each vowel – the symbol shows whether the tone is flat, rising, falling and rising, or falling. The Chinese characters do not convey this information: tones are learnt when the character is learnt. Teaching tones is beyond the scope of this small phrase book, but a language course book with a CD or app will help those who wish to take the language farther.

Dialects

There are many Chinese dialects in use. It is hard to guess exactly how many, but they can be roughly classified into one of seven large groups (Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Hui, etc.), each group containing a large number of more minor dialects. Although all these dialects are quite different – Cantonese uses six tones instead of four – Mandarin or Putonghua, which is mainly based on the Beijing dialect, is the official language. Despite these differences all Chinese people are more or less able to use the same formal written language so they can understand each other’s writing, if not each other’s speech.

In an Emergency

Help! TopTen Qing bangmang
Stop! TopTen Ting zhu
Call a doctor! TopTen Jiao yisheng
Call an ambulance! TopTen Jiao jiuhuche
Call the police! TopTen Jiao jiingcha
Fire! TopTen Huo
Where is the hospital/police station? TopTen TopTen Yiyuan/jingcha fenju zai nali ?

Communication Essentials

Hello TopTen Nihao
Goodbye TopTen Zaijian
Yes/No TopTen Shi/Bushi
… not … TopTen bushi
I’m from… TopTen Wo shi ... ren
I understand TopTen Wo mingbai
I don’t know TopTen Wo bu zhidao
Thank you TopTen Xiexie ni
Thank you very much TopTen Duo xie
Thanks (casual) TopTen Xiexie
You’re welcome TopTen Bu yong xie
No, thank you TopTen Bu, xiexie ni
Please (offering) TopTen Qing
Please (asking) TopTen Qing wen
I don’t understand TopTen Wo Bu mingbai
Sorry/Excuse me! TopTen TopTen Baoqian/Duibuqi
Could you help me please? (not emergency) TopTen TopTen Ni neng bang zhu wo ma?

Useful Phrases

My name is …. TopTen Wo jiao ...
Goodbye TopTen Zaijian
What is (this)? TopTen (zhe) shi shenme?
Could I possibly have ...? TopTen TopTen Neng buneng qing ni gei
(very polite) Is there … here? TopTen wo ...? Zhe’r you ... ma?
Where can I get ...? TopTen TopTen Wo zai na li keyi de dao ...?
How much is it? TopTen Ta yao duoshao qian?
What time is …? TopTen ... shenme shijian?
Cheers! (toast) TopTen Ganbei!
Where is the restroom/toilet? TopTen TopTen Weishengjian/Xishoujian zai nali?

Signs

open TopTen kai
closed TopTen guan
entrance TopTen renkou
exit TopTen chukou
danger TopTen weixian
emergency exit TopTen anquanmen
information TopTen xinxi
restroom TopTen Weishengjian/
toilet TopTen Xishoujian
men TopTen nanshi
women TopTen nüshi

Money

bank TopTen yinhang
cash TopTen xianjin
credit card TopTen xinyongka
currency exchange office TopTen waihui duihuanchu
dollars TopTen meiyuan
pounds TopTen yingbang
yuan TopTen yuan

Keeping in Touch

Where is a telephone? TopTen Dianhua zai nali?
May I use your phone? TopTen TopTen Wo keyi yong nide dianhua ma?
cell phone TopTen shouji
sim card TopTen sim ka
Hello, this is ... TopTen Nihao, wo shi...
airmail TopTen hangkong
email TopTen dianzi youjian
fax TopTen chuanzhen
Internet TopTen hulianwang
postcard TopTen mingxinpian
post office TopTen youju
stamp TopTen youpiao
telephone card TopTen dianhua ka

Shopping

Where can I buy ...? TopTen TopTen Wo keyi zai nali maidao ...?
How much does this cost? TopTen Zhe yao duo-shao qian?
Too expensive! TopTen Tai gui le!
Do you have ...? TopTen Ni you … ma?
May I try this on? TopTen Wo keyi shi chuan ma?
Please show me that. TopTen TopTen Qing gei wo kankan na ge.

Sightseeing

Where is ...? TopTen ... zai nali?
How do I get to ...? TopTen Wo zenme dao ...?
Is it far? TopTen Yuan bu yuan?
bridge TopTen qiao
city TopTen chengshi
city center TopTen shi zhongxin
gardens TopTen huayuan
mountain TopTen shan
museum TopTen bowuguan
palace TopTen gongdian
park TopTen gongyuan
port TopTen gangkou
river TopTen jiang, he
ruins TopTen feixu
shopping area TopTen gouwu qu
shrine TopTen shendian
street TopTen jie
temple TopTen si/miao
town TopTen zhen
village TopTen cun
zoo TopTen dongwuyuan
north TopTen bei
south TopTen nan
east TopTen dong
west TopTen xi
left/right TopTen zuo/you
straight ahead TopTen yizhi xiangqian

Getting Around

airport TopTen jichang
bicycle TopTen zixingche
I want to rent a bicycle. TopTen TopTen Wo xiang zu yiliang zixingche.
ordinary bus TopTen gonggong qiche
express bus TopTen tekuai gong-gong qiche
minibus TopTen mianbaoche
main bus station TopTen gonggong qiche zong zhan
Which bus goes to …? TopTen TopTen Nayilu gong-gong qiche dao ... qu?
Please tell me where to get off. TopTen TopTen Qing gaosu wo zai nali xia che.
car TopTen xiaoqiche
ferry TopTen duchuan
baggage room TopTen xingli shi
one-way ticket TopTen dancheng piao
return ticket TopTen wangfan piao
taxi TopTen chuzuche
ticket TopTen piao
ticket office TopTen shoupiao chu
timetable TopTen shikebiao

Accommodations

air-conditioning TopTen kongtiao
bath TopTen xizao
check out TopTen tui fang
deposit TopTen dingjin
double bed TopTen shuangren chuang
hair dryer TopTen chuifeng ji
room TopTen fangjian
economy room TopTen jingji fang
key TopTen yaoshi
front desk TopTen qiantai
single/ TopTen danren/
twin room TopTen shuangren fang
single beds TopTen danren chuang
shower TopTen linyu
standard room TopTen biaozhun fangjian
deluxe suite TopTen haohua taofang

Eating Out

May I see the menu? TopTen TopTen Qing gei wo kankan caidan?
Is there a set menu? TopTen You meiyou taocan?
I’d like …. TopTen Wo xiang yao...
May I have one of those? TopTen Qing gei wo zhege?
I am a vegetarian. TopTen Wo shi sushizhe.
Waiter/Waitress! TopTen Fuwuyuan!
May I have a fork/knife/spoon TopTen TopTen Qing gei wo yiba cha/dao/tangshi
May we have the check please. TopTen TopTen Qing ba zhangdan kaigei women.
breakfast TopTen zaocan
buffet TopTen zizhucan
chopsticks TopTen kuaizi
dinner TopTen wancan
to drink TopTen he
to eat TopTen chi
food TopTen shipin
full (stomach) TopTen bao
hot/cold TopTen re/leng
hungry TopTen e
lunch TopTen wucan
set menu TopTen taocan
spicy TopTen suan la
hot (spicy) TopTen la
sweet TopTen tian
mild TopTen dan
Western food TopTen xi can
restaurant TopTen canguan
restaurant (upscale) TopTen fandian

Food

apple TopTen pingguo
bacon TopTen xianrou
bamboo shoots TopTen sun
beancurd TopTen doufu
bean sprouts TopTen dou ya
beans TopTen dou
beef TopTen niurou
bread TopTen mianbao
butter TopTen huangyou
chicken TopTen ji
crab TopTen xie
duck TopTen ya
eel TopTen man
egg TopTen dan
eggplant TopTen qiezi
fermented soybean paste TopTen jiang
fish TopTen yu
fried egg TopTen chao dan
fried tofu TopTen you doufuu
fruit TopTen shuiguo
ginger TopTen jiang
ice cream TopTen bingqilin
meat TopTen rou
melon TopTen gua
noodles TopTen mian
egg noodles TopTen jidan mian
wheat flour noodles TopTen mianfen mian
rice flour noodles TopTen mifen mian
omelet TopTen jiandanbing
onion TopTen yangcong
peach TopTen taozi
pepper TopTen hujiaofen, lajiao
pickles TopTen paocai
pork TopTen zhurou
potato TopTen tudou
rice TopTen mifan
rice crackers TopTen baomihua bing’gan
salad TopTen sala
salmon TopTen TopTen guiyu, damahayu
salt TopTen yan
scallion TopTen jiucong
seaweed TopTen haidai
shrimp TopTen xia
soup TopTen tang
soy sauce TopTen jiangyou
squid TopTen youyu
steak TopTen niupai
sugar TopTen tang
vegetables TopTen shucai
yoghurt TopTen suannai

Drinks

beer TopTen pijiu
black tea TopTen hong cha
coffee (hot) TopTen (re) kafei
fruit juice TopTen guo zhi
rice wine TopTen mi jiu
green tea TopTen lü cha
iced coffee TopTen bing kafei
milk TopTen niunai
mineral water TopTen kuang quanshui
orange juice TopTen cheng zhi
wine TopTen putaojiu

Numbers

0 TopTen ling
1 TopTen yi
2 TopTen er
3 TopTen san
4 TopTen si
5 TopTen wu
6 TopTen liu
7 TopTen qi
8 TopTen ba
9 TopTen jiu
10 TopTen shi
11 TopTen shiyi
12 TopTen shier
20 TopTen ershi
21 TopTen ershi yi
22 TopTen ershi er
30 TopTen sanshi
40 TopTen sishi
100 TopTen yi bai
101 TopTen yi bai ling yi
200 TopTen er bai

Time

Monday TopTen xingqiyi
Tuesday TopTen xingqi’er
Wednesday TopTen xingqisan
Thursday TopTen xingqisi
Friday TopTen xingqiwu
Saturday TopTen xingqiliu
Sunday TopTen xingqitian
today TopTen jintian
yesterday TopTen zuotian
tomorrow TopTen mingtian
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