Learn Mandarin Chinese ten words at a time
Ten short games: the 102 most useful Mandarin Chinese words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Greetings and politeness
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- 你好nee-HOW
- Hello
- 早上好dzow-shang-HOW
- Good morning
- 晚上好wan-shang-HOW
- Good evening
- 再见dzai-JYEN
- Goodbye
- 回头见hway-toh JYEN
- See you
- 请ching
- Please
- 谢谢SHYEH-shyeh
- Thank you
- 不客气boo-kuh-CHEE
- You're welcome
- 对不起dway-boo-CHEE
- Sorry
- 不好意思boo-how-EE-suh
- Excuse me
- 很高兴认识你hen gow-SHING ren-shir nee
- Nice to meet you
Order anything by pointing
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu.
- 我想要...wo SHYANG-yow
- I would like...
- 这个JAY-guh
- This one
- 多少钱dwo-shao CHYEN
- How much is it?
- 买单my-DAN
- The bill, please
- 刷卡shwa-KA
- By card
- 现金shyen-JIN
- In cash
- 水shway
- Water
- 咖啡ka-FAY
- Coffee
- 茶CHAH
- Tea
- 啤酒pee-JYOH
- Beer
- 不要...boo-YOW
- Without...
Yes, no and the essentials
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it.
- 是shir
- Yes
- 不是boo-SHIR
- No
- 好how
- Okay
- 听不懂ting-boo-DONG
- I don't understand
- 你会说英语吗nee hway shwo ying-YOO ma
- Do you speak English?
- 请再说一遍ching dzai shwo ee-BYEN
- Can you repeat that?
- 请说慢一点ching shwo MAN ee-dyen
- Slowly, please
- 这是什么？juh shir SHUN-muh
- What is this?
- 我需要...wo shyoo-YOW
- I need...
- 你能帮我吗？nee nung BANG wo ma
- Can you help me?
Counting to ten
One to ten, for prices, platforms, rooms and how many beers.
- 一ee
- One
- 二ar
- Two
- 三san
- Three
- 四suh
- Four
- 五woo
- Five
- 六lyoh
- Six
- 七chee
- Seven
- 八bah
- Eight
- 九jyoh
- Nine
- 十shir
- Ten
Shops and hotels
Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk.
- 有没有yoh-may-YOH
- Do you have...?
- 在哪里dzai NA-lee
- Where is...?
- 营业中ying-yeh-JONG
- Open
- 关门gwan-MUN
- Closed
- 要袋子吗yow DAI-dzuh ma
- A bag?
- 太贵了tai-GWAY-luh
- Too expensive
- 我有预订wo yoh yoo-DING
- I have a reservation
- 含早餐吗？han dzow-TSAN ma
- Is breakfast included?
- WiFi密码是什么？WAI-fai mee-MA shir SHUN-muh
- What's the wifi password?
- 可以...吗？kuh-YEE ... ma
- Can I...?
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen.
- 两位lyang-WAY
- A table for two
- 菜单，谢谢tsai-DAN, SHYEH-shyeh
- The menu, please
- 有什么推荐？yoh SHUN-muh tway-JYEN
- What do you recommend?
- 我不吃...wo boo CHIR
- I don't eat...
- 我对...过敏wo dway ... gwo-MIN
- I'm allergic to...
- 肉roh
- Meat
- 鸡肉jee-ROH
- Chicken
- 鱼yoo
- Fish
- 好吃how-CHIR
- It's delicious
- 干杯gan-BAY
- Cheers
Meeting people
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes.
- 您好吗neen-HOW-ma
- How are you?
- 我很好wo hen-HOW
- I'm fine, thanks
- 你呢nee-NUH
- And you?
- 你叫什么名字？nee jyow SHUN-muh ming-dzuh
- What's your name?
- 我叫...wo JYOW
- My name is...
- 你是哪国人？nee shir NA-gwo-ren
- Where are you from?
- 我来自...wo lai-DZUH
- I'm from...
- 我很喜欢wo hen shee-HWAN
- I like it
- 很漂亮hen pyow-LYANG
- It's beautiful
- 欢迎hwan-YING
- Welcome
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- 洗手间在哪里shee-shoh-JYEN dzai NA-lee
- Where is the toilet?
- 去...怎么走？chyoo ... DZEN-muh dzoh
- How do I get to...?
- 左边DZWO-byen
- To the left
- 右边YOH-byen
- To the right
- 一直走ee-jir-DZOH
- Straight ahead
- 这里JUH-lee
- Here
- 火车站hwo-chuh-JAN
- Train station
- 公交车gong-jyow-CHUH
- Bus
- 机场jee-CHANG
- Airport
- 一张票ee-jang PYOW
- One ticket, please
Time and days
Now, later, tomorrow, what time it opens and one moment please.
- 现在shyen-DZAI
- Now
- 待会儿dai-HWER
- Later
- 今天jin-TYEN
- Today
- 明天ming-TYEN
- Tomorrow
- 今晚jin-WAN
- Tonight
- 什么时候？SHUN-muh shir-hoh
- When?
- 几点开门？jee-dyen kai-MUN
- What time does it open?
- 等一下dung-ee-SHYA
- One moment, please
- 分钟fun-JONG
- Minutes
- 小时shyow-SHIR
- Hours
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- 救命！jyoh-MING
- Help!
- 叫医生jyow ee-SHUNG
- Call a doctor
- 警察jing-CHA
- Police
- 药店yow-DYEN
- Pharmacy
- 医院ee-YWEN
- Hospital
- 我迷路了wo mee-LOO-luh
- I'm lost
- 我不舒服wo boo shoo-FOO
- I don't feel well
- 被偷了bay-TOH-luh
- It was stolen
- 这是紧急情况juh shir jin-JEE ching-KWANG
- It's an emergency
- 别烦我byeh FAN wo
- Leave me alone