Important Phrases in Chinese: 100+ Essential Expressions for Everyday Conversations

Key takeaways

• Learning phrases by situation is more practical than learning vocabulary in alphabetical order.
• All Mandarin phrases have four possible tones. Tone errors change meaning, so learning pinyin alongside characters matters.
• Chinese greetings vary significantly by time of day, relationship, and social context.
• Having emergency phrases memorized, not just studied, can matter in real situations.
• Over 100 phrases are organized here across eight everyday situations.

Learning individual Chinese words gets you understanding. Learning Chinese phrases gets you into conversations. A phrase packages grammar, vocabulary, and social context into a single unit you can use immediately. Even before you fully understand why each word is there.

This guide covers 100+ important Chinese phrases organized across eight everyday situations: greetings and farewells, shopping, dining out, getting around, small talk, feelings and opinions, emergencies, and useful everyday expressions. All phrases include Chinese characters, pinyin (romanization), and English translation.

italki connects you with Chinese tutors from our community of 30,000+ professional tutors who can drill these phrases in real conversation, correct your tones, and show you how native speakers use them in context.

1. Greetings and farewells (打招呼 Dǎ Zhāohū)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
你好	nǐ hǎo	Hello (standard)
您好	nín hǎo	Hello (respectful/formal)
你好吗？	nǐ hǎo ma	How are you?
我很好，谢谢。	wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie	I am well, thank you.
最近怎么样？	zuìjìn zěnme yàng	How have you been lately?
早上好	zǎoshang hǎo	Good morning
下午好	xiàwǔ hǎo	Good afternoon
晚上好	wǎnshang hǎo	Good evening
晚安	wǎn’ān	Good night
再见	zàijiàn	Goodbye
拜拜	bāibāi	Bye (casual)
一会儿见	yīhuìr jiàn	See you in a bit
明天见	míngtiān jiàn	See you tomorrow
保重	bǎozhòng	Take care
请多关照	qǐng duō guānzhào	Please take care of me / I look forward to working with you

Master the tones and natural rhythm of these essential greetings by practicing with a Chinese language tutor who can drill time-appropriate phrases for different contexts.

2. Shopping and transactions (购物 Gòuwù)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
这个多少钱？	zhège duōshao qián	How much does this cost?
太贵了。	tài guì le	That is too expensive.
能便宜一点吗？	néng piányí yīdiǎn ma	Can it be a little cheaper?
我要这个。	wǒ yào zhège	I want this one.
你们有……吗？	nǐmen yǒu… ma	Do you have…?
我只是看看。	wǒ zhǐshì kànkàn	I am just looking.
可以试穿吗？	kěyǐ shìchuān ma	Can I try this on?
我可以刷卡吗？	wǒ kěyǐ shuākǎ ma	Can I pay by card?
有没有更大的？	yǒu méiyǒu gèng dà de	Do you have a bigger one?
有没有其他颜色？	yǒu méiyǒu qítā yánsè	Do you have other colors?
我想退货。	wǒ xiǎng tuì huò	I would like to return this.
请给我发票。	qǐng gěi wǒ fāpiào	Please give me a receipt.
打折吗？	dǎzhé ma	Is there a discount?
我要结账。	wǒ yào jiézhàng	I would like to pay.

For clothing and shopping vocabulary beyond just phrases, see this guide on clothing vocabulary in Chinese. Build confidence with shopping phrases by practicing transaction roleplays with Chinese online teachers who can simulate real store interactions.

3. Dining out (餐厅用语 Cāntīng Yòngyǔ)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
有位子吗？	yǒu wèizi ma	Is there a table available?
两个人。	liǎng ge rén	For two people.
你们有什么推荐？	nǐmen yǒu shénme tuījiàn	What do you recommend?
我对……过敏。	wǒ duì… guòmǐn	I am allergic to…
不要辣。	bù yào là	No spicy food.
再来一份，谢谢。	zài lái yī fèn, xièxie	Another serving, please.
请给我一杯水。	qǐng gěi wǒ yī bēi shuǐ	Please give me a glass of water.
买单，谢谢。	mǎidān, xièxie	Check, please.
好吃！	hǎochī	Delicious!
打包吗？	dǎbāo ma	To take away?
分开付账。	fēnkāi fùzhàng	Separate bills.
我吃素。	wǒ chīsù	I am vegetarian.

Practice ordering and dining interactions with a Chinese teacher to understand how tone and politeness work in restaurant settings.

4. Getting around (交通出行 Jiāotōng Chūxíng)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
……在哪里？	…zài nǎlǐ	Where is…?
怎么去……？	zěnme qù…	How do I get to…?
直走。	zhí zǒu	Go straight.
左转。	zuǒ zhuǎn	Turn left.
右转。	yòu zhuǎn	Turn right.
地铁站在哪里？	dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ	Where is the subway station?
我要去……。	wǒ yào qù…	I want to go to…
请在这里停。	qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíng	Please stop here.
坐公交车	zuò gōngjiāochē	take the bus
坐地铁	zuò dìtiě	take the subway

For more transportation options and travel-specific language, see Chinese travel phrases. Drill navigation and direction phrases with a Chinese online teacher so you can ask and understand directions confidently in real situations.

5. Small talk (日常闲聊 Rìcháng Xiánliáo)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
你叫什么名字？	nǐ jiào shénme míngzì	What is your name?
你是哪里人？	nǐ shì nǎlǐ rén	Where are you from?
你会说中文吗？	nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma	Can you speak Chinese?
我在学中文。	wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén	I am learning Chinese.
你的中文说得很好！	nǐ de Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo	Your Chinese is very good!
哪里哪里。	nǎlǐ nǎlǐ	Not at all. / You flatter me.
今天天气怎么样？	jīntiān tiānqì zěnme yàng	What is the weather like today?
这是我第一次来中国。	zhè shì wǒ dìyīcì lái Zhōngguó	This is my first time in China.

For more background on personal introduction phrases, see how to introduce yourself in Chinese. Build natural conversational flow by practicing these small talk starters with a Chinese tutoring specialist who can show you how to expand simple questions into real conversations.

6. Feelings and opinions (表达感受 Biǎodá Gǎnshòu)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
我很高兴。	wǒ hěn gāoxìng	I am very happy.
我有点累。	wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi	I am a little tired.
我不太舒服。	wǒ bù tài shūfu	I do not feel very well.
我同意。	wǒ tóngyì	I agree.
我不同意。	wǒ bù tóngyì	I disagree.
我觉得……。	wǒ juéde…	I think / I feel…
没关系。	méi guānxi	It is okay. / No worries.
当然。	dāngrán	Of course.
真的吗？	zhēn de ma	Really?
太好了！	tài hǎo le	That is wonderful!

Practice expressing opinions and disagreeing respectfully with an online Chinese tutor who can show you how different levels of formality change your phrasing.

7. Emergencies and health (紧急情况 Jǐnjí Qíngkuàng)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
救命！	jiùmìng	Help! (in danger)
我需要帮助。	wǒ xūyào bāngzhù	I need help.
请叫警察！	qǐng jiào jǐngchá	Please call the police!
请叫救护车！	qǐng jiào jiùhùchē	Please call an ambulance!
我迷路了。	wǒ mílù le	I am lost.
我的钱包被偷了。	wǒ de qiánbāo bèi tōu le	My wallet was stolen.
我头疼。	wǒ tóuténg	I have a headache.
我肚子疼。	wǒ dùzi téng	I have a stomachache.
这里最近的医院在哪里？	zhèlǐ zuìjìn de yīyuàn zài nǎlǐ	Where is the nearest hospital?
我需要看医生。	wǒ xūyào kàn yīshēng	I need to see a doctor.

For health vocabulary beyond just emergency phrases, see health and medical vocabulary in Chinese. Having these phrases memorized, not just studied, matters in real emergencies, so drill them with an online Chinese teacher until you can produce them automatically under stress.

8. Useful everyday expressions (日常实用表达 Rìcháng Shíyòng Biǎodá)

Chinese	Pinyin	English
请	qǐng	Please / May I ask
谢谢	xièxie	Thank you
不客气	bù kèqi	You are welcome
对不起	duìbuqǐ	I am sorry
没关系	méi guānxi	No problem
请再说一遍。	qǐng zài shuō yī biàn	Please say that again.
请说慢一点。	qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn	Please speak more slowly.
我听不懂。	wǒ tīng bu dǒng	I do not understand.
这个用中文怎么说？	zhège yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō	How do you say this in Chinese?
厕所在哪里？	cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ	Where is the bathroom?

These polite fundamentals are the backbone of every conversation. Use these phrases constantly with Chinese teachers so they become automatic enough to use without thinking in real situations.

Making these phrases stick

Reading a list of phrases is not the same as being able to use them under the mild pressure of a real conversation. Say each phrase aloud with the recording playing simultaneously. Train your ear and mouth together. Use five new phrases every day in real sentences about your own life, not just from the list. For Chinese travel vocabulary including transport, hotel, and sightseeing phrases, see the guide on Chinese travel phrases, which covers the situational language for when you are in a Chinese-speaking environment. For the pinyin pronunciation system that supports reading all the romanization in this guide, see Chinese pinyin, which explains how each sound is produced and how the tone marks work. No phrase list prepares you for the speed, accent variation, and context-switching of a real Chinese conversation. Move these phrases from memorized lists into actual speech by practicing with a Chinese tutor online who can correct your tones, adjust your pronunciation, and show you how each phrase sounds in natural Chinese speech. With 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, italki has Chinese teachers who focus specifically on everyday Chinese phrases through real conversation.Book a trial lesson today and run through these phrases in dialogue with a native speaker.

FAQ

Should I learn Mandarin phrases in characters or just pinyin?

Both, ideally, but at different speeds. Start with pinyin to learn pronunciation and basic vocabulary. Begin learning characters in parallel as soon as you are comfortable with pinyin, because characters are essential for reading any signage, menu, or written Chinese. How important are tones when using these phrases? Very important. A wrong tone can change the meaning of a word entirely. The classic example is 买 (mǎi: buy) versus 卖 (mài: sell). In practice, context saves many tonal errors, but in isolated phrases, correct tones signal fluency and prevent misunderstandings. Can these Mandarin phrases be used across China, Taiwan, and other Chinese-speaking regions? Most Mandarin phrases in this guide are mutually understandable across mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and other Mandarin-speaking communities. Vocabulary and pronunciation vary regionally, but the core phrases work everywhere standard Mandarin is spoken.