Survival Phrases
Don't waste your time! Get the most language in the shortest time with these survival phrases.
Absolute Beginner

Curriculum

Survival Phrases

In this 60-lesson series, you'll learn vital Chinese phrases in each lesson that will help prepare you for an upcoming trip to China. Topics covered include ordering at a restaurant, taking public transportation, asking directions, checking into a hotel, and much more. If you have not studied Chinese and simply want to master basic phrases without getting into the details of grammar, this is the series for you.

Lesson # Title Topic Function Target Phrases Key Vocab Cultural Insight
1 Thank You! Gratitude Thanking someone 谢谢。
多谢。
我很感谢。
我,很,您,多,谢谢,多谢,我很感谢。 A gesture of gratitude
2 You're Welcome! Gratitude Responding to thanks 不用谢。
不客气。
没事。
不,不用谢 The Beijing "r"
3 This, Please Questions Asking for something 请给我。
请给我这个。
请给我那个。
我,那个,请给我 How to show a vendor what you want
4 Basic Greetings Greetings Saying hello 你好。
早上好。
你好吗。
你,好,早上好,你好吗? Gesture of greeting
5 Goodbye Greetings Saying goodbye 再见。
明天见。
晚安。
再,明天,再见,明天见,晚安 A proper Chinese send-off
6 Where Is the Bathroom? Directions Asking where things are 洗手间在哪儿?
洗手间在哪儿啊?
洗手间,在,哪儿,银行 What should you bring to a Chinese bathroom?
7 I Don't Understand Basic conversation Saying that you don't understand 我不明白。
不好意思。
我不会说中文。
说,中文,我不明白,我不会说中文,不好意思 Repelling peddlers
8 Can You Speak English? Questions Asking whether someone speaks English 你会说英语吗? 你,说,你会说英语吗? Ways to say "English"
9 Please Say it Once Again Basic conversation Asking someone to repeat something 请再说一遍。
请说慢一点。
再,说,慢,请再说一遍,请说慢一点 Two ways to say "again"
10 Apologies Apologies Apologizing 对不起。
不好意思。
没问题。
不,好,不好意思,对不起,没问题 Responding to an apology
11 Business Greetings: Welcome! Greetings Welcoming someone into a shop 欢迎光临。
欢迎再来。
欢迎,欢迎光临,欢迎再来 Simplified vs. traditional characters
12 Restaurant, Part 1: How Many People? Restaurant Saying how many people you are 几个人?
三个人。
一个人。
人,几个人 A politer version
13 Restaurant, Part 2: Waiter! Restaurant Ordering food 服务员!
这个(给我)。
我要这个。
我,要,我要这个 A simpler way to answer questions
14 Restaurant, Part 3: Getting the Bill Restaurant Getting the check 买单!
下一次我请你。
买单,请,下,次,发票,结账,下一次我请你。 Busy restaurant hosts
15 Restaurant, Part 4: Paying with Plastic Restaurant Paying with a credit card 可以用信用卡吗? 可以,来,可以用信用卡吗? Eat food, not rice
16 Counting 1-10 Numbers Counting 1-10 Missing 零,二,三,四,五,六,七,八,九,十,二十,两,人 Arabic 0=zero trouble
17 How Much? Shopping Asking the price 多 少 钱?
这个 多 少 钱?
那个 多 少 钱?
多,那,那个,两,二,这个多少钱 Where do I pay?
18 Lower the Price, Please! Shopping Haggling 太贵啊。
便宜一点。
太,一点,贵,便宜,太贵啊。 Path to the right price
19 Please Pass the Chopsticks! Requests Asking for something 请给我那个。
请给我筷子。
请给我酱油。
请,我,那个,请给我那个 Demonstrative + counter
20 Internet Cafe Internet Using an internet cafe 网吧。
请帮我。
网吧,在,哪儿,请,我 Avoid the gamer rush
21 Riding the Bus, Part 1: Does This Bus Go to Beijing? Bus Riding the bus 到北京站吗?
这个车到北京站吗?
到,北京 A word for anything with wheels
22 Riding the Bus, Part 2: Where Is the Bus Going? Bus Asking where a bus goes 到哪儿? 到,哪儿,下 Where to get on and off
23 Riding the Bus, Part 3: Please Tell Me When We Arrive Bus Knowing when to get off 到的时候,请叫我。
下一个站是什么?
到,请,叫,我,是,什么 How to count stops
24 Riding the Rails, Part 1: Subway Train Buying a subway ticket Missing Ride anything with one card in Beijing
25 Riding the Rails, Part 2: Long-Distance Travel Train Buying a train ticket 几张?
硬座。
火车,硬,软,卧,上,中,下 Tickets at the hotel?
26 Taking a Taxi Taxi Taking a taxi 到北京站。
我想去北京站。
到,北京,站,我,想,去 Hotel cards and why you need them
27 Do You Have Power Converters? Shopping Asking whether a store carries something 你有变压器吗?
有。
没有。
不知道。
没,不,知道 The nonexistent nonsmoker
28 Where Are the Power Converters? Directions Asking where to buy something 在哪儿可以买变压器?
在哪儿可以买电话卡?
在,哪儿,可以,买,变压器,电话卡 Types of phone cards
29 Where Is the Convenience Store? Directions Asking where a certain kind of store is 便利店在哪儿?
二十四小时店在哪儿?
水在哪儿?
在,哪儿,这儿,那儿,这里,便利店,小时,水,那里 Beijing dialect: standard?
30 Directions Directions Understanding directions 往前走。
往左转。
往右转。
在十字路口往右转。
在十字路口往左转。
这儿就行。
走,十字路口,在,往,钱,左,右,转,就,行 Ordinal numbers
31 Can You Take My Picture? Photos Asking someone to take your photo 请帮我照照片。
请帮我照照片吧。
请,帮,我,吧,走,照,照片 You'd think they'd never seen a...
32 How Do You Say This In Chinese? Questions Asking how to say a word in Chinese 这个用中文怎么说?
Boat 用汉语怎么说?
请再说一遍。
这,中文,再,遍,汉语,说,用,怎么,请 Don't wait--use that new word!
33 Write It Down, Please Requests Asking someone to write something down for you 请写下来。
请写拼音。
请,写,下,来,拼音 Pinyin for everyone
34 How Do You Read This? Questions Guessing the pronunciation and meaning of Chinese characters 这个怎么读?
什么意思?
这,怎么,什么,个,读,意思 From picture to pinyin
35 Numbers 10-100 Numbers Counting 10-100 三十
十一
零,一,二,三,四,五,六,七,八,九,十,发财,死,点 Decimals
36 Numbers 100-1,000 Numbers Counting 100-1,000 三百 多少 几 (jǐ) vs. 多少 (duōshǎo)
37 Numbers 1,000-10,000 Numbers Counting large numbers 三千 千,万,亿,左,右 Numbers over 100,000,000
38 Post Office Post office Mailing a letter 我想把这个送到东京。
明白了。
到,美国,这儿,用,想,把,送,东京,明白 Place names
39 Weather Watch Weather Talking about the weather 明天的天气怎么样?
天气很好。
天晴。
下雨。
明天,天气,怎么,很,好,要 When 要=will
40 Exchanging Contact Info Relationships Asking for someone's contact info 请给我你的电话号码。
请给我你的电子邮箱。
请给我你的email地址。
请,给,我,你,地址 Prepare to be popular
41 Bottled Water, Please Requests Asking for drinks 请给我一瓶水。
不要冰块。
请给我两瓶水。
请,给,我,一,水,不,要,热 When water means water (and when it doesn't quite)
42 Saying No Basic conversation Refusing someone 不对。
不行。
不。
不,对,她,说,你 Express agreement with 行 (xíng)
43 English Info Guide Requests Asking for an English info guide 有英语版吗?
有,英语,版 Avoid a common art scam
44 Business Etiquette Basic conversation Interacting at work 我先走了。
辛苦了。
我,走,辛苦,很,要,她 The social contract
45 I Am a Vegetarian Food Saying that you're a vegetarian 我是素食主义者。
我不吃肉。
我是佛教。
可以不放肉吗?
我,是,不,吃,肉,佛教,素食主义者 Buying fruit
46 Help! Help Asking for help 救命啊!
请打110。
啊,救命,请,打 Safer than America
47 Medical Assistance Medical assistance Getting medical help 请叫救护车。
请送我到医院。
叫,到 Emergency numbers to know
48 Explaining Symptoms in Chinese, Part 1 Pharmacy Finding a pharmacy 药店在哪儿?
西药在哪儿?
在,哪儿,这边 Quack medicine
49 Explaining Symptoms in Chinese, Part 2 Pharmacy Explaining what ails you 我肚子疼。
这儿疼。
我发烧了。
我拉肚子了。
我,这儿,要,肚子,疼,发烧,拉肚子 The short space between sober and drunk
50 Certain Medicine in China Medicine Getting the right medicine 我要止疼药。
我要阿斯匹林。
我要头疼药。
我要感冒药。
我,要,药,止疼药,阿司匹林,过敏药,过敏,头疼,感冒 A sneeze is just a sneeze
51 Chinese Self-Introduction Introduction Introducing yourself 我叫...
我是...
我,叫,是,我姓黃。,我是Michael., 很高兴认识你。 Nicknames young and old
52 Introducing Others in Chinese Introduction Introducing others 这是...
这是我朋友。
这是我丈夫。
这是我妻子。
朋友,是,妻子,丈夫,这是我丈夫Peter。,
这是我妻子。, 这是我朋友Bobby Valentine。, 这是Michael.
Why no name?
53 Long Time, No See in China Greetings Running into an acquaintance 好久不见。 好久 Have you eaten?
54 What Time Is It? Time Asking the time 现在几点?
四点。
请问。
十二点四十分。
十二点半。
刻,现在,分,小时,点,现在几点?,四点。,请问。,十二点四十分。,十二点半。 How to say "half past" and "quarter past"
55 Likes and Dislikes Preferences Telling your preferences 我喜欢。
我不喜欢。
我喜欢这个。
我喜欢中国菜。

喜欢
中国菜
美国菜
我喜欢。
我不喜欢。
我喜欢唱歌。
我喜欢中国菜。
How to ask for someone else's preferences
56 Useful and High-Frequency Chinese Adjectives Basic conversation Using common adjectives 我很高兴。
我饿死了。


高兴
饿

我很高兴。
我饿死了。
So...that I could die!
57 Chinese for Special Events Holidays Wishing someone a happy holiday 生日快乐。
春节
恭喜发财!
恭喜
生日, 快乐, 春节, 恭喜, 发财 Chinese New Year
58 The 4 Chinese Tones Tones Speaking with the proper tones - 声调
一声
二声
三声
四声
Where to put the tone mark, and why it isn't a big deal
59 Have a Great Trip! tips the last language tip - -