Basic Mandarin || 105 (Simple) Phrases To Make Your Life Easier

Q: Can I pass HSK 1 quickly?

Within a couple of weeks of intensive Chinese at LTL you'd be passing HSK 1 with no problem. You can take a free HSK 1 vocab test here .

Q: How do you say Mandarin in Chinese?

Mandarin in Chinese is 普通话 (Pǔtōnghuà) .

Basic Mandarin 🤩 105 Hugely Useful Phrases To Learn

Learning Mandarin may seem challenging, but a few key phrases can go a long way in making meaningful connections and navigating everyday situations.

In this guide, you’ll learn essential expressions like 你好 (nǐ hǎo), meaning “hello,” and 谢谢 (xièxiè), meaning “thank you,” along with many other practical phrases for common scenarios.

Whether you’re asking for directions with 在哪里 (zài nǎlǐ), ordering local dishes in a restaurant, or seeking help in a tricky situation, this guide has got you covered.

Perfect for beginners, these phrases will give you the confidence to communicate effectively and immerse yourself in the world of Mandarin Chinese. 💪

PLAY

Basic Mandarin Greetings
Thanks in Chinese
Time in Chinese
Asking Questions in Chinese
Basic Mandarin Numbers
Places in Chinese
Vehicles in Chinese

Directions in Chinese
Likes and Dislikes in Chinese
Ordering in Chinese
Food in Chinese
Drinks in Chinese
Misunderstandings in Chinese
Help in Chinese

⬇️⬇️⬇️ Basic Mandarin Quiz ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Basic Mandarin Greetings

Hello	你好	nǐ hǎo
I am…	我是...	wǒ shì…
How are you?	你好吗?	nǐ hǎo ma
I’m good thanks	我很好的谢谢	wǒ hěn hǎo xiè xiè
Have you eaten?*	你吃了吗?	nǐ chī le ma
Nice to meet you	很高兴认识你	hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ
What is your name?	你叫什么名字?	nǐ jiào shén me míng zì？
My name is…	我叫...	wǒ jiào…
My friend’s name is…	我朋友叫...	wǒ péngyǒu jiào…
I’m from…	我来自...	wǒ lái zì…
Where are you from?	你来自哪里?	nǐ lái zì nǎ li?
Goodbye	再见	zài jiàn

*This is used as a greeting in China and isn’t really a question about if you’ve eaten!

Check out some alternate ways to say hello in Mandarin or some more about basic greetings in Chinese here.

Thanks and Related Phrases in Mandarin

Thank you	谢谢	xiè xiè
Please	请	qǐng
You’re welcome	不客气	bú kè qì
I’m sorry	对不起	duì bu qǐ
Excuse me	打扰一下	dǎ rǎo yí xià
Yes	是	shì
No	不是	bú shì
I’m good thanks	我很好谢谢	wǒ hěn hǎo xiè xiè
And you?:	你呢?	nǐ ne?

Time-Related Phrases in Chinese

Good morning (early morning)	早上好	zǎo shàng hǎo
Good morning (late morning)	上午好	shàng wǔ hǎo
Good afternoon (only to be used around midday)	中午好	zhōng wǔ hǎo
Good afternoon	下午好	xià wǔ hǎo
Good evening	晚上好	wǎn shàng hǎo
Goodnight	晚安	wǎn ān

PLAY

Asking Questions in Chinese

Where is …?	...在哪里?	… zài nǎlǐ?
How do I get to …?	怎么去...?	zěn me qù …?
How far is …?	...有多远?	…yǒu duō yuǎn?
Can you show me on a map?	你能在地图上给我看看吗?	nǐ néng zài dì tú shàng gěi wǒ kàn kan ma？
Can you write that down?	你能把它写下来吗?	nǐ néng bǎ tā xiě xià lái ma？
How much does it cost?	它的价格是多少 ?	tā de jià gé shì duō shǎo？
What is this?	这是什么?	zhè shì shén me?
What time is it?	现在几点?	xiàn zài jǐ diǎn?
Do you have …?	你有 ... 吗?	nǐ yǒu … ma?
Do you have anything cheaper?	你们有便宜一点的吗?	nǐ men yǒu pián yi yì diǎn de ma?
Do you like …?	你喜欢 ... 吗?	nǐ xǐ huan … ma?
What is the best …?	最好的 ... 是什么?	zuì hǎo de … shì shénme?
How do you say …?	... 怎么说?	… zěn me shuō?
What is fun to do in Beijing?	北京哪里好玩儿?	Běijīng nǎ lǐ hǎo wán er?
What do you recommend?	你有什么建议?	nǐ yǒu shén me jiàn yì?
Where can I …?	我在哪里可以 ...?	wǒ zài nǎ li kě yǐ …?

Basic Mandarin Numbers

One	一	yī
Two	二	ér
Three	三	sān
Four	四	sì
Five	五	wǔ
Six	六	liù
Seven	七	qī
Eight	八	bā
Nine	九	jiǔ
Ten	十	shí
One hundred	一百	yì bǎi
One thousand	一千	yì qiān

Want to go all the way to a million? Listen to all the numbers
Learn the numbers in Chinese here.

Places in Chinese

Here	这里	zhè lǐ
There	那里	nà lǐ
Place	地方	dì fang
Restaurant	餐厅	cān tīng
Cafe	咖啡馆	kā fēi guǎn
Hotel	酒店	jiǔ diàn
Airport	机场	jī chǎng
Train station	火车站	huǒ chē zhàn
Bus station	汽车站	qì chē zhàn
Supermarket	超市	chāo shì

PLAY

Vehicles in Chinese

Airplane	飞机	fēi jī
Train	火车	huǒ chē
Taxi	出租车	chū zū chē
Car	车	chē
Bus	公共汽车	gōng gòng qì chē

Check out our useful tips for learning a language

Directions in Chinese

Left	左边	zuǒ biān
Right	右边	yòu biān
Straight	直	zhí
Backwards	向后	xiàng hòu

Learn the directions in Chinese here.

Likes and Dislikes in Chinese

I like	我喜欢	wǒ xǐ huān
I don’t like	我不喜欢	wǒ bù xǐ huān
I’d like to go to…	我想去...	wǒ xiǎng qù…
I’m allergic to …	我对 ... 过敏	wǒ duì … guò mǐn

Ordering in Chinese

I would like…	我想...	wǒ xiǎng …
Do you have …?	你们有 ... 吗?	nǐmen yǒu … ma?
Do you speak English?	你会说英语吗?	nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma?
Menu, please	请给我菜单	qǐng gěi wǒ cài dān
Bill please	买单	mǎi dān
This	这	zhè
That	那	nà

Make sure your pronouncing your initials and finals correctly.

Food in Chinese

Noodles	面条	miàn tiáo
Rice	米饭	mǐ fàn
Chicken	鸡肉	jī ròu
Beef	牛肉	niú ròu
Pork	猪肉	zhū ròu
Vegetarian	素食者	sù shí zhě

Basic Mandarin tip: Expressing that you are vegetarian or vegan can be difficult in China. A good way to be understood is to say you are Buddhist (佛教) fó jiào. Typically people will understand your diet if you say this.

How to Decode a Chinese Menu Like a Pro 🍜 Chinese Menus Explained + The Complete Cheat Sheet

Chinese Menus. How to read them, how to decode them? Not so easy right? Well with our FREE Chinese Menu cheat sheet and tips, you’ll have no problems!

Drinks in Chinese

Water	水	shuǐ
Coffee	咖啡	kā fēi
Cola	可乐	kě lè
Beer	啤酒	pí jiǔ
Tea	茶	chá

PRO TIP || gānbēi (干杯) means “dry cup”, or to finish your drink. So be careful to use the term loosely.
Find out the most popular traditional Chinese dishes here.

Also when clinking glasses, be sure your glasses are at even level as high will indicate you believe yourself to be of higher status and lower will be interpreted as the opposite.

Misunderstandings in Chinese

Please say that again	请再说一遍	qǐng zài shuō yībiàn
More slowly, please	请慢嗲	qǐng màn diē
I don’t understand	我不明白	wǒ bù míng bái
I’m sorry, I don’t speak Mandarin	对不起, 我不会说汉语	duìbùqǐ, wǒ bù huì shuō hànyǔ
What does … mean?	... 是什么意思?	… shì shén me yì si

🌍 Want to learn how to apologize in another language? Check out how to say Sorry in Japanese!

Help in Chinese

Help	帮助	bāng zhù
Be careful	小心	xiǎo xīn
Danger	危险	wēi xiǎn
Emergency	紧急	jǐn jí
Fire	火	huǒ

Want all these basic mandarin phrases on flashcards?

Check out our official Pinterest account.

If you want to dig deeper into your Chinese let’s get started on some grammar structures and techniques.

1 – Basic Grammar with LTL.
2 – Complete Guide to Chinese Grammar with Saporedicina.
3 – Visit our Chinese Grammar Bank for all the Grammar in one place.

Basic Mandarin || Quiz

Fancy trying your hand at some other languages? Check out our guide to the most basic Japanese phrases you need, useful Russian phrases and a beginners guide to Korean.

And what about Vietnamese? The popularity of the language is also growing quite fast. We teach you the absolute basics for Vietnamese here.

So much to discover with LTL! Happy studying 🤩

Basic Mandarin || FAQs

Can I pass HSK 1 quickly?

Within a couple of weeks of intensive Chinese at LTL you’d be passing HSK 1 with no problem.

You can take a free HSK 1 vocab test here.

How do you say Mandarin in Chinese?

Mandarin in Chinese is 普通话 (Pǔtōnghuà).

How do you say Hello in Chinese?

Hello in Chinese is 你好 (nǐ hǎo).

How can I learn Basic Mandarin?

There are proven neurological ways to retain basic mandarin with language learning such as using images, spaced repetition systems (SRS) and instant feedback to improve retention of any language.

How long does it take to learn the basics of Mandarin?

Two elements that contribute to the time taken to learn basic mandarin are the frequency of practice and learning methods used.

Completing 1 semester at LTL Mandarin School a low-level student could expect to pass HSK 3.

How can I speak basic Chinese?

Mandarin is a tonal language. Achieving speaking basic Chinese would involve several hours practising tones, initials and finals.

From this point, learners would be able to verbalise correctly basic mandarin words.