Essential Chinese Phrases for Beginners

Questions that unlock everything

Six little words turn pointing and guessing into real conversation. Attach one to anything around you and you have a question.

1. 1 什么 shén me — What
2. 2 哪里 nǎ lǐ — Where
3. 3 什么时候 shén me shí hòu — When
4. 4 谁 shéi — Who
5. 5 为什么 wèi shén me — Why
6. 6 怎么 zěn me — How

Point and choose

You don't need nouns yet. 这个, 那个 and a pointing finger will buy you almost anything in a market, a bakery or a menu with pictures.

1. 7 这个 zhè ge — This one
2. 8 那个 nà ge — That one
3. 9 我要这个。 wǒ yào zhè ge — I want this one
4. 10 多少钱 duō shǎo qián — How much

Yes, no, please

Chinese has no single word for yes and no — people agree with 是 ('it is') or a bright 好. These four keep you polite and decisive.

1. 11 是 shì — Yes
2. 12 不是 bú shì — No
3. 13 请 qǐng — Please
4. 14 好 hǎo — Good

   Doubles as the all-purpose 'okay' — say it to agree to nearly anything.

Verbs you'll use every day

Six verbs do a huge share of daily talking, and none of them ever conjugates — 去 stays 去 for I, you, we and everyone else.

1. 15 想要 xiǎng yào — To want
2. 16 能 néng — Can
3. 17 去 qù — To go
4. 18 来 lái — To come
5. 19 吃 chī — To eat
6. 20 喝 hē — To drink

Time and place

Now or later, here or there, near or far — these six anchor every plan you'll ever make in Mandarin.

1. 21 现在 xiàn zài — Now
2. 22 以后 yǐ hòu — Later
3. 23 这里 zhè lǐ — Here
4. 24 那里 nà lǐ — There
5. 25 近 jìn — Near
6. 26 远 yuǎn — Far

How you feel

State your state: hot, cold, hungry, thirsty. Announce it and someone nearby will usually try to fix it.

1. 27 热 rè — Hot
2. 28 冷 lěng — Cold
3. 29 饿 è — Hungry
4. 30 渴 kě — Thirsty

In real life: buying something at the corner shop