What’s the secret weapon to achieving more fluent Chinese?

You must have struggled with Chinese grammar as a beginner. But after all that sweat and hard work, you may have reached a higher level in Chinese grammar now and are eagerly looking for something more exciting to perfect your sentences. One of the keys is to utilize Chinese grammar conjunctions.

Conjunctive adverbs are a significant part of every language in both writing and speaking. They allow you to connect ideas, make comparisons, string together sentences, and most importantly, make your speech flow more smoothly and naturally. Without proper conjunctions, your speech may not function as effectively as it should. This makes Chinese conjunctions for intermediate language-learners a can’t-miss lesson!

Don’t panic just yet! Conjunctions in the Chinese language function just like English conjunctions. They indicate to the listener about different relationships between subclauses to help you better understand the sentence. Now, we’ve prepared for you a Chinese conjunction words list.

Let’s go straight to them, and enhance your Chinese learning!

Table of Contents

1. What is a Conjunction?
2. Chinese Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts
3. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Condition
4. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Cause (Chinese Causal Conjunctions)
5. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Opposition
6. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Purpose
7. Final Thoughts

1. What is a Conjunction?

A conjunction is a phrase that’s used to connect ideas or related sentences to make them join smoothly together. In Chinese grammar, conjunctions are very similar to English conjunctions, although there are some special ones that don’t make much sense in English but are considered common Chinese conjunctions.

2. Chinese Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts

The most common conjunctions in Chinese are those that correlate similar thoughts. In this Chinese conjunctions list, you’ll find all the words and information you need to do so smoothly!

1- With / And

Would you like to go hiking with your friends?

Meaning #1:

In English: With
Pinyin: hé / gēn / yǔ / tóng
In Chinese: 和 / 跟 / 与 / 同

Usage in a sentence:
In English: The weather today is very nice, so I decided to hike with my best friend.

Pinyin: Jīn tiān tiān qì hěn hǎo, yú shì wǒ jué dìng hé / gēn / yǔ / tóng zuì hǎo de péng yǒu chū qù dēng shān.

In Chinese: 今天天气很好，于是我决定和 / 跟 / 与/ 同最好的朋友出去登山。

Grammar Explanation:
In this case, the word indicates being accompanied by someone or something.

Meaning #2:

In English: And
Pinyin: hé / gēn / yǔ / tóng
In Chinese: 和 / 跟 / 与 / 同

Usage in a sentence:
In English: My sister and I went shopping yesterday.

Pinyin: Wǒ hé jiě jie zuó tiān yì qǐ qù guàng jiē le.

In Chinese: 我和姐姐昨天一起去逛街了。

Grammar Explanation:
In this case, it’s used to connect words that share the same part of speech.

Additional Notes:
These four words are basically the same, and can be replaced by each other. However, a slight difference between them is that 和 (hé) and 跟 (gēn) are used more often in speech, while 与 (yǔ) and 同 (tóng) are more suitable for writing and sound more formal.

2- Or

Drinking milk everyday is a good habit!

In English: Or
Pinyin: huò / huò zhě
In Chinese: 或 / 或者

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I like to add sugar or honey in my milk.

Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huān zài niú nǎi lǐ jiā táng huò / huò zhě fēng mì.

In Chinese: 我喜欢在牛奶里加糖或 / 或者蜂蜜。

Grammar Explanation:
Here, the word is used to connect alternative words or clauses.

Additional Notes:
There isn’t really a huge difference between 或 (huò) and 或者 (huò zhě). However, 或 (huò) is used more frequently for connecting small words since it’s a simpler version of 或者 (huò zhě), while 或者 (huò zhě) can be used for a longer alternative clause.

3- As well as

Remember to wear formal clothing at a job fair!

In English: As well as
Pinyin: yǐ jí
In Chinese: 以及

Usage in a sentence:
In English: When you go to a job fair, it’s necessary to wear formal clothing and bring your notebook and pens, as well as the most important thing which is your resume.

Pinyin: Nǐ qù cān jiā zhāo pìn huì shí wù bì yào shēn zhuó zhèng zhuāng, dài shàng bǐ jì běn hé bǐ, yǐ jí zuì zhòng yào de jiǎn lì.

In Chinese: 你去参加招聘会时务必要身着正装，带上笔记本和笔，以及最重要的简历。

Grammar Explanation:
Here, the word simply means “additionally.”

4- Also

Do you like making wishes at your birthday party?

In English: Also
Pinyin: bìng qiě
In Chinese: 并且

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I am very sick today, I am afraid I cannot make it to your birthday party, also the time doesn’t allow either.

Pinyin: Wǒ jīn tiān bìng de hěn lì hài, qù bù liǎo nǐ de shēng rì pài duì le, bìng qiě shí jiān yě lái bù jí le.

In Chinese: 我今天病得很厉害，去不了你的生日派对了，并且时间也来不及了。

Grammar Explanation:
This word means “in addition to.”

5- What’s more

The schedule can be tight when you need to catch a flight!

In English: What’s more
Pinyin: hái yǒu
In Chinese: 还有

Usage in a sentence:
In English: You have to remember to bring your passport before you head to the airport. What’s more, leave a little bit early just in case.

Pinyin: Zài qù jī chǎng zhī qián nǐ yī dìng yào jì dé dài shàng zì jǐ de hù zhào, hái yǒu jì dé zǎo diǎn chū fā, yǐ fáng wàn yī.

In Chinese: 在去机场之前你一定要记得带上自己的护照，还有记得早点出发，以防万一。

Grammar Explanation:
To add something that has a greater degree of importance.

Additional Notes:
Unlike how we use this conjunction in English, remember to avoid putting a comma after 还有.

6- Both

Do you plan to travel to somewhere as beautiful as this?

In English: Both
Pinyin: dōu
In Chinese: 都

Usage in a sentence:
In English: Both my friend and I are looking forward to our trip this year on summer break.

Pinyin: Wǒ péng yǒu hé wǒ dōu fēi cháng qī dài jīn nián shǔ jià de lǚ yóu.

In Chinese: 我朋友和我都非常期待今年暑假的旅游。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction in Chinese is used to describe two subjects or objects that are identified in the same way.

7- Not only … but also …

In English: Not only … but also…
Pinyin: bú dàn…ér qiě… / bù jǐn…hái …
In Chinese: 不但……而且…… / 不仅……还……

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I not only enjoy eating delicious food but also love how proud I feel while cooking.

Pinyin: Wǒ bú dàn / bù jǐn xiǎng shòu chī měi shí de kuài gǎn, ér qiě / hái rè ài xià chú shí de chéng jiù gǎn.

In Chinese: 我不但 / 不仅享受吃美食的快感，而且 / 还热爱下厨时的成就感。

Grammar Explanation:
This Chinese conjunction is used to express ideas in parallelism, although the second conjunction usually indicates a more important idea.

Additional Notes:
The two sets of conjunctions mean exactly the same thing and can be used the same way. However, in English, we usually don’t put a comma between the two conjunctions; remember to put a comma between the two clauses that the two Chinese conjunctions lead, to make it sound more smooth.

3. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Condition

The next Chinese language conjunctions we’ll look at are those used to express condition. This is an essential skill to have for fluent speech and writing!

1- If

In English: If
Pinyin: rú guǒ / tǎng ruò / yào shì / jiǎ rú
In Chinese: 如果 / 倘若 / 要是 / 假如

Usage in a sentence:
In English: If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, let’s have a picnic at the park.

Pinyin: Rú guǒ / tǎng ruò / yào shì / jiǎ rú míng tiān bú xià yǔ, wǒ men jiù qù gōng yuán yě cān ba.

In Chinese: 如果 / 倘若 / 要是 / 假如明天不下雨，我们就去公园野餐吧。

Grammar Explanation:
This Chinese conjunction is used to express a hypothesis.

Additional Notes:
These four words all mean the same thing and they can substitute one another.

2- As long as

In English: As long as
Pinyin: zhǐ yào
In Chinese: 只要

Usage in a sentence:
In English: As long as you promise not to tell anyone, I will share this secret with you.

Pinyin: Zhǐ yào nǐ bǎo zhèng bù gēn bié rén shuō, wǒ jiù bǎ zhè gè mì mì gào sù nǐ.

In Chinese: 只要你保证不跟别人说，我就把这个秘密告诉你。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction is only used when a particular situation is provided.

3- If not / Otherwise

In English: If not / Otherwise
Pinyin: bù rán / fǒu zé
In Chinese: 不然 / 否则

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I think she must be sick; if not / otherwise, she would never skip a class according to her hardworking personality.

Pinyin: Wǒ jué de tā yī dìng shì shēng bìng le, bù rán / fǒu zé yǐ tā qín fèn de xìng gé shì bú huì quē kè de.

In Chinese: 我觉得她一定是生病了，不然 / 否则以她勤奋的性格是不会缺课的。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction is used if a different condition is brought up than what was mentioned.

Additional Note:
Just like in English, these words indicate almost the same meaning. However, 否则 (fǒu zé) sounds more serious.

4- Only…then…

In English: Only…then…
Pinyin: zhǐ yǒu… cái…
In Chinese: 只有……才……

Usage in a sentence:
In English: Only when you develop confidence in yourself, then other people will recognize how good you are.

Pinyin: Zhǐ yǒu nǐ zì jǐ duì zì jǐ xiān yǒu le xìn xīn, bié rén cái néng rèn kě nǐ de yōu xiù.

In Chinese: 只有你自己对自己先有了信心，别人才能认可你的优秀。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction is used in a unique situation, where only in one particular condition can a specified result occur.

5- No matter

In English: No matter
Pinyin: bù guǎn
In Chinese: 不管

Usage in a sentence:
In English: No matter what happens, my friends will always stand by me.

Pinyin: Bù guǎn fā shēng shén me, wǒ de péng yǒu zǒng shì jiān dìng de zhàn zài wǒ shēn biān.

In Chinese: 不管发生什么，我的朋友总是坚定地站在我身边。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction can also mean “in spite of” or “despite.”

6- Unless

In English: Unless
Pinyin: chú fēi
In Chinese: 除非

Usage in a sentence:
In English: You are not allowed to park here, unless you are disabled.

Pinyin: Nǐ bù kě yǐ zài zhè lǐ tíng chē, chú fēi nǐ shì cán jí rén.

In Chinese: 你不可以在这里停车，除非你是残疾人。

Grammar Explanation:
This can also mean “except for the fact that…”

7- However

In English: However
Pinyin: wú lùn rú hé
In Chinese: 无论如何

Usage in a sentence:
In English: However, I can’t let you risk this.

Pinyin: Wú lùn rú hé wǒ yě bù néng ràng nǐ mào zhè gè xiǎn.

In Chinese: 无论如何我也不能让你冒这个险。

Grammar Explanation:
This can also mean “no matter what happens.”

4. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Cause (Chinese Causal Conjunctions)

1- Thus

In English: Thus
Pinyin: yīn cǐ
In Chinese: 因此

Usage in a sentence:
In English: Yesterday the rain was incredibly heavy, thus I could not visit my grandmother as promised.

Pinyin: Zuó wǎn yǔ xià de shí zài tài dà le, yīn cǐ wǒ bìng méi yǒu rú yuē qù bài fǎng wài pó.

In Chinese: 昨晚雨下得实在太大了，因此我并没有如约去拜访外婆。

Grammar Explanation:
This can also mean “as a result” or “because of which was mentioned.”

2- Because…so…

In English: Because…so…
Pinyin: yīn wèi…suǒ yǐ…
In Chinese: 因为……所以……

Usage in a sentence:
In English: Because my brother is sick today, I had to stay at home and take care of him.

Pinyin: Yīn wèi dì di jīn tiān shēng bìng le, suǒ yǐ wǒ bù dé bù liú zài jiā lǐ zhào gù tā.

In Chinese: 因为弟弟今天生病了，所以我不得不留在家里照顾他。

Grammar Explanation:
This can also mean “for the reason of … which leads to…”

Additional Notes:
Unlike English conjunctions, we usually need to use “because” and “so” at the same time to make a reasonable sentence and explain the relationship more clearly.

3- Because of

In English: Because of
Pinyin: yóu yú
In Chinese: 由于

Usage in a sentence:
In English: Because of my personal mistake, it made our whole team lose the opportunity to be in the first position.

Pinyin: Yóu yú wǒ yī gè rén de shī wù, dǎo zhì le wǒ men zhěng gè duì wǔ shī qù le qǔ dé dì yī de jī huì.

In Chinese: 由于我一个人的失误，导致了我们整个队伍失去了取得第一的机会。

Grammar Explanation:
This can also mean “it comes from the thing that…” or “the reason of something particular.”

4- The reason why…it’s because…

In English: The reason why…it’s because…
Pinyin: zhī suǒ yǐ…shì yīn wèi…
In Chinese: 之所以……是因为……

Usage in a sentence:
In English: The reason why I couldn’t make my sister’s wedding, it’s because I just had a surgery a little while ago and had to rest at the hospital for some days.

Pinyin: Wǒ zhī suǒ yǐ méi néng qù jiě jie de hūn lǐ, shì yīn wèi zài bù jiǔ zhī qián wǒ zuò le yī chǎng shǒu shù, bù dé bú zhù yuàn xiū xi yī duàn shí jiān.

In Chinese: 我之所以没能去姐姐的婚礼，是因为在不久之前我做了一场手术，不得不住院休息一段时间。

Grammar Explanation:
The conjunction itself is pretty straightforward. The set of conjunctions introduce the result first, and then introduce the reason that caused the former clause.

5. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Opposition

1- But

In English: But
Pinyin: dàn shì
In Chinese: 但是

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I planned to learn how to cook a western meal today, but I forgot to buy the necessary ingredients.

Pinyin: Wǒ jīn tiān běn lái jì huá xué xí zuò yī dùn xī cān, dàn shì wàng jì mǎi xū yào de shí cái le.

In Chinese: 我今天本来计划学习做一顿西餐，但是忘记买需要的食材了。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction is used to introduce something that contrasts with what was mentioned before.

2- Yet

In English: Yet
Pinyin: kě shì
In Chinese: 可是

Usage in a sentence:
In English: My dad really wants me to become a doctor just like him in the future, yet it’s not what I’m passionate about.

Pinyin: Bà ba fēi cháng xī wàng wǒ néng xiàng tā yī yàng jiāng lái chéng wéi yī míng yī shēng, kě shì zhè bìng bú shì wǒ rè ài de zhí yè.

In Chinese: 爸爸非常希望我能像他一样将来成为一名医生，可是这并不是我热爱的职业。

Grammar Explanation:
This can also mean “but at the same time.”

3- However

In English: However
Pinyin: rán ér
In Chinese: 然而

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I thought there would be a happy ending for this TV show, however, it was not like I imagined.

Pinyin: Wǒ yǐ wéi zhè gè diàn shì jù zuì hòu yī dìng shì gè xǐ jù jié wěi, rán ér bìng bú shì wǒ xiǎng de nà yàng.

In Chinese: 我以为这个电视剧最后一定是个喜剧结尾，然而并不是我想的那样。

Grammar Explanation:
This conjunction is used to indicate a turning point or a different result from what was expected.

Additional Notes:
A comma can be used after this conjunction, if the sentence after it is long and there is a natural pause in speaking. If the sentence after it is short and there’s no pause needed in speaking, don’t use a comma after this conjunction.

6. Chinese Conjunctions to Express Purpose

1- So that

In English: So that
Pinyin: yǐ biàn
In Chinese: 以便

Usage in a sentence:
In English: I will put the backup key underneath the carpet by the door so that you can come in when I’m not home.

Pinyin: Wǒ huì bǎ bèi yòng yào shi fàng zài mén qián de tǎn zi xià miàn, yǐ biàn wǒ bú zài jiā shí nǐ kě yǐ jìn lái.

In Chinese: 我会把备用钥匙放在门前的毯子下面，以便我不在家时你可以进来。

Grammar Explanation:
This is used when describing how you’re going to make it convenient for something, or to serve a purpose for something.

7. Final Thoughts

If you’ve developed a great understanding of these Mandarin Chinese conjunctions, then congratulations! You’re officially an intermediate learner in Chinese now. If you’re still not content with what you’ve learned so far, and are desperate to enrich your Chinese skills, feel free to check out our website at ChineseClass101.com.

We offer a variety of fun Chinese lessons, both about interesting Chinese local culture and professional language teaching. You’ll find it extremely difficult to be disappointed with your Chinese learning when using our website.

We hope you enjoyed learning about conjunctions with us, and that you were able to take away something valuable. Which of these conjunctions do you plan on practicing soon? Were our Chinese conjunctions examples helpful, or are you still struggling to understand some of these Chinese conjunctions? Let us know in the comments!

We’re all social animals, and we all interact with each other in a certain way in order to achieve the most harmony possible, depending on our cultural background and generational differences. Every country has a set of rules about etiquette for its own unique culture. China, a country that evolved over thousands of years of history, of course has its secrets for developing the great civilization it hosts today.

But what is Chinese etiquette?

Chinese etiquette (especially Chinese business etiquette!) can differ greatly from that of western countries. Some Chinese etiquette rules may be exactly the opposite, so don’t be surprised when you hear them. These unspoken Chinese etiquette customs help Chinese people build their respect, bonds, and understanding between each other. Some of the modern Chinese etiquette we’re going to introduce here is the heart of Chinese society, so be careful and keep them in mind so that you don’t embarrass yourself!

Table of Contents

1. How to Discuss Etiquette
2. Chinese Table Manners and Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts for Dining
3. Do’s and Don’ts for Sightseeing
4. Do’s and Don’ts for Greetings
5. Do’s and Don’ts for Visiting a House
6. Do’s and Don’ts When Riding Public Means of Transportation
7. Do’s and Don’ts for Business Occasions
8. Do’s and Don’ts for Celebrations
9. Let ChineseClass101 Help You Master the Language & Culture!

1. How to Discuss Etiquette

If you’re wondering how to learn Chinese etiquette, first things first. Let’s have a little warm-up and start with the most useful phrases for discussing basic Chinese etiquette. Mastering these phrases is a wonderful place to start your learning journey in Chinese etiquette.

• When talking about DON’Ts, use this sentence pattern:

  In Chinese: 你不应该[动词] -> 你不应该擤鼻涕。
  Pinyin: Nǐ bù yīng gāi [dòng cí] -> Nǐ bù yīng gāi xǐng bí tì.
  In English: Don’t [verb] -> Don’t blow your nose.

• When talking about DO’s:

  In Chinese: 你应该[动词] -> 你应该带个礼物过来。
  Pinyin: Nǐ yīng gāi [dòng cí] -> Nǐ yīng gāi dài gè lǐ wù guò lái.
  In English: You should [verb] -> You should bring a present.

2. Chinese Table Manners and Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts for Dining

Do’s:

• Do join the toasts or initiate one at the table.

  In Chinese etiquette, dining usually requires toasts at the table, especially when it’s a formal occasion where you’re eating with elders or people you need to show respect to. If you’re new to the Chinese dining table, you’ll probably feel overwhelmed by the number of toasts Chinese people do. However, toasts in Chinese table etiquette is a tradition, and a way to show your respect and kindness to the people you’re eating with. While initiating a toast, you can simply say (the wishing words may be altered):

  In Chinese: 我来敬您一杯酒，祝您万事如意。
  Pinyin: Wǒ lái jìng nín yī bēi jiǔ, zhù nín wàn shì rú yì.
  In English: Let me raise a glass of wine to you and wish that all your wishes will come true.

• Do show that you’re willing to try all the food.

  If a Chinese person is passionately inviting you to try the dishes, do feel free to try them to show that you’re embracing his hospitality.

Don’ts:

• Do not stick your chopsticks perpendicularly on rice.

  In Chinese etiquette, chopsticks shouldn’t be put in the rice this way. This is considered bad etiquette in China, and is thought to bring bad fortune. Although it sounds superstitious, many traditional Chinese people do pay attention to details like this.

• Do not mind sharing food on the same plate.

  Unlike in western restaurants, most of the Chinese dishes in Chinese restaurants are shared among everyone, which is the family style. Thus, be prepared for this when you’re eating with Chinese people. You’ll have to pick dishes that will please both you and your dining partners. Also, remember to always leave the last piece of a dish for other people to show your kindness.

• Do not mind when others (especially elders) get food for your plate.

  Most Chinese elders are likely to have the habit of getting food for you with their chopsticks, sometimes even despite your own preferences. When this happens, remember not to refuse their kindness and just pretend that you’re glad to have the dishes.

3. Do’s and Don’ts for Sightseeing

Sightseeing is an area where Chinese culture social etiquette is important to keep in consideration. Here are a few Chinese etiquette tips to help you go sightseeing in a polite and respectful manner.

Do’s:

• Do walk on your right side.

  As most countries do, Chinese people prefer to walk on the right side of the road to provide convenience for other people who walk in the opposite direction.

• Do always stay in lines when it’s necessary.

  As you all know, China is a crowded country. As a tourist, it may be time-consuming to wait in line for things. However, it’s a basic Chinese social etiquette rule to do so. People who cut in line are considered extremely rude in China.

Don’ts:

• Do not throw trash as you want.

  Considering that China is having a severe environmental problem right now, throwing trash on the road is especially prohibited. Choosing to litter anyway is totally against Chinese culture customs and etiquette today.

• Do not touch property if it’s not allowed.

  China is a country full of ancient properties and a long history. Many properties are protected stringently to preserve their historical beauty. Remember to be careful when you touch a property, and treat them gently.

4. Do’s and Don’ts for Greetings

When it comes to Chinese etiquette, greetings are an important aspect of the culture to keep in mind. Here are some Chinese introduction etiquette rules that you should follow when greeting.

Do’s:

• Do shake hands, especially when you meet someone for the first time.

  In Chinese body language etiquette, shaking hands is a basic way of greeting someone you’re not very familiar with.

• Do bow when it’s needed.

  Bowing is viewed as a formal way of greeting people who you show special respect to. For example, in China, students sometimes bow to their teachers.

Don’ts:

• Do not ask people about age or income.

  In Chinese etiquette, money (income) and age are considered extremely personal topics. If these happen to be a taboo for the person you’re greeting, you may cause embarrassment for them and yourself.

• Do not hug someone you’re not close with as a way of greeting.

  Hugging someone is very common in western culture, even when meeting people for the first time. Nevertheless, there is a huge difference here between China and western countries. In China, hugging is not a common way of greeting. If you hug someone who’s not close to you, your enthusiasm may overwhelm the person who’s not used to this method of greeting.

5. Do’s and Don’ts for Visiting a House

Next up in our guide on Chinese etiquette: visiting friends. Here are some tips for how to act when visiting someone’s home in China.

Do’s:

• Do bring a gift if you’re visiting someone important.

  It’s a great way to show your kindness by bringing a little gift when invited to visit a house.

• Do arrive on time.

  Being on time is a way to show your level of respect for the person you’re visiting. This is also considered Chinese professional etiquette, so do keep punctuality in mind.

Don’ts:

• Do not feel frightened if the family is hosting you with too much hospitality.

  Chinese people are very hospitable. You may never know how much preparation they’ve done for your arrival. They may buy lots of additional food and clean the house thoroughly just to welcome you warmly.

• Do not go into bedrooms without an invitation.

  In China, it’s considered rude to visit the bedrooms in a house without the homeowner’s permission or invitation.

6. Do’s and Don’ts When Riding Public Means of Transportation

Do’s:

• Do care for elders, pregnant women, disabled people, and kids, by giving your seat to them if necessary.

  It’s a custom in China to give your seat to people who need more care when on a bus or subway. Elders, pregnant women, disabled people, and young children are all considered as such.

• Do stay in line while waiting for a bus.

  There are usually bus numbers written on the ground for people who are waiting for different buses. Be careful to wait by the right numbers and stay politely within the line.

Don’ts:

• Do not push other people when the place is crowded.

  Sometimes the public transportation in China can get incredibly crowded due to China’s huge population. When this happens, remain calm and try not to push people around by stabilizing yourself.

• Do not lean against the doors on a bus.

  You’ll see this reminder on most of the buses in China because it’s extremely dangerous when the door opens. If you don’t follow this rule, it will not only put you in danger, but may also cause inconvenience for people who need to get on the bus.

7. Do’s and Don’ts for Business Occasions

Now it’s time for Chinese business etiquette tips. If you plan on working in China, or are visiting for work-related purposes, knowing basic Chinese etiquette for business is essential.

Do’s:

• Do prepare a business card.

  Although this is a digital era, in China, a business card is still of high value during a business occasion. Be sure to bring a professional business card that represents your personal expert profile.

• Do dress professionally.

  If you notice, Chinese people have a focus on appearance in many things. A professional look will definitely serve as a crutch to help you succeed during a business occasion.

Don’ts:

• Do not cross your legs while sitting down.

  When it comes to Chinese etiquette, businesses are often uncomfortable with you crossing your legs (even if most people in casual situations are totally comfortable with this). During a business occasion, it’s considered bad-looking and rude.

• Do not overly use Internet slang.

  Many people in modern society may be used to speaking with Internet slang in daily life. However, it’s extremely unprofessional to do so during a business occasion and may damage your professional profile.

8. Do’s and Don’ts for Celebrations

Even when celebrating, there’s some Chinese traditional etiquette that you need to be mindful of. Here are the do’s and don’ts for celebrations in China.

Do’s:

• Do pay great attention to how you present the package for a gift.

  Chinese people place heavy importance on the presentation of a gift. When you prepare a gift, be sure to wrap it carefully enough.

• Do give out some money to the newly married couple when you’re invited to a wedding.

  Giving out money is a traditional gift for weddings in China. Even though you’ve prepared a gift already, the money as a gift for the newly married couple is still essential!

Don’ts:

• Do not open your gifts in front of the giver.

  This is another huge cultural difference between western countries and China. In western countries, it’s considered good manners to show people how much you’re pleased with the gift by opening it in front of the giver. However, in China, it’s not appropriate to open a gift immediately in front of the giver (unless the person asks you to do so).

• Do not accept a red packet without refusing it first.

  You may have the opportunity to visit people during the Chinese New Year. As a tradition, elders may give red packets that include money inside to youngsters as a way to celebrate the new year. In western cultures, it’s rude to refuse a gift, so this may surprise you. But it’s actually rude to accept a red packet immediately from the elders. To show respect, you’ll have to ask them to take it back, which is very unlikely for them to do so. But refusing the gift is still a necessary process before finally accepting it.

9. Let ChineseClass101 Help You Master the Language & Culture!

It’s great that you’ve made it through the whole article! I’m certain you’re now well-informed and almost an expert on basic Chinese etiquette. As long as you follow the guidelines in this article, you’ll most likely excel in performing your best of manners.

If you still don’t feel confident enough, why not try our lessons at ChineseClass101.com to gain more interesting knowledge related to Chinese culture and obtain professional teaching? You’re only one click away from the real adventure!

But before you go, let us know in the comments if you learned any new Chinese etiquette facts! What are they? Are there any situations we missed? We look forward to hearing from you.

Each day is filled with events, big and small, that are worth being remembered; every day of our lives can be unique and special. If you’ve just gotten started learning Chinese, there might be times when you wish to express dates in Chinese to specify important events. Indeed, being able to express a date accurately is essential to everyday life. This is why learning the Chinese calendar, as well as how to say dates in Chinese, is so important as you learn the language.

In this article, we’ll go over how to write dates in Chinese characters, as well as dates in Chinese pinyin, so that you’re never at a loss!

In Chinese, the use of dates is incredibly simple and convenient. As long as you put your brain to work, you’ll master it in no time. Talking about dates in Chinese, knowing the Chinese numbers will greatly complement your understanding—feel free to check out our article about Chinese numbers. Now, get ready to hunt some treasure with us in this vital step of your Chinese learning journey!

Table of Contents

1. How are Dates Written in Chinese?
2. How to Read Dates in Chinese: Years
3. How to Say the Months in Chinese
4. Talking About the Day in Chinese
5. How to Say the Days of the Week
6. Must-Know Phrases for Months and Dates in Chinese
7. Bonus: Learn How to Find Your Animal of the Year in Chinese
8. Conclusion: How ChineseClass101 Can Help You Master Chinese

1. How are Dates Written in Chinese?

Dates written in Chinese are organized based on cardinal numbers, and when a date is expressed, the order is as follows: 年 - 月- 日 (nián - yuè - rì) or year - month - day.

In Chinese: 我是1998年出生的。
Pinyin: Wǒ shì yī jiǔ jiǔ bā nián chū shēng de.
In English: I was born in 1996.

In Chinese: 我的生日是八月三十号。
Pinyin: Wǒ de shēng rì shì bā yuè sān shí hào.
In English: My birthday is on August 30.

Dates are essential for everyone to learn.

2. How to Read Dates in Chinese: Years

It’s very simple to read a date in Chinese. While reading the year, all you need to do is read every single number out loud in order from left to right. And lastly, add 年 (meaning “year” in English) to the end. Here are a few examples for you to practice:

• 1990[年]: 一九九零[年] (yī jiǔ jiǔ líng [nián])
• 2008[年]: 二零零八[年] (èr líng líng bā [nián])
• 2019[年]: 二零一九[年] (èr líng yī jiǔ [nián])
• 1976[年]: 一九七六[年] (yī jiǔ qī liù [nián])
• 2020[年]: 二零二零[年] (èr líng èr líng [nián])

3. How to Say the Months in Chinese

• January: 一月 (yī yuè)
• February: 二月 (èr yuè)
• March: 三月 (sān yuè)
• April: 四月 (sì yuè)
• May: 五月 (wǔ yuè)
• June: 六月 (liù yuè)
• July: 七月 (qī yuè)
• August: 八月 (bā yuè)
• September: 九月 (jiǔ yuè)
• October: 十月 (shí yuè)
• November: 十一月 (shí yī yuè)
• December: 十二月 (shí èr yuè)

Examine your schedule carefully and remember the important dates!

4. Talking About the Day in Chinese

All thirty-one days:

• 1st: 一号 / 一日 (yī hào / yī rì)
• 2nd: 二号 / 二日 (èr hào / èr rì)
• 3rd: 三号 / 三日 (sān hào / sān rì)
• 4th: 四号 / 四日 (sì hào / sì rì)
• 5th: 五号 / 五日 (wǔ hào / wǔ rì)
• 6th: 六号 / 六日 (liù hào / liù rì)
• 7th: 七号 / 七日 (qī hào / qī rì)
• 8th: 八号 / 八日 (bā hào / bā rì)
• 9th: 九号 / 九日 (jiǔ hào / jiǔ rì)
• 10th: 十号 / 十日 (shí hào / shí rì)
• 11th: 十一号 / 十一日 (shí yī hào / shí yī rì)
• 12th: 十二号 / 十二日 (shí èr hào / shí èr rì)
• 13th: 十三号 / 十三日 (shí sān hào / shí sān rì)
• 14th: 十四号 / 十四日 (shí sì hào / shí sì rì)
• 15th: 十五号 / 十五日 (shí wǔ hào / shí wǔ rì)
• 16th: 十六号 / 十六日 (shí liù hào / shí liù rì)
• 17th: 十七号 / 十七日 (shí qī hào / shí qī rì)
• 18th: 十八号 / 十八日 (shí bā hào / shí bā rì)
• 19th: 十九号 / 十九日 (shí jiǔ hào / shí jiǔ rì)
• 20th: 二十号 / 二十日 (èr shí hào / èr shí rì)
• 21st: 二十一号 / 二十一日 (èr shí yī hào / èr shí yī rì)
• 22nd: 二十二号 / 二十二日 (èr shí èr hào / èr shí èr rì)
• 23rd: 二十三号 / 二十三日 (èr shí sān hào / èr shí sān rì)
• 24th: 二十四号 / 二十四日 (èr shí sì hào / èr shí sì rì)
• 25th: 二十五号 / 二十五日 (èr shí wǔ hào / èr shí wǔ rì)
• 26th: 二十六号 / 二十六日 (èr shí liù hào / èr shí liù rì)
• 27th: 二十七号 / 二十七日 (èr shí qī hào / èr shí qī rì)
• 28th: 二十八号 / 二十八日 (èr shí bā hào / èr shí bā rì)
• 29th: 二十九号 / 二十九日 (èr shí jiǔ hào / èr shí jiǔ rì)
• 30th: 三十号 / 三十日 (sān shí hào / sān shí rì)
• 31st: 三十一号 / 三十一日 (sān shí yī hào / sān shí yī rì)

In Chinese: 周末
Pinyin: zhōu mò
In English: weekend

In Chinese: 工作日
Pinyin: gōng zuò rì
In English: weekdays

Additional notes: As you can see, all days can be expressed through Chinese numbers, with the word 号 or 日 following behind. 号 is usually used informally when saying dates in Chinese in daily life, and 日 is used formally for dates in Chinese writing and sometimes in daily life as well.

5. How to Say the Days of the Week

In Chinese: 周一 / 礼拜一 / 星期一
Pinyin: zhōu yī / lǐ bài yī / xīng qī yī
In English: Monday

In Chinese: 周二 / 礼拜二 / 星期二
Pinyin: zhōu èr / lǐ bài èr / xīng qī èr
In English: Tuesday

In Chinese: 周三 / 礼拜三 / 星期三
Pinyin: zhōu sān / lǐ bài sān / xīng qī sān
In English: Wednesday

In Chinese: 周四 / 礼拜四 / 星期四
Pinyin: zhōu sì / lǐ bài sì / xīng qī sì
In English: Thursday

In Chinese: 周五 / 礼拜五 / 星期五
Pinyin: zhōu wǔ / lǐ bài wǔ / xīng qī wǔ
In English: Friday

In Chinese: 周六 / 礼拜六 / 星期六
Pinyin: zhōu liù / lǐ bài liù / xīng qī liù
In English: Saturday

In Chinese: 周日 /礼拜天 / 礼拜日 / 星期日 /星期天
Pinyin: zhōu rì / lǐ bài tiān / lǐ bài rì / xīng qī rì / xīng qī tiān
In English: Sunday

Additional note: As you can see, there are three different forms when “week” is expressed when talking about Chinese weekdays. The difference is that both 礼拜 and 星期 are used more informally in daily life, especially 礼拜 which means “chapel” and originated from the influence of western religion. The most formal is 周; a little less formal is 星期; the least formal is 礼拜.

6. Must-Know Phrases for Months and Dates in Chinese

You need to know when your school starts!

In Chinese: 你什么时候开学？
Pinyin: Nǐ shén me shí hòu kāi xué?
In English: When does your school start?

In Chinese: 你在二月十四号有什么安排吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ zài èr yuè shí sì hào yǒu shén me ān pái ma?
In English: Do you have any plans for February 14th?

Why not ask the person out on a romantic Valentine’s Day date?

In Chinese: 你什么时候有空？
Pinyin: Nǐ shén me shí hòu yǒu kòng?
In English: When will you be free?

In Chinese: 我只有周五晚上有空。
Pinyin: Wǒ zhī yǒu zhōu wǔ wǎn shàng yǒu kòng.
In English: I am only free on Friday night.

In Chinese: 那我们约七月五号晚上见吧。
Pinyin: Nà wǒ men yuē qī yuè wǔ hào wǎn shàng jiàn ba.
In English: Let’s meet on July 5 at night.

In Chinese: 我想在五月八号安排预约。
Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng zài wǔ yuè bā hào ān pái yù yuē.
In English: I want to schedule an appointment on August 5.

In Chinese: 今天是几号？
Pinyin: Jīn tiān shì jǐ hào?
In English: What day is it?

It’s always important to keep your loved ones’ birthday in mind and give them a sweet birthday cake!

In Chinese: 你的生日是什么时候？
Pinyin: Nǐ de shēng rì shì shén me shí hòu?
In English: When is your birthday?

7. Bonus: Learn How to Find Your Animal of the Year in Chinese

Do you know that Chinese years are based on twelve animals?

One fun fact about dates in Chinese calendars is that Chinese years have a unique traditional expression, which is based on the Chinese Zodiac as a twelve-year cycle, and each year represents an animal.

To find out which animal is associated with a certain year, be ready to do a bit of math. Here’s what you need to do:
          - Divide the number of the year by 12.
          - Find the remainder of the division. (Considering the number of the year may not be perfectly divided by 12, you’ll get a remainder between 0 and 11.)
          - Check the list below to see which animal corresponds to the remainder.

Remainder and Chinese zodiac in accordance:

• 0: Monkey 猴 (hóu)
• 1: Rooster 鸡 (jī)
• 2: Dog 狗 (gǒu)
• 3: Pig 猪 (zhū)
• 4: Rat 鼠 (shǔ)
• 5: Ox 牛 (niú)
• 6: Tiger 虎 (hǔ)
• 7: Rabbit 兔 (tù)
• 8: Dragon 龙 (lóng)
• 9: Snake 蛇 (shé)
• 10: Horse 马 (mǎ)
• 11: Goat 羊 (yáng)

For example, let’s find out what animal 1990 represents. Follow our step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Divide 1990 by 12.
          1990/12 = 165.8333…

Step 2: Ignore the decimals and take the quotient 165.

Step 3: Find the remainder of the division with this formula: Year - (12 x quotient without decimals) = remainder.
          1990 - (12 x 165) = 10

Step 4: Look at the list above. The remainder 10 corresponds to Horse. Now we know that 1990 is the Year of the Horse.

Let’s try another example and find out what animal 2016 represents.

Step 1: Divide 2016 by 12.
          2016/12 = 168

Step 2: Take the quotient 168.

Step 3: Find the remainder.
          2016 - ( 12 x 168 ) = 0.

Step 4: Look up at the list. The remainder 0 corresponds to Monkey. Now we know that 2016 is the Year of the Monkey.

Here are the most recent twelve years in Chinese Zodiac. You can try to practice using the steps above to see if you can get the answers right.

2019 - Year of Pig 猪年 (zhū nián)
2018 - Year of Dog 狗年 (gǒu nián)
2017 - Year of Rooster 鸡年 (jī nián)
2016 - Year of Monkey 猴年 (hóu nián)
2015 - Year of Goat 羊年 (yáng nián)
2014 - Year of Horse 马年 (mǎ nián)
2013 - Year of Snake 蛇年 (shé nián)
2012 - Year of Dragon 龙年 (lóng nián)
2011 - Year of Rabbit 兔年 (tù nián)
2010 - Year of Tiger 虎年 (hǔ nián)
2009 - Year of Ox 牛年 (niú nián)
2008 - Year of Rat 鼠年 (shǔ nián)

Now, are you able to find your own animal according to the year you were born? As you can see, birth dates in Chinese hold a lot of meaning.

8. Conclusion: How ChineseClass101 Can Help You Master Chinese

If you’ve followed along with this article, you must have grasped the essence of expressing dates in Chinese and leveraged your Chinese skills another rung up the ladder. Do you feel more comfortable writing dates in Chinese characters now? Let us know in the comments; we always look forward to hearing from you!

As you might imagine, there’s much more in the Chinese language to explore and learn. If you wish to acquire more fortune in this learning journey, why not give ChineseClass101.com a try? Here, we offer you a wide spectrum of resources and a spectacular learning experience; you’re just one click away from starting your magical journey right away!

China, a country with a great expanse of ancient history (up to nearly five-thousand years’ worth) is filled with both abundant beautiful landscapes where you can embrace nature and urban cities where you can enjoy a unique Asian culture experience.

When you first visit an unfamiliar country, there will be uncertainties and difficulties regarding the culture and language barriers, but this will all be a piece of cake once you learn Chinese travel phrases with us! Now let ChineseClass101.com set your mind on mastering these Chinese phrases for tourists, for your future trip to China! And keep in mind that for more basic Chinese words and pronunciation for tourists, you can check out our vocabulary lists on our website!

Table of Contents

1. Basic Expressions
2. Transports
3. Shopping
4. Restaurants
5. Asking for and Giving Directions
6. Emergencies
7. Flattery Phrases
8. Useful Phrases to Go Through Language Problems
9. Conclusion

1. Basic Expressions

While in China, it’s important to uphold good manners and to know how to greet others. Thus, you should learn Mandarin Chinese travel phrases regarding this. Take a look at this list of useful Chinese travel phrases to help you make a good impression!

1- Manners

• In Chinese: 谢谢你。
  Pinyin: Xiè xiè nǐ.
  In English: Thank you.
• In Chinese: 打扰一下。
  Pinyin: Dǎ rǎo yī xià.
  In English: Excuse me.
• In Chinese: 抱歉/对不起。
  Pinyin: Bào qiàn /duì bù qǐ.
  In English: Sorry.

2- Greetings

• In Chinese: 你好。
  Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo.
  In English: Hello.
• In Chinese: 再见。
  Pinyin: Zài jiàn.
  In English: Goodbye.
• In Chinese: 你最近怎么样？
  Pinyin: Nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng?
  In English: How are you?

3- Others

• In Chinese: 是的。
  Pinyin: Shì de.
  In English: Yes.
• In Chinese: 不是。
  Pinyin: Bú shì.
  In English: No.
• In Chinese: 我喜欢这个。
  Pinyin: Wǒ xǐ huān zhè gè.
  In English: I like it.
• In Chinese: 我不喜欢这个。
  Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐ huān zhè gè.
  In English: I don’t like it.
• In Chinese: 太好了。
  Pinyin: Tài hǎole.
  In English: Great.
• In Chinese: 能麻烦您帮我照个相吗？
  Pinyin: Néng má fán nín bāng wǒ zhào gè xiàng ma?
  In English: Could you please take my picture?

2. Transports

Of course, you’ll need to have some mode of transportation to get around the country. That’s why we’ve prepared this list of useful Chinese travel phrases for transportation!

1- Phrases for Taking a Taxi:

• In Chinese: 请问您可以载我去[地点]吗？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn nín kě yǐ zài wǒ qù [dì diǎn] ma?
  In English: Can you take me to [location] please?
• In Chinese: 请问去[地点]要多少钱？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn qù [dì diǎn] yào duō shǎo qián?
  In English: How much is it to go to [location]?

2- Phrases for Taking a Bus:

• In Chinese: 我应该在哪站下车？
  Pinyin: Wǒ yīng gāi zài nǎ zhàn xià chē?
  In English: Where should I get off?
• In Chinese: 我想去[地点]。
  Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng qù [dì diǎn].
  In English: I want to go to [location].
• In Chinese: 请在到站的时候告诉我一声。
  Pinyin: Qǐng zài dào zhàn de shí hòu gào sù wǒ yī shēng.
  In English: Please tell me when we arrive.
• In Chinese: 请问这趟车去往[地点]吗？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn zhè tàng chē qù wǎng [dì diǎn] ma?
  In English: Does this bus go to [location]?

3- Phrases for Taking a Train:

• In Chinese: 我想买一张去[地点]的票。
  Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī zhāng qù [dì diǎn] de piào.
  In English: Can I get one ticket to [location]?
• In Chinese: 火车终点站到了。
  Pinyin: Huǒ chē zhōng diǎn zhàn dào le.
  In English: It is the final stop for the train.

3. Shopping

You can use your cards to pay in many stores in China.

Our list of travel phrases in the Chinese language extends out to shopping phrases, because we know you’ll want to grab a souvenir or two! With these Mandarin Chinese travel words and phrases, you’ll be able to shop, barter, and bring home your bounty of Chinese goods!

• In Chinese: 这个要多少钱？
  Pinyin: Zhè gè yào duō shǎo qián?
  In English: How much does it cost?
• In Chinese: 能给我个优惠吗？
  Pinyin: Néng gěi wǒ gè yōu huì ma?
  In English: Can I get a discount?
• In Chinese: 便宜一点吧。
  Pinyin: Pián yí yī diǎn ba.
  In English: Make it cheaper.

  Additional notes: There are many small shops in China that allow you to bargain. Many products are usually offered initially at 200% of the original price; if this happens, don’t hesitate to use this phrase to bargain.

• In Chinese: 这里的实时汇率是多少呢？
  Pinyin: Zhè lǐ de shí shí huì lǜ shì duō shǎo ne?
  In English: What is the currency here?
• In Chinese: 我可以用信用卡吗？
  Pinyin: Wǒ kě yǐ yòng xìn yòng kǎ ma?
  In English: Can I use a credit card?

4. Restaurants

From ordering your food to letting your server know how many people are in your group, Chinese travel phrases for restaurants will come in handy time and time again! Here are travel phrases in Chinese characters (with English translations, of course) to help you enjoy your meal to the fullest!

Go to a nice restaurant and enjoy some local food!

• In Chinese: 我想要这个。
  Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng yào zhège.
  In English: Can I get this, please?
• In Chinese: 我是一名素食者/我是一名纯素食者。
  Pinyin: Wǒ shì yī míng sù shí zhě/wǒ shì yī míng chúnsù shí zhě.
  In English: I am a vegetarian/vegan.
• In Chinese: 请问可以结一下帐吗？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn kě yǐ jié yī xià zhàng ma?
  In English: Can I get the bill please?
• In Chinese: 我们一共[数字] 个人。
  Pinyin: Wǒ men yī gòng [shù zì] gè rén.
  In English: We have [number] people.
• In Chinese: 服务生/小姐！
  Pinyin: Fú wù shēng/xiǎo jiě!
  In English: Waiter/waitress!
• In Chinese: 这个太好吃了。
  Pinyin: Zhè gè tài hǎo chī le.
  In English: It’s delicious.
• In Chinese: 你有什么推荐的吗？
  Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu shén me tuī jiàn de ma?
  In English: Do you have any recommendations?

5. Asking for and Giving Directions

A list of Chinese phrases for travellers, of course, necessitates a section for directions! We don’t want you getting lost while exploring China (or heading to your business meeting). Study and practice this list of Chinese travel phrases and words to keep yourself on the right track and headed in the right direction!

1- A List of General Locations

• 酒店 (jiǔ diàn) — hotel
• 餐厅 (cān tīng) — restaurant
• 公园 (gōng yuán) — park
• 地铁站 (dì tiě zhàn) — subway station
• 公交车站 (gōng jiāo chē zhàn) — bus stop
• 洗手间 (xǐ shǒu jiān) — restroom
• 房间 (fáng jiān) — room
• 图书馆 (tú shū guǎn) — library
• 失物认领处 (shī wù rèn lǐng chù) — lost and found

2- Basic Phrases for Directions

• In Chinese: [地点]在哪里？
  Pinyin: [dì diǎn] zài nǎ lǐ?
  In English: Where is [location]?
• In Chinese: 请问去[地点]应该怎么走？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn qù [dì diǎn] yīng gāi zěn me zǒu?
  In English: How can I get to [location]?
• In Chinese: 往左拐。
  Pinyin: Wǎng zuǒ guǎi.
  In English: Turn left.
• In Chinese: 往右拐。
  Pinyin: Wǎng yòu guǎi.
  In English: Turn right.
• In Chinese: 直走。
  Pinyin: Zhí zǒu.
  In English: Go straight.

Additional notes: Workers in most big hotels in China are well-trained and speak English fluently, so don’t worry about check-in and check-out at your hotel.

6. Emergencies

If there’s an emergency, stay calm and find help!

Emergencies are rarely expected, especially when you’re on vacation or taking a trip to your dream country. But it’s important to be prepared in case you do find yourself in an emergency situation. Study and practice these basic Chinese travel phrases for emergencies in order to stay safe and be prepared!

• In Chinese: 救命啊！
  Pinyin: Jiù mìng a!
  In English: Help!
• In Chinese: 我护照/钱包丢了，请问你有没有看见过？
  Pinyin: Wǒ hù zhào /qián bāo diū le, qǐng wèn nǐ yǒu méi yǒu kàn jiàn guò?
  In English: I lost my passport/wallet, did you see it?
• In Chinese: 有医生吗？
  Pinyin: Yǒu yī shēng ma?
  In English: Is there a doctor?
• In Chinese: 请问你可以帮我一下吗？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn nǐ kě yǐ bāng wǒ yī xià ma?
  In English: Can you please help me?

Additional notes: Please remember that the ambulance number in China is 120 and the police number is 110, just in case there’s an emergency in need of those numbers. If so, you should call them immediately.

7. Flattery Phrases

Aside from the more common Chinese travel phrases, it’ll be good to know some flattery phrases to let your new Chinese friends or associates know that you appreciate them (and love their country!). Take a look:

Don’t hesitate to give the people who once helped you a big thumbs-up

• In Chinese: 中国人真友好。
  Pinyin: Zhōng guó rén zhēn yǒu hǎo.
  In English: Chinese people are so nice.
• In Chinese: 中国文化可真有意思。
  Pinyin: Zhōng guó wén huà kě zhēn yǒu yì sī.
  In English: Chinese culture is so interesting.
• In Chinese: 中国真是一个美丽的国家啊。
  Pinyin: Zhōng guó zhēn shì yī gè měi lì de guó jiā a.
  In English: China is such a beautiful country.
• In Chinese: 中国美食实在是太好吃了。
  Pinyin: Zhōng guó měi shí shí zài shì tài hǎo chī le.
  In English: Chinese food tastes delicious.
• In Chinese: 我们可以成为好朋友吗？
  Pinyin: Wǒ men kě yǐ chéng wéi hǎo péng yǒu ma?
  In English: Can we become good friends?

8. Useful Phrases to Go Through Language Problems

Our list of travel words in Chinese to English is sure to help you out as you navigate our beautiful country. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a few bumps in the road. Check out this list of helpful words and phrases for overcoming language barriers during your visit!

• In Chinese: 请问你会说英语吗？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma?
  In English: Can you speak English?
• In Chinese: 我不明白你什么意思，可以麻烦你再说一遍吗？
  Pinyin: Wǒ bù míng bái nǐ shén me yì sī, kě yǐ má fán nǐ zài shuō yī biàn ma?
  In English: I don’t understand, can you repeat?
• In Chinese: 可以麻烦您帮我写下来吗？
  Pinyin: Kě yǐ má fán nín bāng wǒ xiě xià lái ma?
  In English: Can you write it down for me please?
• In Chinese: 抱歉，我的中文不是很好，可以麻烦你慢点说吗？
  Pinyin: Bào qiàn, wǒ de zhōng wén bú shì hěn hǎo, kě yǐ má fán nǐ màn diǎn shuō ma?
  In English: Sorry, I’m not good at Chinese, can you speak slowly?
• In Chinese: 请问您这个的中文怎么表达？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn nín zhè gè de zhōng wén zěn me biǎo dá?
  In English: How do you say it in Chinese?

9. Conclusion

Through this guide for traveling phrases, we hope you’ve successfully boosted your confidence in planning your future trip. Knowing these Chinese to English travel phrases is sure to help you out in a pinch, and will allow you to fully enjoy your China experience!

If you wish to be even more prepared and knowledgeable for your visit to China, you’ll find everything you need here for wonderful Chinese culture and language lessons at ChineseClass101.com!

Our daily life is always closely associated with numbers. They’re a great tool that provides us with convenience and better understanding with precision. Especially in language learning, Chinese numbers are one of the most necessary things to study right from the start.

Grammar rules and writing numbers in Chinese are quite simple and straightforward. If you follow the guide and practice often enough, I’m sure you’ll become a Chinese-number master in no time! Now let’s get right into the magical world of Chinese numbers!

Table of Contents

1. Numbers 0-9
2. Numbers 10-100
3. Numbers up to 1000
4. Numbers from 1000 - 10,000
5. Regarding to Phone Numbers
6. Saying Prices
7. How to Use Numbers When Shopping
8. How to Express Time
9. Bonus - Fun Chinese Number Slangs
10. Conclusion

1. Numbers 0-9

Let’s start with the simplest single numbers you can use!

Numbers in Chinese are called 数字 (shùzì), which literally means “counting words.” The basic numbers in Chinese are extremely simple, and the writings for number of Chinese characters are easy. Especially if you take a closer look at the writings for one to three, you’ll notice that the number of lines is the same as the number itself.

With this in mind, let’s go over a common trick people use to remember numbers. How do you write number one? One line. For number two is two lines, and number three is three lines.

How about four? - Of course, four lines!

So just remember, the “line” writing will start to change after three. Also, before you start to practice, here are a few tips for the line writing for numbers two and three:

• For number two, you need to write the line below longer.
• For number three, you need to write the line in the middle shorter than the top one, and the line at the bottom should be the longest line!

• 0 - 零 (líng)
• 1 - 一 (yī)
• 2 - 二 (èr)
• 3 - 三 (sān)
• 4 - 四 (sì)
• 5 - 五 (wǔ)
• 6 - 六 (liù)
• 7 - 七 (qī)
• 8 - 八 (bā)
• 9 - 九 (jiǔ)

These are a few of the most important numbers in learning Chinese, so be sure to go over these again before moving forward.

2. Numbers 10-100

Here are Chinese characters for numbers 10 to 100.

• 10 - 十 (shí)
• 20 - 二十 (èr shí)
• 30 - 三十 (sān shí)
• 40 - 四十 (sì shí)
• 50 - 五十 (wǔ shí)
• 60 - 六十 (liù shí)
• 70 - 七十 (qī shí)
• 80 - 八十 (bā shí)
• 90 - 九十 (jiǔ shí)
• 100 - 一百 (yī bǎi)

3. Numbers up to 1000

And here are the numbers in Chinese characters for numbers up to 1000.

• 200 - 二百 (èr bǎi) [formal]
• 200 - 两百 (liǎng bǎi) [casual]
• 300 - 三百 (sān bǎi)
• 400 - 四百 (sì bǎi)
• 500 - 五百 (wǔ bǎi)
• 600 - 六百 (liù bǎi)
• 700 - 七百 (qī bǎi)
• 800 - 八百 (bā bǎi)
• 900 - 九百 (jiǔ bǎi)
• 536 - 五百三十六 (wǔ bǎi sān shí liù)

4. Numbers from 1000 - 10,000

• 1000 - 一千 (yī qiān)
• 2000 - 两千 (liǎng qiān)
• 3000 - 三千 (sān qiān)
• 4000 - 四千 (sì qiān)
• 5000 - 五千 (wǔ qiān)
• 6000 - 六千 (liù qiān)
• 7000 - 七千 (qī qiān)
• 8000 - 八千 (bā qiān)
• 9000 - 九千 (jiǔ qiān)
• 10,000 - 一万 (yī wàn)

Additional notes: To express a random number, just put the measurement of the numbers involved in order. For example, 536 needs to be expressed in the following order: 500, 30, and 6. Thus, it’s 五百三十六(wǔ bǎi sān shí liù). It’s not that difficult to grasp!

5. Regarding to Phone Numbers

1- Expressing Your Phone Number

• In Chinese: 我的号码是: “一三零九四二五零六三七”
• Pinyin: Wǒ de hàomǎ shì: “yāo sān líng jiǔ sì èr wǔ líng liù sān qī”
• In English: My phone number is: “13094250637.”

2- Format for Saying the Phone Number

There are two formats for pausing while saying your phone number aloud:

• Format 1: 1-3-0-9-4-2-5-0-6-3-7 (yāo - sān - líng - jiǔ - sì - èr - wǔ - líng - liù - sān - qī)
• Format 2: 130-9425-0637 (yāo sān líng - jiǔ sì èr wǔ - líng liù sān qī)

Additional notes: When number 1 is presented as a series of numbers instead of a quantity, the pronunciation may vary and can be read as yāo.

6. Saying Prices

Wondering how to express price when you see one at the market? It’s not hard!

There are different measurements in prices in Chinese price, which is called 价钱 (jià qián):

• In Chinese: 角 / 毛
  Pinyin: jiǎo [formal] / máo [casual]
  Equivalent in U.S. money: dime
• In Chinese: 分
  Pinyin: fēn
  Equivalent in U.S. money: cent
• In Chinese: 元
  Pinyin: yuán
  Equivalent in U.S. money: dollar
• In Chinese: 五元钱 / 五块钱
  Pinyin: wǔ yuán qián [formal] / wǔ kuài qián [casual]

7. How to Use Numbers When Shopping

• In Chinese: 我买一斤。
  Pinyin: Wǒ mǎi yī jīn.
  In English: I will buy a pound.
• In Chinese: 这个多少钱?
  Pinyin: Zhè gè duō shǎo qián?
  In English: How much is this?
• In Chinese: 给我来五个。
  Pinyin: Gěi wǒ lái wǔ gè.
  In English: I want five of those.
• In Chinese: 我要付现金。
  Pinyin: Wǒ yào fù xiàn jīn.
  In English: I want to pay in cash.
• In Chinese: 便宜点吧。
  Pinyin: Pián yí diǎn ba.
  In English: Make it cheaper.

A reminder: In many Chinese stores that aren’t officially structured, it’s common to bargain. So feel free to use the last phrase and save some money if you’re shopping somewhere casual!

8. How to Express Time

1- Time Measurements

• In Chinese: 时/小时
  Pinyin: shí [formal] / xiǎo shí [casual]
  In English: hour
• In Chinese: 分
  Pinyin: fēn
  In English: minute
• In Chinese: 秒
  Pinyin: miǎo
  In English: second

2- Asking About Time

• In Chinese: 请问现在几点了？/ 现在是什么时间？
  Pinyin: Qǐng wèn xiàn zài jǐ diǎn le? / Xiàn zài shì shén me shí jiān?
  In English: What time is it right now?

3- Expressing Specific Time

• A whole time: hour of time + 点 (diǎn) / 点钟 (diǎn zhōng)

  Example:
  In Chinese: 五点 / 五点钟
  Pinyin: wǔ diǎn / wǔ diǎn zhōng
  In English: five o’clock

• Half hour passed: hour of time + 点半 (diǎn bàn)

  Example:
  In Chinese: 五点半
  Pinyin: wǔ diǎn bàn
  In English: five-thirty

• Little time passed: hour of time + 点多 (diǎn duō)

  Example:
  In Chinese: 三点多
  Pinyin: sān diǎn duō
  In English: Some time past three

• Almost the time: 快 (kuài wǔ diǎn le) + hour of time + 点 (diǎn) + 了(le)

  Example:
  In Chinese: 快六点了。
  Pinyin: Kuài liù diǎn le.
  In English: It is almost six o’clock.

Please note that the Chinese time system is based on military time. If you use AM/PM, that might cause some confusion.

9. Bonus - Fun Chinese Number Slangs

Four-character slangs are a part of Chinese culture that’s deeply ingrained in people’s daily speaking. They can make your conversation more engaging and entertaining!

Numbers also play a great role in many four-character slangs in order to create a better picture. If you speak any of those slangs, people will probably be impressed in how rich your vocabularies in Chinese are!

Additional notes: There are also some slangs mentioned below that include more than one number.

0 - 零 (líng)

• In Chinese: 零零散散
• Pinyin: líng líng sàn sàn
• Usage: To describe things that are messy and are scattered everywhere

1 - 一 (yī)

• In Chinese: 一清二楚
• Pinyin: yī qīng èr chǔ
• Usage: To describe things that are expressed explicitly and clearly

2 - 二 (èr)

• In Chinese: 三心二意
• Pinyin: sān xīn èr yì
• Usage: To describe a person who gets distracted and doesn’t focus on doing the things they’re supposed to be doing

3 - 三 (sān)

• In Chinese: 三生有幸
• Pinyin: sān shēng yǒu xìng
• Usage: To describe a situation where you feel that you are extremely lucky

4 - 四 (sì)

• In Chinese: 挑三拣四
• Pinyin: tiāo sān jiǎn sì
• Usage: To describe someone who’s very picky

5 - 五 (wǔ)

• In Chinese: 五花八门
• Pinyin: wǔ huā bā mén
• Usage: To describe something that has a great variety of choices

6 - 六 (liù)

If you ever decide to do something selfish and refuse to consider your family’s feelings…here’s the word, which I hope will never happen.

• In Chinese: 六亲不认
• Pinyin: liù qīn bú rèn
• Usage: To describe when someone does something morally wrong to one’s family or someone that is as close as family, despite the familial bond they shared

7 - 七 (qī)

Look at how messy this is! Want to learn a word to describe it? Here’s the right one!

• In Chinese: 乱七八糟
• Pinyin: luàn qī bā zāo
• Usage: To describe something that’s disorganized and messy

8 - 八 (bā)

• In Chinese: 八面玲珑
• Pinyin: bā miàn líng lóng
• Usage: To describe someone who’s sophisticated and can deal with all kinds of situations and changes wisely and smoothly

9 - 九 (jiǔ)

A dangerous situation like this can be described by an idiom that entails number 9.

• In Chinese: 九死一生
• Pinyin: jiǔ sǐ yī shēng
• Usage: To describe something that’s so dangerous that it’s hard to survive

10 - 十 (shí)

Have you ever done something that’s so perfect that everyone gives you a thumbs-up?

• In Chinese: 十全十美
• Pinyin: shí quán shí měi
• Usage: To describe something or some situation that’s entirely perfect and ideal

10. Conclusion

Numbers, in learning the Chinese language, are very important. I’m sure you had a great experience and paid much effort to learning Chinese numbers and how to utilize them! This is only a brief introduction to Chinese numbers, though, so if you wish to go any further with these, our website is a perfect place for that. Check out ChineseClass101.com and get ready to have a delightful journey in learning Chinese with our fun lessons!

If you’ve just started learning Chinese, you may have wondered at some point, “How do I say sorry in Chinese?” Indeed, it’s vital to learn how to say sorry in Chinese culture, and any culture for that matter. We’re all human, and we all tend to make mistakes in the long journey of life, both small and large, and a fitting apology is almost always desired afterwards. This is when we need to say the “magic word” to make everything right again. Apologizing is the key to harmony in a relationship, as it can help you move past many unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.

There are different ways of how to say sorry in the Chinese language. As a language learner who just set sail for Chinese, this article will help you get a sense of the unique way native Chinese people apologize. After you master the art of apologizing in Chinese with this article, you’ll never have to worry about not knowing what to say when you make forgivable mistakes! What are you waiting for? Let’s delve into how to give an apology in Chinese Mandarin. Start with a bonus, and download your FREE cheat sheet - How to Improve Your Chinese Skills! (Logged-In Member Only)

1. The Most Important Apologizing Words
2. How to Take the Blame
3. Expressions for Formal and Business Situations
4. Condolences
5. Other Expressions
6. How to respond
7. Conclusion

1. The Most Important Apologizing Words

First things first! Here are some of the most common ways to apologize in Chinese, with some grammar explanations to make things clearer for you. This includes how to say “sorry” and “excuse me” in Chinese, which are two phrases you definitely will want to know!

• In Chinese: 对不起。
  Pinyin: dui bu qǐ
  In English: Sorry

The origin of this phrase is very interesting. Ancient Chinese people liked to showcase their knowledge by using couplets, which is a traditional form of art in the Chinese language. However, it’s often difficult to complete the pair. So, in order to express that they weren’t as knowledgeable as the person they were speaking to, people would say 对不起, which meant they weren’t able to complete the couplet. Later, it spread and become a popular way to apologize.

Now, you can use 对不起 for a simple sincere apology. But keep in mind that it also indicates that you owe someone for what you did, so be careful when you use it, as it can be seen as a strong word. It’s best suited for an occasion where you feel the need to own up to your mistake and desire forgiveness in return. To make it even more formal, you can add the subjective and objective, such as in: 我对不起你 (wǒ duì bu qǐ nǐ), meaning “I am sorry to you.”

• In Chinese: 抱歉。
  Pinyin: bào qiàn
  In English: I am sorry (I hold my apology).

Compared to 对不起, 抱歉 is a lighter way to say I’m sorry in Chinese than the degree of apology that 对不起 entails. If there’s something you strongly feel sorry about and you feel desperate to express your apology, don’t use 抱歉 as it’s not sufficient to express your emotion in this context. 抱 literally means “hold,” and 歉 means “apology.” The whole word conveys a sense of guilt and regret, so if you ever feel bad about something and want to express it, this word is a good fit.

• In Chinese: 不好意思。
  Pinyin: bù hǎo yì sī
  In English: Excuse me.

The literal meaning of 不好意思 is “feeling embarrassed or shy,” which indicates an even lighter degree of apology compared to 抱歉. For things that aren’t as significant or that you don’t personally feel extremely bad about, feel free to use this phrase to politely show your apology for the little inconvenience you caused, such as being late.

Sometimes Chinese people also use it for expressing their shy or awkward feelings. For example, when people feel too flattered and thus are embarrassed by a compliment, they might say 你说的我都不好意思了(nǐ shuō de wǒ dōu bù hǎo yì sī le), meaning “You are making me feel embarrassed.”

Additional note: You can also add 真 before any of the three phrases above. It means “really,” which adds a sincerity to the apology.

2. How to Take the Blame

• In Chinese: 我错了。
  Pinyin: wǒ cuò le
  In English: It is my fault.

This can be used both seriously and casually. In a serious situation, it emphasizes the fact that you’re willing to admit your mistakes. You can also repeat it to comfort someone who’s unsatisfied or irritated by something trivial you did, usually with people you’re close with.

• In Chinese: 是我不好。
  Pinyin: shì wǒ bù hǎo
  In English: It is my bad.

You can bravely admit your mistake by saying this. This is a neutral expression as well, which suits both serious and casual situations. You may want to add 原谅我吧 (yuán liàng wǒ ba), meaning “please forgive me,” right after to make your apology sound more genuine.

• In Chinese: 责任全在我/是我的责任。
  Pinyin: zé rèn quán zài wǒ /shì wǒ de zé rèn
  In English: All the responsibility lies on me/It is all my responsibility.

This is a powerful expression for owning up to all the responsibility for something you’ve done. Essentially, this puts all of the blame on yourself.

• In Chinese: 要怪就怪我吧。
  Pinyin: yào guài jiù guài wǒ ba
  In English: If you have to blame someone, blame me.

If there’s an embarrassing situation where someone has to own up to his/her mistake for the sake of a group, and you want to be the one who takes the fall, this is the right phrase to use. Usually, you need to add some good explanation right after in order to support the reason why you should be the one to take the blame. It’s sometimes good to be the one who admits the mistake, because everyone else may dearly appreciate your sacrifice for turning the embarrassment into a better atmosphere.

3. Expressions for Formal and Business Situations

You’ll find this section extremely helpful and relevant if you’ve ever wondered how to say phrases like “Sorry I’m late,” in Chinese. Let’s take a look at the most common formal and business Chinese apologies.

• In Chinese: 抱歉/不好意思/对不起，麻烦你了。
  Pinyin: bào qiàn / bù hǎo yì sī / duì bu qǐmá fán nǐ le
  In English: I am sorry to trouble you.
• In Chinese: 抱歉/不好意思/对不起，我今天不能去了。
  Pinyin: bào qiàn / bù hǎo yì sī / duì bu qǐ, wǒ jīn tiān bú néng qù le
  In English: I am sorry that I won’t make it today.
• In Chinese: 抱歉/不好意思/对不起，我要先走一步。
  Pinyin: bào qiàn / bù hǎo yì sī / duì bu qǐ, wǒ yào xiān zǒu yī bù
  In English: Sorry, I have to go.
• In Chinese: 抱歉/不好意思/对不起，我来晚了。
  Pinyin: bào qiàn / bù hǎo yì sī / duì bu qǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le
  In English: Sorry that I am late.
• In Chinese: 不好意思/抱歉，借过一下可以吗？
  Pinyin: bú hǎo yì sī / bào qiàn，jiè guò yī xià kě yǐ ma
  In English: Sorry, do you mind stepping aside?

For the phrases mentioned above, you can use different forms of “sorry” depending on the degree of importance regarding the specific event, and the part after the comma conveys different situations. Please feel free to substitute the phrase, keeping in mind that 对不起 indicates the strongest degree of apology, and 抱歉 is the second strongest one. 不好意思 indicates the least degree of apology of the three. You can always add some additional explanation after saying sorry, to make your situation more clear so that people can better understand your apology.

• In Chinese: 打扰一下，请问发生什么了？
  Pinyin: dǎ rǎo yī xià, qǐng wèn fā shēng shén me le
  In English: Excuse me, what happened?

Although “Excuse me” in English indicates a sorry feeling, in Chinese it literally means “allow me to disturb you,” where 打扰 means “to disturb.”

4. Condolences

• In Chinese: 很抱歉听到这个消息。
  Pinyin: hěn bào qiàn tīng dào zhè gè xiāo xī
  In English: I am sorry to hear that.

When learning how to say “I am sorry to hear that” in Chinese, you can now entail what we learned earlier. 抱歉, in this sentence, is used to express some specific event that you feel sorry about. You can also substitute 听到这个消息 meaning “to hear the news,” with many other things that you want to express your sadness about. This also goes for “I am sorry that…”.

• In Chinese: 节哀顺变。
  Pinyin: jiē āi shùn biàn
  In English: I am so sorry for your loss.

Learning how to say “sorry for your loss” in Chinese may be one of the most important phrases you can master, and can be the difference between clearly expressing your sorrow for a loved one—or failing to. This is an old traditional phrase for comforting people who lost someone dear to them. 节哀 means “repress sadness,” and 顺变 means “let go of the accident and change.”

5. Other Expressions

• In Chinese: 我向你赔礼道歉。
  Pinyin: wǒ xiàng nǐ péi lǐ dào qiàn
  In English: Let me apologize to you.

赔礼 represents the action of compensating a formality for apologizing, which suggests a serious situation. When you use it, it may require some physical performance to fully express the apology, such as a bow or treating the person to a meal.

• In Chinese: 你能原谅我吗？
  Pinyin: nǐ néng yuán liàng wǒ ma
  In English: Will you forgive me?

This phrase conveys a powerful desire for forgiveness, which is usually used for a fault that’s caused by a very serious condition.

• In Chinese: 你别生气啊。
  Pinyin: nǐ bié shēng qì a
  In English: Don’t be mad.

This can be used for both serious and casual occasions when apologizing. Whenever a sentence-final interjection such as 啊 is included, the sentence is usually not as formal or serious, and indicates a softer expression.

• In Chinese: 我不是故意的。
  Pinyin: wǒ bú shì gù yì de
  In English: I didn’t do it on purpose.

You can definitely use this phrase for self-defense for an act you didn’t intentionally commit. It’s usually added right after a “sorry” phrase.

• In Chinese: 你别怪我啊。
  Pinyin: nǐ bié guài wǒ a
  In English: Please don’t blame me.

怪 can mean different things depending on the situation. For example, for an adjective it can mean “weird” or “strange.” Please keep in mind that it’s used as a verb meaning “blame” here.

6. How to respond

• In Chinese: 没关系。
  Pinyin: méi guān xi
  In English: It’s fine.
• In Chinese: 没事。
  Pinyin: méi shì
  In English: It’s okay.
• In Chinese: 没什么大不了的。
  Pinyin: méi shén me dà bú liǎo de
  In English: It is no big deal.
• In Chinese: 这有什么的。
  Pinyin: zhè yǒu shén me de
  In English: That is nothing.
• In Chinese: 别放在心上。
  Pinyin: bié fàng zài xīn shàng
  In English: Don’t mind it.

7. Conclusion

Are you gaining more confidence after learning all the expressions along with the explicit explanations provided? It’s not as difficult as you thought, as long as you come to the right teacher and source to study Chinese!

Fortunately, here at ChineseClass101.com, you can find just this. Here, you’ll be able to obtain a delightful learning experience and acquire the best resources to help you speak Chinese like a native. What are you waiting for? Come visit us right now!

In the meantime, be sure to continue practicing these various ways of how to say “I am sorry” in the Chinese language. You’ll get the hang of it in no time!

Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in Chinese could be just what you need to find it.

Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your Chinese partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At ChineseClass101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your Chinese lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra material available to make Chinese dating easy for you.

Table of Contents

1. Common Phrases You’ll Need for a Date
2. The Most Romantic Ideas for a Date
3. Must-know Valentine’s Day Vocabulary
4. Chinese Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day
5. Chinese Quotes about Love
6. Marriage Proposal Lines
7. 15 Most Common Break-Up Lines
8. Will Falling in Love Help You Learn Chinese Faster?

Start with a bonus, and download the ‘How To be a Good Lover Cheat Sheet’ for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

1. Common Phrases You’ll Need for a Date

So, you have met your Chinese love interest. Congratulations! Who knows where this could take you…?! However, the two of you have just met and you’re not ready to say the Chinese word for love just yet. Great, it is better to get to know him/her first. Wow your prospective love by using these Chinese date phrases to set up a spectacular first date.

Would you like to go out to dinner with me?

• 你愿意和我一起出去吃晚饭吗？
• Nǐ yuànyì hé wǒ yīqǐ chūqù chī wǎnfàn ma?

The important question! In most cultures, this phrase indicates: ‘I’m romantically interested in you’. Flirting in Chinese is no different, so don’t take your date to Mcdonald’s!

Are you free this weekend?

• 这个周末你有空吗？
• Zhège zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma?

This is a preamble to asking your love interest on a date. If you get an immediate ‘Yes’, that’s good news!

Would you like to hang out with me?

• 你愿意和我一起出去吗？
• Nǐ yuànyì hé wǒ yīqǐ chūqù ma?

You like her/him, but you’re not sure if there’s chemistry. Ask them to hang out first to see if a dinner date is next.

What time shall we meet tomorrow?

• 我们明天什么时候见面？
• Wǒmen míngtiān shénme shíhou jiànmiàn?

Set a time, and be sure to arrive early! Nothing spoils a potential relationship more than a tardy date.

Where shall we meet?

• 我们在哪见面？
• Wǒmen zài nǎ jiànmiàn?

You can ask this, but also suggest a place.

You look great.

• 你看上去很棒。
• Nǐ kàn shàngqù hěn bàng.

A wonderful ice breaker! This phrase will help them relax a bit - they probably took great care to look their best just for you.

You are so cute.

• 你真可爱。
• Nǐ zhēn kě’ài.

If the two of you are getting on really well, this is a fun, flirtatious phrase to use.

What do you think of this place?

• 你觉得这个地方怎么样？
• Nǐ juéde zhège dìfāng zěnme yàng?

This another good conversation starter. Show off your Chinese language skills!

Can I see you again?

• 我可以再见到你吗？
• Wǒ kěyǐ zài jiàndào nǐ ma?

So the date went really well - don’t waste time! Make sure you will see each other again.

Shall we go somewhere else?

• 我们去别的地方好吗？
• Wǒmen qù biédì dìfāng hǎoma?

If the place you meet at is not great, you can suggest going elsewhere. It is also a good question to follow the previous one. Variety is the spice of life!

I know a good place.

• 我知道一个好地方。
• Wǒ zhīdào yīgè hǎo dìfāng.

Use this with the previous question. However, don’t say if you don’t know a good place!

I will drive you home.

• 我会开车送你回家。
• Wǒ huì kāichē sòng nǐ huí jiā.

If your date doesn’t have transport, this is a polite, considerate offer. However, don’t be offended if she/he turns you down on the first date. Especially a woman might not feel comfortable letting you drive her home when the two of you are still basically strangers.

That was a great evening.

• 那是一个很棒的夜晚。
• Nà shì yīgè hěn bàng de yèwǎn.

This is a good phrase to end the evening with.

When can I see you again?

• 我什么时候能再见到你？
• Wǒ shénme shíhou néng zàijiàn dào nǐ?

If he/she replied ‘Yes’ to ‘Can I see you again?’, this is the next important question.

I’ll call you.

• 我会给你打电话。
• Wǒ huì gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.

Say this only if you really mean to do it. In many cultures, this could imply that you’re keeping the proverbial backdoor open.

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2. The Most Romantic Ideas for a Date

You learned all the Chinese phrases to make a date - congratulations! Now you have to decide where to meet, which can be tricky. Discuss these options with your lover to gauge whether you like the same things. Check out romantic date ideas in Chinese below!

museum

• 博物馆
• bówù guǎn

If you’re looking for unique date ideas that are fun but won’t break the bank, museums are the perfect spot! You won’t be running out of things to say in the conversations.

candlelit dinner

• 烛光晚餐
• zhúguāng wǎncān

A candlelit dinner is perhaps best to reserve for when the relationship is getting serious. It’s very intimate, and says: “Romance!” It’s a fantastic choice if you’re sure you and your date are in love with each other!

go to the zoo

• 去动物园
• qù dòngwùyuán

This is a good choice for shy lovers who want to get the conversation going. Just make sure your date likes zoos, as some people dislike them. Maybe not for the first date, but this is also a great choice if your lover has children - you’ll win his/her adoration for inviting them along!

go for a long walk

• 长时间散步
• chángshíjiān sànbù

Need to talk about serious stuff, or just want to relax with your date? Walking together is soothing, and a habit you can keep up together always! Just make sure it’s a beautiful walk that’s not too strenuous.

go to the opera

• 去看歌剧
• qù kàn gējù

This type of date should only be attempted if both of you love the opera. It can be a special treat, followed by a candlelit dinner!

go to the aquarium

• 去水族馆
• qù shuǐzúguǎn

Going to the aquarium is another good idea if you need topics for conversation, or if you need to impress your lover’s kids! Make sure your date doesn’t have a problem with aquariums.

walk on the beach

• 在海滩上散步
• zài hǎitān shàng sànbù

This can be a very romantic stroll, especially at night! The sea is often associated with romance and beauty.

have a picnic

• 野餐
• yě cān

If you and your date need to get more comfortable together, this can be a fantastic date. Spending time in nature is soothing and calms the nerves.

cook a meal together

• 一起做饭
• yīqǐ zuòfàn

If you want to get an idea of your date’s true character in one go, this is an excellent date! You will quickly see if the two of you can work together in a confined space. If it works, it will be fantastic for the relationship and create a sense of intimacy. If not, you will probably part ways!

have dinner and see a movie

• 吃晚饭，看电影
• chī wǎnfàn, kàn diànyǐng

This is traditional date choice works perfectly well. Just make sure you and your date like the same kind of movies!

3. Must-know Valentine’s Day Vocabulary

Expressing your feelings honestly is very important in any relationship all year round. Yet, on Valentine’s Day you really want to shine. Impress your lover this Valentine’s with your excellent vocabulary, and make his/her day! We teach you, in fun, effective ways, the meanings of the words and how to pronounce them. You can also copy the characters and learn how to write ‘I love you’ in Chinese - think how impressed your date will be!

4. Chinese Love Phrases for Valentine’s Day

So, you now have the basic Valentine’s Day vocabulary under your belt. Well done! But, do you know how to say ‘I love you’ in Chinese yet? Or perhaps you are still only friends. So, do you know how to say ‘I like you’ or ‘I have a crush on you’ in Chinese? No? Don’t worry, here are all the love phrases you need to bowl over your Chinese love on this special day!

I love you.

• 我爱你。
• Wǒ ài nǐ.

Saying ‘I love you’ in Chinese carries the same weight as in all languages. Use this only if you’re sure and sincere about your feelings for your partner/friend.

You’re so beautiful.

• 你真漂亮。
• Nǐ zhēn piàoliang.

If you don’t know how to say ‘You’re pretty’ in Chinese, this is a good substitute, gentlemen!

You’re so handsome.

• 你好帅。
• Nǐ hǎo shuài .

Ladies, this phrase lets your Chinese love know how much you appreciate his looks! Don’t be shy to use it; men like compliments too.

I’ve got a crush on you.

• 我喜欢你。
• Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ .

If you like someone, but you’re unsure about starting a relationship, it would be prudent to say this. It simply means that you like someone very, very much and think they’re amazing.

You make me want to be a better man.

• 你让我想变得更好。
• Nǐ ràng wǒ xiǎng biàn de gènghǎo .

Gentlemen, don’t claim this phrase as your own! It hails from the movie ‘As Good as it Gets’, but it is sure to make your Chinese girlfriend feel very special. Let her know that she inspires you!

Let all that you do be done in love.

• 让所有你做的事都充满爱。
• Ràng suǒyǒu nǐ zuò de shì dōu chōngmǎn ài .

We hope.

You are my sunshine, my love.

• 你是我的阳光，我的爱。
• Nǐ shì wǒ de yángguāng, wǒ de ài.

A compliment that lets your lover know they bring a special quality to your life. Really nice!

Words can’t describe my love for you.

• 无法用言语来形容我对你的爱。
• Wúfǎ yòng yányǔ lái xíngróng wǒ duì nǐ de ài.

Better say this when you’re feeling serious about the relationship! It means that your feelings are very intense.

We were meant to be together.

• 我们是命中注定要在一起。
• Wǒmen shì mìngzhōng zhùdìng yào zài yìqǐ .

This is a loving affirmation that shows you see a future together, and that you feel a special bond with your partner.

If you were thinking about someone while reading this, you’re definitely in love.

• 如果你读这篇文章时想着某个人，你一定是恋爱了。
• Rúguǒ nǐ dú zhè piān wénzhāng shí xiǎngzhe mǒu gèrén , nǐ yídìng shì liànài le .

Here’s something fun to tease your lover with. And hope he/she was thinking of you!

Will you be my Valentine?

• 你愿意与我共度情人节吗？
• Nǐ yuànyì yǔ wǒ gòngdù Qíngrénjié ma ?

With these words, you are taking your relationship to the next level! Or, if you have been a couple for a while, it shows that you still feel the romance. So, go for it!

Love is just love. It can never be explained.

• 爱情就是爱情，常理无法解释。
• Àiqíng jiù shì àiqíng , chánglǐ wúfǎ jiěshì .

If you fell in love unexpectedly or inexplicably, this one’s for you.

You mean so much to me.

• 你对我而言如此重要。
• Nǐ duì wǒ éryán rúcǐ zhòngyào .

This is a beautiful expression of gratitude that will enhance any relationship! It makes the receiver feel appreciated and their efforts recognized.

I think of you as more than a friend.

• 我认为你不仅仅只是一个朋友。
• Wǒ rènwéi nǐ bù jǐnjǐn zhǐ shì yí gè péngyǒu.

Say this if you are not yet sure that your romantic feelings are reciprocated. It is also a safe go-to if you’re unsure about the Chinese dating culture.

A hundred hearts would be too few to carry all my love for you.

• 一百颗心也不足以承载我对你的爱。
• Yìbǎi kē xīn yě bù zúyǐ chéngzài wǒ duì nǐ de ài .

You romantic you…! When your heart overflows with love, this would be the best phrase to use.

5. Chinese Quotes about Love

You’re a love champ! You and your Chinese lover are getting along fantastically, your dates are awesome, your Valentine’s Day together was spectacular, and you’re very much in love. Good for you! Here are some beautiful phrases of endearment in Chinese that will remind him/her who is in your thoughts all the time.

6. Marriage Proposal Lines

Wow. Your Chinese lover is indeed the love of your life - congratulations! And may only happiness follow the two of you! In most traditions, the man asks the woman to marry; this is also the Chinese custom. Here are a few sincere and romantic lines that will help you to ask your lady-love for her hand in marriage.

7. 15 Most Common Break-Up Lines

Instead of moving towards marriage or a long-term relationship, you find that the spark is not there for you. That is a pity! But even though breaking up is never easy, continuing a bad or unfulfilling relationship would be even harder. Remember to be kind to the person you are going to say goodbye to; respect and sensitivity cost nothing. Here are some phrases to help you break up gently.

8. Will Falling in Love help you Learn Chinese faster?

Most people will agree that the above statement is a no-brainer - of course it will! Your body will be flooded with feel-good hormones, which are superb motivators for anything. ChineseClass101 is one of the best portals to help help make this a reality, so don’t hesitate to enroll now! Let’s quickly look at the reasons why falling in love will speed up your learning of the Chinese language.

Three Reasons Why Having a Lover will Help you Learn Chinese Faster!

1- Being in a love relationship with your Chinese speaking partner will immerse you in the culture
ChineseClass101 uses immersive methods and tools to teach you Chinese, but having a relationship with a native speaker will be a very valuable addition to your learning experience! You will gain exposure to their world, realtime and vividly, which will make the language come alive even more for you. The experience is likely to expand your world-view, which should motivate you to learn Chinese even faster.

2- Having your Chinese romantic partner will mean more opportunity to practice speaking
Nothing beats continuous practice when learning a new language. Your partner will probably be very willing to assist you in this, as your enhanced Chinese language skills will enhance the relationship. Communication is, after all, one of the most important pillars of a good partnership. Also, you will get to impress your lover with the knowledge gained through your studies - a win/win situation!

3- A supportive Chinese lover is likely to make a gentle, patient teacher and study aid!
With his/her heart filled with love and goodwill for you, your Chinese partner is likely to patiently and gently correct your mistakes when you speak. This goes not only for grammar, but also for accent and meaning. With his/her help, you could sound like a native in no time!

Three Reasons Why ChineseClass101 helps you learn Chinese Even Faster when you’re In Love

Start with a bonus, and download the ‘How To be a Good Lover Cheat Sheet’ for FREE! (Logged-In Member Only)

1- All the Resources and Materials Will Help Both of You
Falling in love with a man or woman speaking Chinese is an opportunity for both of you to learn a new language! For this reason, every lesson, transcript, vocabulary list, and resource at ChineseClass101 is translated into both English and Chinese. So, while your partner can help you learn Chinese faster, you can potentially also help him/her learn and master English!

2- Lessons Are Designed to Help You Understand and Engage with Chinese Culture
At ChineseClass101, our focus is to help our students learn practical vocabulary and phrases used by everyday people in China. This means that, from your very first lesson, you can apply what you learn immediately! So, when your Chinese partner wants to go out to a restaurant, play Pokemon Go, or attend just about any social function, you have the vocabulary and phrases necessary to have a great time!

3- Access to Special Resources Dedicated to Romantic Chinese Phrases
You now have access to ChineseClass101’s specially-developed sections and tools to teach you love words, phrases, and cultural insights to help you find and attract your Chinese soul mate. A personal tutor will assist you to master these brilliantly - remember to invite him/her to your wedding!

China has always been known for its long-cultivated history and culture. It’s an old country that has built its own characteristics over time. Just like every other country, Chinese etiquette has absorbed the very heart of Chinese culture. By learning how to greet people in Chinese, you’ll be getting a good start in your study of the Chinese language while also becoming a bit more familiar with Chinese culture!

Greetings are always one of the first things someone learns when studying a new language. They’re the key to ensuring the people you talk to have a good impression of you right from the beginning. A proper Chinese greeting can really open up the gate to a fuller, desired conversation.

If you’re a beginner in learning Chinese, the very first question for you to ask is “How do you say ‘hello’ in Chinese?” There are different Chinese greetings for a number of occasions, so now let’s help you grasp the gist of greeting in the Chinese language like a native! You’ll know all about Chinese greetings in no time!

1. Greetings for Different Times of Day

Like nearly all cultures do, the Chinese language uses different greetings, determined by the different times of day. The Chinese greetings here focus on this.

1- Good morning

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do you say ‘good morning’ in Chinese?” you should know that there are three ways to say good morning in Chinese.

• 早上好。（Zǎo shàng hǎo.）
• 早安。（Zǎo ān.）
• 早。（Zǎo.）

Though they all mean “good morning” as a greeting in the morning, there is a slight difference between them. 早 means “morning,” which is the simplest way to wish someone a good morning.

2- Good noon

• 中午好。（Zhōng wǔ hǎo.）

Not many Chinese people greet like this, and this is rarely spoken in Chinese culture. We’ll discuss how we greet for noontime in Chinese language natively.

3- Good afternoon & Good evening

• Good afternoon. 下午好 。（Xià wǔ hǎo.）
• Good evening. 晚上好。（Wǎn shàng hǎo.）

As we mentioned before, this isn’t a usual way to greet natively in China either. When you say these Chinese greeting phrases out loud, they sound too formal and rigid.

4- Good night

• Good night. 晚安。（Wǎn ān.）
• Sweet dreams. 好梦。（Hǎo mèng.）

“Good night” is a very nice thing to say for Chinese people, especially for teenagers. An interesting fact about its pinyin: If you take all the capitals of those letters, they represent: 我爱你，爱你（wǒ ài nǐ，ài nǐ , which means “I love you, love you.” Thus it has become an important thing for young Chinese couples to say to each other. You can also say this to your Chinese friends to show your care for them.

2. How to Say Hello in Chinese

Your Chinese greeting vocabulary won’t be complete until you know how to say “hello” in Chinese, so here’s a few phrases to keep in mind.

1- The most plain and simple way to say “Hello”:

• Hello. 你好。（nǐ hǎo）
• Hello (polite form). 您好。（nín hǎo）
• Hello, everyone. 大家好。（dà jiā hǎo ）

您 is a polite way to say “you,” usually to people who are older or are in a senior position. When Chinese people are greeting like this, they will usually shake hands with you; when you do, remember to lower your head a little and nod your head slightly to show respect. Remember that Chinese etiquette and body language are just as important as the words you use.

2- Introducing your name:

• My name is… 我的名字是… (wǒ de míng zì shì)

3- How to say “Hi” in Chinese in different forms:

• Hi. 嗨。(hai)
• Hello. 哈喽。（hā lo）
• Hey. 嘿。（hēi）

These Chinese sayings are often used between young people. The Chinese words here are only translated in Chinese from English based on their pronunciations, thus they’re not a formal way to greet. Don’t worry to much about this! All you have to say is the same thing back at the person!

4- How to Say Hello on the Phone

• 喂？(wéi)

This is a special Chinese word for the first greeting people make on the phone. 喂 by itself would sound too indifferent, so you might want to add 您好 as well to greet the caller as we mentioned above. If you don’t know who’s calling, you can also make further inquiries such as 请问您是哪位? (qǐng wèn nín shì nǎ wèi?) meaning “Can I please know who this is?”

3. Unique Ways of Saying Hello from Chinese Culture

• Did you eat? 吃了吗?（chī le ma）
• Where are you going? 这是要去哪啊？（zhè shì yào qù nǎ a）

These ways of greeting can make Chinese people feel warmth and friendliness from you since they’re very native ways to greet. Some people may feel bewildered at the thought of why Chinese people would greet by asking if they’ve eaten. This is common due to Chinese culture from a long time ago.

In ancient times, many laborers in China had a very hard time fending for themselves. At that time, people often thought about whether they would have enough food or not, and thus the thing people cared most about was if one was able to get food. As time went on, the habit of asking “Did you eat?” became a common way to greet and has been passed on to many generations till now. With the continuous development of China’s modern culture, this habit is gradually being replaced by some universal polite expressions.

If you ate already, you can answer 吃了，你呢？（chī le, nǐ ne）meaning “I did, how about you?” If you haven’t eaten yet, you can simply respond 还没 (hái méi) meaning “not yet.”

4. Greet People that you Haven’t Seen in a While and More

When learning Chinese greetings and introductions, it’s important to know how to appropriately greet someone you haven’t seen in a while—even friends are sometimes apart for days or longer, after all! Learn more about the best Chinese etiquette about how the Chinese greet people they’re meeting after being apart for some time.

1- How have you been recently? 最近怎么样啊？（Zuì jìn zěn me yàng a?）

Usually, you want to answer 挺好的 (tǐng hǎo de) meaning “pretty good.” Even if you’re not feeling good—if you don’t want to get yourself into a conversation where you’ll have to explain all that—you should still say you’re doing well just to greet back. If the person is a close friend of yours and you’re willing to explain the situation, you can anwer 不怎么样，因为…… (bú zěn me yàng, yīn wéi…) meaning “Not very good, because…”.

2- Long time no see. 好久不见。（Hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn.）

This English saying—which is not grammatically correct—actually comes from the Chinese language. You can say 好久不见 as either a formal or informal way to greet someone in Chinese if you haven’t seen them in a long time. Usually an answer to this would be 是啊 （shì a), and they may next say 我上次见你还是在……的时候 (wǒ shàng cì jiàn nǐ hái shì zài …de shí hòu) meaning “the last time I saw you is when…”.

3- What are you doing? 干嘛呢？（Gàn má ne）

This is another typical way to start a conversation. People who ask this may not really expect an answer, and instead are most likely just trying to warm up the conversation before delving into it.

4- How are you? 你好吗？ （Nǐ hǎo ma）

This is almost the same as 最近怎么样啊？（Zuì jìn zěn me yàng a), and a proper answer to this is also 挺好的 （tǐng hǎo de).

5- What’s up? 最近有什么新鲜事吗？(Zuì jìn yǒu shén me xīn xiān shì ma?)

This Chinese greeting isn’t asked very often either, just like how in English when people ask it, they’re not actually looking for answer, rather just a way to greet. You’ll want to answer 没什么啦 （méi shén me la), meaning “nothing much,” unless you really want to talk about something new.

啦 is one of the most often-used final particles in Chinese, so remember to add it in this phrase in order to make it sound more natural and friendly—otherwise, it may sound cold to the listener. You can learn more about Chinese final particles later as they are extremely helpful and can change the tone of a sentence dramatically.

6- “Have a good day! ” 祝你度过美好的一天！(Zhù nǐ dù guò měi hǎo de yī tiān!)

The Chinese version of this greeting phrase is similar to saying “Have fun today!” However, it would be too raw to speak the literal meaning in Chinese, as native Chinese don’t usually greet like this.

To answer, you can simply reply 好的（hǎo de） meaning “okay” in English. Of course, when you can further grasp the gist of some final particles, you can use them at the end of the sentence to make it sound more casual and friendly.

5. How to Say “Bye” in Chinese

• Good-bye. 再见。（zài jiàn）
• Bye-bye. 拜拜。（bái bái）
• See you later. 待会见。（dāi huì jiàn)

再见 is the most common way to say good-bye, though its literal meaning is “meeting again.” It can be used for all occasions, such as leaving a party, hanging up the phone, and so on. You can also use 拜拜, which is formed based on the sound of “bye-bye” in English.
待会见 means “see you later,” and should be used if you know that you’re going to meet the other person again very soon, usually within a day. Remember to wave your hands in order to appear more friendly and warm the atmosphere.

6. How can ChineseClass101 Help You Learn More Native Phrases?

Did you have a good time learning all the basic Chinese greeting phrases? If you didn’t get enough, ChineseClass101 will be your paradise for learning more advanced phrases in the Chinese language! It provides a variety of resources that can be easily understood. If you’re ready for more fun Chinese lessons, embark on your journey there soon!

In the meantime, feel free to apply all the Chinese greetings you learned today in our Chinese greetings guide. Good luck!

Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar.

However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day around the world!

Table of Contents

1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day
2. Chinese Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day
3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody
4. How Can ChineseClass101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?
5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Chinese - Testing New Technology

1. Top One Million Words You Need to Know for April Fools’ Day

Do you want to know how to say April Fools’ Day in Chinese? Well, there are millions of ways and words, but here are the top one million Chinese words you really need to know! Simply click this link. Here are some of them you will find useful:

1. funny - 有趣 - yǒuqù
2. joke - 开玩笑 - kāi wánxiào
3. sneaky - 鬼鬼祟祟的 - guǐguǐ suìsuì de
4. prankster - 恶作剧的人 - èzuòjù de rén
5. prank - 恶作剧 - èzuòjù
6. play a joke - 开玩笑 - kāi wánxiào
7. humor - 幽默 - yōumò
8. fool - 傻瓜 - shǎguā
9. deceptive - 欺骗性的 - qīpiànxìng de
10. April 1st - 四月一日 - Sìyuè Yī Rì
11. lie - 撒谎 - sāhuǎng
12. surprise - 让人惊讶 - ràng rén jīngyà

2. Chinese Phrases You Can Use on April Fools’ Day

Don’t limit yourself to practical jokes - use these April Fools’ phrases in Chinese to prank your favorite Chinese friend or colleague!

1. All classes for today got canceled.
   • 今天所有的课都取消了。
   • Jīntiān suǒyǒu de kè dōu qǔxiāo le .
2. Someone has just hit your car.
   • 刚才有人撞了你的车。
   • Gāngcái yǒu rén zhuàng le nǐ de chē .
3. I’m getting married.
   • 我要结婚了。
   • Wǒ yào jiéhūn le.
4. You won a free ticket.
   • 你赢得了一张免费票。
   • Nǐ yíngdé le yì zhāng miǎnfèi piào .
5. I’m sorry, but I’ve just broken your favorite pair of glasses.
   • 对不起，我刚刚弄坏了你最喜欢的眼镜。
   • Duìbùqǐ, wǒ gānggāng nòng huài le nǐ zuì xǐhuān de yǎnjìng .
6. They’re giving away free gift cards in front of the building.
   • 他们在大楼前赠送免费礼物卡。
   • Tāmen zài dàlóu qián zèngsòng miǎnfèi lǐwù kǎ.
7. A beautiful lady asked me to give this phone number to you.
   • 一位美丽的小姐让我把这个电话号码给你。
   • Yí wèi měilì de xiǎojiě ràng wǒ bǎ zhège diànhuà hàomǎ gěi nǐ .
8. Can you come downstairs? I have something special for you.
   • 你能到楼下来吗？我给你准备了惊喜。
   • Nǐ néng dào lóuxià lái ma ? Wǒ gěi nǐ zhǔnbèi le jīngxǐ .
9. Thank you for your love letter this morning. I never could have guessed your feelings.
   • 谢谢你今天早上的情书。我从不知道你的感情。
   • Xièxiè nǐ jīntiān zǎoshàng de qíngshū . Wǒ cóngbù zhīdào nǐ de gǎnqíng .
10. I saw your car being towed.
    • 我看见你的车正被拖走。
    • Wǒ kànjiàn nǐ de chē zhèng bèi tuōzǒu.
11. A handsome guy is waiting for you outside.
    • 一个帅哥在外面等你。
    • Yígè shuàigē zài wàimiàn děng nǐ.
12. I learned Chinese in 1 month.
    • 我学了一个月的中文。
    • Wǒ xuéle yīgèyuè de Zhōngwén.

Choose your victims carefully, though; the idea is to get them to laugh with you, not to hurt their feelings or humiliate them in front of others. Be extra careful if you choose to play a prank on your boss - you don’t want to antagonize them with an inappropriate joke.

3. Some of the Coolest April Fools’ Pranks To Play on Anybody

Right, now that you know the top million April Fools’ words in Chinese, let’s look at some super pranks and tricks to play on friends, colleagues and family. Some April Fools ideas never grow old, while new ones are born every year.

Never joke in such a way that it hurts anyone, or humiliates them badly in front of others - the idea is for everybody to laugh and enjoy the fun! Respect is still key, no matter what day of the year it is.

1- Infestation

This trick is so simple, yet so creepy, it’s almost unbelievable. Take black paper, cut out the silhouette of a giant cockroach, a spider or another insect, and stick it inside the lampshade of a table lamp. When the lamp is switched on, it will look like a monstrous insect is sitting inside the lampshade. Or, get a whole lot of realistic-looking plastic insects, and spread them over a colleague’s desk and chair, or, at home, over the kids’ beds etc. Creep-factor: stellar.

2- Which One Doesn’t Fit?

Put the photo of a celebrity or a notorious politician in a frame, and take it to work on April Fools’ Day. Hang the photo on the staff picture wall, and wait. You’ll be surprised how long it can take for people to notice that one picture doesn’t fit.

3- Something Weird in the Restroom

At work, replace the air freshener in the restroom with something noxious like insect killer, oven cleaner or your own odious mixture in a spray bottle. Be sure to cover the bottle’s body so no one suspects a swap.

Or paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish, and leave it at the hand wash basin. It will not lather.

Or, if your workplace’s restroom has partitioned toilets with short doors, arrange jeans or trousers and shoes on all but one of the toilet covers, so it looks like every stall is occupied. Now wait for complaints, and see how long it takes for someone to figure out the April Fools’ Day prank. You’ll probably wish you had a camera inside the restroom. But, unless you don’t mind getting fired, don’t put your own recording device in there!

4- Call Me Funny

Prepare and print out a few posters with the following instructions: Lion Roar Challenge! Call this number - 123-456-7890 - and leave your best lion’s roar as voicemail! Best roarer will be announced April 10 in the cafeteria. Prize: $100. (Lion’s roar is just an example; you can use any animal call, or even a movie character’s unique sound, such as Chewbacca from Star Wars. The weirder, the funnier. Obviously!) Put the posters up in the office where most of the staff is likely to see them. Now wait for the owner of the number to visit you with murderous intent. Have a conciliatory gift ready that’s not a prank.

5- Minty Cookies

This is another simple but hugely effective prank - simply separate iced cookies, scrape off the icing, and replace it with toothpaste. Serve during lunch or tea break at work, or put in your family’s lunch boxes. Be sure to take photos of your victim’s faces when they first bite into your April Fools’ cookies.

6- Wild Shopping

At your local grocer, place a realistic-looking plastic snake or spider among the fresh vegetables. Now wait around the corner for the first yell.

7- The Oldest Trick in the Book

Don’t forget probably the oldest, yet very effective April Fools’ joke in the book - smearing hand cream or Vaseline on a door handle that most staff, family or friends are likely to use. Yuck to the max!

8- Sneeze On Me

Another golden oldie is also gross, yet harmless and utterly satisfying as a prank. Fill a small spray bottle that you can easily conceal with water. Walk past a friend, colleague or one of your kids, and fake a sneeze while simultaneously spraying them with a bit of water. Expect to be called a totally disgusting person. Add a drop of lovely smelling essential oil to the water for extra confusion.

9- Word Play Repairs

Put a fresh leek in the hand wash basin at home or work, and then tell your housemates or colleagues this: “There’s a huge leak in the restroom/bathroom basin, it’s really serious. Please can someone go have a look?!” Expect exasperation and smiles all around. Note that this prank is only likely to work where people understand English well.

10- Scary Face

Print out a very scary face on an A4 sheet of paper, and place it in a colleague’s, or one of your kid’s drawers, so it’s the first thing they see when they open the drawer. You may not be very popular for a while.

11- Wake Up To Madness

Put foamy shaving cream, or real whipped cream on your hand, and wake your kid up by tickling their nose with it. As long as they get the joke, this could be a wonderful and fun way to start April Fools’ Day.

12- Computer Prank

This one’s fabulous, if you have a bit of time to fiddle with a colleague, friend or your kid’s computer. It is most effective on a computer where most of the icons they use are on the desktop background itself (as opposed to on the bottom task bar).

Take and save a screenshot of their desktop with the icons. Set this screenshot as their background image. Now delete all the working icons. When they return to their computer, wait for the curses when no amount of clicking on the icons works.

13- Monster Under the Cup

This one will also work well anywhere people meet. Take a paper cup, and write the following on it in black pen: “Danger! Don’t lift, big spider underneath.” Place it upside-down on prominent flat surface, such as a kitchen counter, a colleague’s desk or a restaurant table. Expect some truly interesting responses.

14- Prank Door

Write in large letters on a large and noticeable piece of paper: PUSH. Tape this notice on a door that should be pulled to open, and watch the hilarious struggle of those clever souls who actually read signs.

4. How Can ChineseClass101 Make Your April Fools’ Day Special?

If you happen to visit China, or if you work for any Chinese company, knowing the above Chinese prankster phrases can really lighten up your day. Showing you have a sense of humor can go a long way to cement good relationships in any situation. These phrases are at your disposal for free, as well as are these 100 core Chinese words, which you will learn how to pronounce perfectly.

Also, don’t stop at learning April Fools’ phrases in Chinese - bone up your Chinese language skills with these FREE key phrases. Yes, ChineseClass101 doesn’t joke when it comes to effective, fun and easy learning.

Now, as a bonus, test our super-learning technology, and learn the Top 1000 most useful phrases in Chinese below! But that’s not all. Read on to learn how you can be eligible for large enrollment discounts at ChineseClass101.

5. Top 1000 Most Useful Phrases in Chinese - testing new technology

Help us by being a language guinea pig! Listen to this video above with embedded cutting-edge, frequency-based learning technology that enables you to learn large amounts of data in record time.

• Note: This technology is in beta-phase of development, and we invite your input for fine-tuning.
• To participate: Watch the video for instructions, and leave a comment to rate it. Your comment will make you eligible for large enrollment-fee discounts. To watch the video, please click the play button.

Thank you for helping ChineseClass101! We’re serious about making learning Chinese fun.

This article is intended to go over some of the most common mistakes committed by students when trying to learn Chinese. The points listed here are based on my experience as a student and as the manager of a small Chinese Academy.

1. Neglecting to study Chinese characters

One of the most complicated aspects of the Chinese language is without a doubt its writing system. Learning how to read and write characters is a difficult task that can discourage many students.

Many students who are anxious to learn Chinese as quickly as possible decide to put aside studying writing to focus on learning how to speak Chinese through the phonetic system (pinyin).

There is no doubt that learning Chinese exclusively through pinyin is the most common mistake committed by people when starting to learn Chinese. Aware of this, over the past years, many “miraculous” Chinese courses based on this principle have appeared, promoting it as an easy way to learn Chinese in a few months. Nonetheless, in Chinese, just like any other language, there are no shortcuts. It’s true that some ways of learning are more efficient than others, but learning Chinese only through pinyin is certainly not the way to go.

While pinyin is very useful in the beginning, it’s problem resides in the phonetics of mandarin. As opposed to in Western languages, words are fairly short in Chinese (normally 1 or 2 syllables) and there are relatively few possible sounds (somewhat more than 400 syllables). Combine this with the fact that in the beginning, the majority of students have trouble differentiating certain sounds and above all the tones, it’s very common for students to quickly feel like everything sounds the same.

The basic unit of Chinese is the character, which represents meaning and not sound. It’s very common to run into characters with very different meanings with exactly the same sound (or very similar sounds). In addition, the formation of new concepts is carried out by combining characters. In other words, the logic of Chinese is found in characters and not in sound.

As opposed to small children who learn through imitation, we adults mainly learn through association, in other words, by using logic. That means that if you overlook the basic unit of the language (the character), it will be impossible for you to learn through association and you will have to limit yourself to imitation, which is very difficult for adults.

To put things simply, people who decide to not study writing make much faster initial progress by omitting one of the most difficult parts. However, their learning quickly comes to a standstill as learning new vocabulary becomes more difficult every day. Many words appear to be the same and completely meaningless.

On the contrary, for people who include characters in their study program, their initial progress is slow, tedious and at times frustrating. Nonetheless, their learning progressively accelerates and incorporating new vocabulary becomes increasingly simple.

If you truly want to learn Chinese and not a couple of sentences to survive, you have no other choice but to learn its writing as well.

2. Learning the most commonly-used 3,000 characters

One of the most prevalent urban legends surrounding learning Chinese says that by learning the most frequent 3,000 characters, you can read 99% of texts in Chinese.

It’s true that the 3,000 most common characters cover 99% of texts in Chinese. Nonetheless, knowing them is not the same thing as being capable of understanding a text. In modern Chinese, the majority of words are formed of the union of at least two characters. While individual characters have a meaning in themselves, when they are combined to create a word, their meaning, although it tends to be related, is not always easy to guess.

Basically, learning the most common 3,000 characters, despite being an excellent memorization challenge, is probably the most frustrating and inefficient way to learn Chinese, as it won’t let you read or speak.

There are numerous frequency of use lists based on words and not characters (such as the HSK lists) that are definitely more useful.

3. Learning Chinese because it’s the most spoken language in the world

Learning a new language takes a lot of effort and continuous motivation over a long period of time, especially if it’s a language as different as Chinese. Because of this, before starting to learn a language, you have to be clear about the goal that you are pursuing and create a detailed plan of how you are going to reach this goal.

When people come to my academy and ask me about Chinese lessons, the first thing that I tend to ask them is why they want to learn Chinese. An answer that I often receive is: I want to learn Chinese because it’s the most spoken language in the world. When I hear this answer, I usually tell them how much time and effort they will have to dedicate to studying Chinese if they want to be able to effectively communicate. The majority of them never come back.

This student profile is the main target of “miracle courses”, as in my opinion, they don’t have the adequate motivation to learn the language. Their interest is mainly the result of a passing trend that has been brought into the spotlight by China’s economic power. Because of this, the only thing that they are looking for is for someone to tell them that they can learn Chinese without making an effort.

It is essential that before learning Chinese, you ask yourself what you want to do and what you will achieve by doing so. The more specific your objective, the easier it will be to keep up your motivation over time. Below, I give a few examples of concrete goals:

1. Learning Chinese to be able to communicate with clients or suppliers from the country and by doing so improving your job prospects.
2. Learning Chinese to go to China to study a master’s degree or an exchange during the following year.
3. Learning Chinese because you have a spouse or family member from the country and want to demonstrate your interest in their culture and language.

Like these, there are thousands of good reasons to learn Chinese, but studying must be highly motivated and contain a “reward” for the efforts made. If you’re not going to use the language at all, what point is there in learning it?

Learning Chinese is much more than learning a language; it’s a doorway to understanding a thousand-year-old culture and society that at times isn’t as different as we think it is. Making yourself the habit of studying and giving yourself the right motivation will be your best ally in overcoming the numerous obstacles and frustrations that you will encounter.

4. Believing that because you’ve learned other languages, you know how to learn Chinese

Something that I often run into is people who want to study Chinese and the first thing that they say is that they already speak a couple of languages.

People who already master multiple Western languages mistakenly believe that they can apply their experience with these languages when learning Mandarin. While it’s true that they are at an advantage compared to a monolingual person, as they already know the efforts implied by learning a new language, it’s also true that they are more likely to commit mistakes in the learning process.

Despite coming from different linguistic branches, Western languages have common roots and have influenced one another a great deal over history. This makes it so that their logic and above all grammatical structure are very similar. The origins of Chinese and other Asian languages are very distant from that of Western languages, because of which it is a mistake to approach them with the same logic as in studying much more similar languages.

The common problem among students who speak multiple Western languages is that they try to apply their language structure to Chinese, and over time become frustrated. In the end, they end up saying that Chinese is illogical and impossible to learn.

Chinese has its own logic that is simply very different from yours, because of which the best thing to do is to forget everything you think you know and to try to completely immerse yourself in a different way of communicating.

5. Spending too much effort on pronunciation and grammar

Don’t get me wrong: grammar and pronunciation are very important in Chinese, but they aren’t everything.

Tones and pronunciation in Mandarin tend to be a headache for many students. Pronunciation errors can be one of the main barriers to being understood by a native speaker. In addition, for many students, Chinese grammatical structures appear confusing and “unnatural” to them, because they are very different from those of their native language.

Because of this, it’s common for people to end up speaking endlessly in a zealous attempt to pronounce every tone perfectly and to place every word in its correct place. The problem with this attitude is that the person listening ends up not understanding anything.

Chinese is a language in which the context where a word is pronounced is very important for understanding its meaning. When speech isn’t fluid, in addition to becoming tedious for the listener, the context is also lost. The problem is that if the listener loses the context, they won’t understand anything.

Forget about speaking perfectly; as a non-native speaker, you can’t set your sights on impeccable pronunciation and not making grammar mistakes. Improving the fluidity of your speech will certainly give you better results than avoiding a couple of mistakes. Keep in mind that what’s important is communicating.

BIO: Sergi worked in Beijing for five years and China changed his life. Upon returning home, he left his job as a researcher to dedicate his time to sharing what he learned in the Middle Kingdom. He is currently the editor of the website Sapore Di Cina, intended for people who would like to go to China to live or travel, and is the co-founder of EsChina Space, a Chinese language and cuisine academy in Barcelona.