You do not need much Mandarin to travel in China — but a few phrases reliably improve every interaction.
Greetings and basics
- Nǐ hǎo — Hello.
- Xièxie — Thank you.
- Bù kèqi — You're welcome.
- Duìbuqǐ — Sorry / excuse me.
- Tīng bù dǒng — I don't understand.
- Huì shuō yīngyǔ ma? — Do you speak English?
Ordering food
- Yào zhège — I want this one. (Pointing is completely normal.)
- Bú yào là — Not spicy, please.
- Yǒu méiyǒu sùcài? — Do you have vegetarian dishes?
- Mǎidān — The bill, please.
- Hěn hǎochī — Very delicious.
Shopping
- Duōshǎo qián? — How much?
- Tài guì le — Too expensive.
- Piányi yìdiǎnr, kěyǐ ma? — Can you make it a bit cheaper?
Getting around
- Qù … zěnme zǒu? — How do I get to …?
- Zài nǎr? — Where is it?
- Wǒ yào qù jīchǎng — I want to go to the airport.
A note on tones
Mandarin has four tones, and getting them wrong usually produces an odd but understood word rather than a disaster. People appreciate the attempt far more than perfect tones.
Two habits help most: learn “hello” and “thank you” properly, and keep a translation app with offline mode for everything else.