Popular Chinese Phrases: 50 Common Expressions with Meanings and Pronunciation

Key takeaways

• The 50 phrases in this guide cover the situations every Chinese learner encounters first: greetings, polite expressions, asking questions, shopping, travel, and daily life.
• Chinese uses the same word order as English (subject + verb + object) for most basic sentences, making many of these phrases easier to build than expected.
• Tones are critical: the same syllable in different tones means different things, so learning each phrase with its correct tones from the start prevents problems later.
• Many everyday Chinese phrases are shorter than their English equivalents: 谢谢 (xièxiè: thank you) is two syllables, 再见 (zàijiàn: goodbye) is two syllables, and most polite fixed phrases are similarly compact.
• Pinyin is used throughout this guide to show pronunciation; learning the pinyin system is a priority before or alongside memorising phrases.

This guide covers 50 of the most popular and useful Chinese phrases organised by situation, with Chinese characters, pinyin pronunciation, English meaning, and usage notes for each phrase. These 50 expressions will carry you through first conversations, travel situations, shopping, and everyday social exchanges in any Mandarin-speaking environment.

italki connects you with Chinese teachers online, from its community of over 30,000 tutors, who can practise these phrases with you in real conversation until they become immediate and natural.

Greetings (1-10)

#	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Notes
1	你好	nǐ hǎo	Hello	Standard greeting; also used as how are you in casual contexts
2	您好	nín hǎo	Hello (formal)	您 is the polite form of 你; use with elders or in business
3	早上好	zǎoshang hǎo	Good morning	Used until around 10-11 AM
4	下午好	xiàwǔ hǎo	Good afternoon	Used from noon to early evening
5	晚上好	wǎnshang hǎo	Good evening	Used from late afternoon/evening onward
6	你好吗？	nǐ hǎo ma	How are you?	Literal: You good? – the 吗 (ma) turns it into a question
7	我很好，谢谢	wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxiè	I’m fine, thank you	The standard reply; 很 (hěn: very) is often used as a filler before adjectives
8	再见	zàijiàn	Goodbye	Literal: see again; the most common farewell
9	拜拜	bāibāi	Bye-bye	Informal; borrowed from English; widely used among younger speakers
10	好久不见	hǎojiǔ bù jiàn	Long time no see	Note: this phrase was borrowed into English from Chinese

Practise greetings aloud with an online Chinese tutor until your pronunciation and tones become automatic.

Polite expressions (11-20)

#	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Notes
11	谢谢	xièxiè	Thank you	The standard thanks; tone: xiè (4th) xiè (4th)
12	非常感谢	fēicháng gǎnxiè	Thank you very much	More emphatic than 谢谢; used in formal situations
13	不客气	bù kèqi	You’re welcome	Literal: don’t be polite/formal; standard response to thanks
14	对不起	duìbuqǐ	Sorry / I’m sorry	Used for genuine apologies; stronger than 不好意思
15	不好意思	bù hǎoyìsi	Excuse me / Sorry	Lighter apology; used when bumping into someone or asking a favour
16	没关系	méi guānxi	It doesn’t matter / No problem	Standard reply to an apology
17	请	qǐng	Please	Placed before a request: 请进 (please come in), 请坐 (please sit)
18	麻烦你了	máfan nǐ le	Sorry to trouble you	Used when asking someone for help or imposing on them
19	没问题	méi wèntí	No problem	Common, casual way to say sure or it’s fine
20	好的	hǎo de	OK / Sure	Very common agreement; used throughout the day

Drill polite expressions in exchanges with a Chinese tutor on italki where you respond naturally to requests and apologies.

Asking questions and getting information (21-30)

#	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Notes
21	你叫什么名字？	nǐ jiào shénme míngzi	What is your name?	叫 (jiào: to be called) is the verb used for names
22	我叫…	wǒ jiào…	My name is…	Fill in your name: 我叫李明 (My name is Li Ming)
23	你是哪国人？	nǐ shì nǎ guó rén	What nationality are you?	Literal: Which country person are you?
24	你会说中文吗？	nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma	Can you speak Chinese?	会 (huì: can/know how to) is used for learned abilities
25	我不会说中文	wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén	I can’t speak Chinese	Useful for honest self-introduction
26	你会说英文吗？	nǐ huì shuō Yīngwén ma	Can you speak English?	Same structure as phrase 24
27	这是什么？	zhè shì shénme	What is this?	这 (zhè: this), 什么 (shénme: what)
28	在哪里？	zài nǎlǐ	Where is it?	在 (zài: to be located at), 哪里 (nǎlǐ: where)
29	怎么走？	zěnme zǒu	How do I get there?	Literal: How to walk? – used when asking for directions
30	多少钱？	duōshǎo qián	How much does it cost?	Essential for any shopping or market situation

Build fluency by asking a Chinese tutor online these questions during conversation practice.

Shopping and numbers (31-38)

#	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Notes
31	太贵了	tài guì le	It’s too expensive	太 (tài: too) + adjective + 了 (le) is a common pattern
32	便宜一点儿	piányí yīdiǎnr	A little cheaper, please	Used when bargaining; 一点儿 (yīdiǎnr: a little bit)
33	我要这个	wǒ yào zhège	I want this one	要 (yào: to want) + 这个 (zhège: this one)
34	我不要	wǒ bù yào	I don’t want it / No thanks	不要 (bù yào) is a firm no thank you for vendors and hawkers
35	有没有…？	yǒu méiyǒu…?	Do you have…?	Affirmative-negative question pattern: very common in Chinese
36	可以刷卡吗？	kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma	Can I pay by card?	可以 (kěyǐ: can/may), 刷卡 (shuā kǎ: to swipe a card)
37	收现金吗？	shōu xiànjīn ma	Do you take cash?	Useful in smaller shops or markets
38	给我看一下	gěi wǒ kàn yīxià	Let me have a look	一下 (yīxià) softens requests; very natural in conversation

Simulate shopping scenarios with a Chinese teacher using these bargaining and buying phrases.

Travel and emergencies (39-44)

#	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Notes
39	我迷路了	wǒ mílù le	I’m lost	迷路 (mílù: to lose one’s way); 了 signals the state has occurred
40	帮我叫救护车	bāng wǒ jiào jiùhùchē	Please call an ambulance	Emergency phrase; 帮 (bāng: to help), 救护车 (jiùhùchē: ambulance)
41	我需要帮助	wǒ xūyào bāngzhù	I need help	需要 (xūyào: to need), 帮助 (bāngzhù: help)
42	我去…	wǒ qù…	I’m going to…	Fill in destination: 我去北京 (I’m going to Beijing)
43	到…怎么走？	dào… zěnme zǒu	How do I get to…?	More specific than phrase 29; include a place name
44	附近有…吗？	fùjìn yǒu… ma	Is there a… nearby?	附近 (fùjìn: nearby); e.g., 附近有地铁站吗？(Is there a metro station nearby?)

Practise emergency and travel phrases with a Chinese teacher online so you can recall them quickly when needed.

Daily life and social expressions (45-50)

#	Chinese	Pinyin	English	Notes
45	我听不懂	wǒ tīng bù dǒng	I don’t understand (listening)	听 (tīng: to listen), 不懂 (bù dǒng: don’t understand)
46	请再说一遍	qǐng zài shuō yībiàn	Please say it again	再 (zài: again), 一遍 (yībiàn: once) – extremely useful in class and conversation
47	说慢一点儿	shuō màn yīdiǎnr	Please speak more slowly	Drop 请 for an informal version; add 请 to be polite
48	我学中文	wǒ xué Zhōngwén	I’m studying Chinese	Simple, useful self-introduction for language exchanges
49	加油！	jiā yóu	Keep going! / You can do it!	Literal: add oil/fuel; used for encouragement in any situation
50	保重	bǎozhòng	Take care	Used when parting, especially if you will not see someone for a while

Combine daily-life phrases into natural-sounding mini-dialogues with online Chinese tutors.

How to use these phrases most effectively

Memorising phrases from a list and using them in real conversation are different skills. The gap between them closes fastest through three practices:

1. Say each phrase aloud immediately. Silent reading builds recognition but not production. Every phrase in this list should be read aloud, with attention to the tone marks in the pinyin.

2. Group phrases by situation and practise the full exchange. For example: 你好 (hello) – 你好吗？(how are you?) – 我很好，谢谢 (I’m fine, thank you) – 再见 (goodbye). Running the full exchange is more useful than drilling individual phrases.

3. Use them in real conversation as soon as possible. Even one five-minute conversation with a native speaker forces these phrases out of passive memory and into active use.

Knowing 50 phrases gives you enough to start real conversations. What a conversation partner gives you that a list cannot is the natural rhythm, the speed, the unexpected follow-up question, and the feedback when a tone is wrong. With 30,000+ expert tutors across 150+ languages on italki, you’ll find a native Mandarin speaker ready to practice these phrases with you. Book a trial lesson today.

FAQ Which of these 50 phrases should I learn first?

Prioritise by frequency of use: phrases 1-10 (greetings) and 11-20 (polite expressions) come up in almost every interaction, so learn these before anything else. Within greetings, 你好 (nǐ hǎo), 谢谢 (xièxiè), 对不起 (duìbuqǐ), and 再见 (zàijiàn) are the four that every Chinese learner should have automatic from day one. After those, 多少钱？(duōshǎo qián: how much?) and 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng: I don’t understand) are the phrases that solve the most common learner problems in real situations.

Do I need to know characters or can I rely on pinyin?

For speaking and basic listening, pinyin is sufficient to get started. For reading menus, signs, and messages in China or in Chinese communities, characters are necessary. The 50 phrases in this guide are shown with both characters and pinyin so you can learn both from the start. Even recognising the characters for common phrases (like 谢谢, 你好, 再见) makes real-world navigation significantly easier, and these high-frequency characters appear frequently enough that you will learn to recognise them quickly.

Is Mandarin Chinese the same as Chinese everywhere?

Mandarin (普通话, pǔtōnghuà: common speech) is the official standard language of mainland China and Taiwan (where it is called 國語 guóyǔ) and one of four official languages of Singapore. The 50 phrases in this guide are standard Mandarin. Cantonese (spoken in Hong Kong, Guangdong province, and many overseas communities) uses different vocabulary and pronunciation for many of these phrases. If you are travelling to Hong Kong or communicating with Cantonese-speaking communities, some phrases will be different, though the written characters overlap significantly.