Survival Chinese: Essential Travel Phrases for China

In major Chinese cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an, translation apps and mobile tools make communication easier.

However, in everyday situations, especially in local restaurants, markets, train stations, or in more remote areas such as Tibet or Western Sichuan, a few basic Chinese phrases can make a real difference.

Quick tip: In most travel situations in China, you can communicate by combining simple phrases, translation apps, and gestures, even without speaking Mandarin.

Survival Chinese Phrases

Greetings

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Hello	Nǐ hǎo	你好
How are you?	Nǐ hǎo ma?	你好吗?
Goodbye	Zài jiàn	再见
Thank you	Xiè xiè	谢谢
You’re welcome	Bú kèqì	不客气
Excuse me / May I ask…	Qǐng wèn	请问
My name is…	Wǒ jiào…	我叫…
What is your name?	Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì?	你叫什么名字?
I am sorry	Duì bu qǐ	对不起
Wait a moment	Děng yíxià	等一下

Language Difficulties

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Do you speak English?	Nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?	你会说英文吗?
I cannot speak Chinese well	Wǒ bù zěnme huì shuō zhōngwén	我不怎么会说中文
How do you say… in Mandarin?	…zhōngwén zěnme shuō?	…中文怎么说?
What does… mean?	…shì shénme yìsi?	…是什么意思?
I understand	Wǒ tīngde dǒng	我听得懂
I don’t understand	Wǒ tīngbù dǒng	我听不懂
Please write it down	Qǐng xiě xià lái	请写下来

Emergencies and Health

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Help!	Jiù mìng!	救命!
Can you help me?	Nǐ néng bùnéng bāng wǒ?	你能不能帮我?
Call a doctor	Qǐng jiào yīshēng	请叫医生
Call the police	Qǐng jiào jǐngchá	请叫警察
I am lost, I want to go to…	Wǒ mílù le, wǒ xiǎng qù…	我迷路了，我想去…
I am sick	Wǒ shēngbìng le	我病了
It hurts here	Zhèlǐ téng	这里疼
I need a doctor	Wǒ děi kàn yīshēng	我得看医生

I have… (medical conditions)

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Asthma	Xiāochuǎn bìng	哮喘病
Diabetes	Tángniàobìng	糖尿病
Epilepsy	Diānxián bìng	癫痫病
Headache	Tóuténg	头疼
Diarrhoea	Lādùzi	拉肚子

I am allergic to…

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Antibiotics	Kàngshēngsù	抗生素
Aspirin	Ā sī pī lín	阿司匹林
Nuts	Guǒ rén	果仁
Peanuts	Huāshēng	花生
Penicillin	Qīngméisù	青霉素
Seafood	Hǎixiān	海鲜
MSG	Wèijīng	味精
Pollen	Huāfěn	花粉
Egg	Jīdàn	鸡蛋

Accommodation

English	Pinyin	Chinese
I am looking for a hotel	Wǒ xiǎngyào zhǎo lǚdiàn	我想要找旅店
Do you have a room available?	Nǐmen yǒu fángjiān ma?	你们有房间吗?
I’d like a single room	Yìjiān dānrén fáng	一间单人房
I’d like a double room	Yìjiān shuāngrén fáng	一间双人房
How much per night?	Měitiān wǎnshàng duōshǎo qián?	每天晚上多少钱?
May I have a hotel name card?	Yǒu méiyǒu lǚdiàn de míngpiàn?	有没有旅店的名片?
We are leaving today	Wǒmen jīntiān líkāi	我们今天离开

Shopping and Bargaining

Mobile payment is now the standard across China. Most shops, markets, and restaurants accept WeChat Pay and Alipay. Cash is still widely accepted, while international credit cards are mainly accepted in larger hotels and international chains.

English	Pinyin	Chinese
I’d like to buy…	Wǒ xiǎng mǎi…	我想买…
How much is it?	Duōshǎo qián?	多少钱?
That’s too expensive	Tài guì le!	太贵了!
Can you lower the price?	Piányi yìdiǎn ba	便宜一点吧
No thanks	Búyào, xièxiè	不要，谢谢
I’ll take this	Wǒ yào zhège	我要这个
Can I pay with an international credit card?	Kěyǐ yòng guójì xìnyòngkǎ ma?	可以用国际信用卡吗？

Basic Food and Dietary Phrases

For a step-by-step guide on ordering food, restaurant phrases, and real examples, see our full guide on how to order food in China.

English	Pinyin	Chinese
I am vegetarian	Wǒ chī sù	我吃素
I don’t eat meat	Wǒ bù chī ròu	我不吃肉
No pork please	Bù yào zhūròu	不要猪肉
No spicy please	Bù yào là	不要辣
I am allergic to nuts	Wǒ duì jiānguǒ guòmǐn	我对坚果过敏
The bill please	Jiézhàng	结账
How much is it?	Duōshǎo qián?	多少钱？

Directions

For getting around Chinese cities, ride-hailing apps are often more practical than asking for directions. Didi is the main app in China and works similarly to Uber. You type your destination in Chinese and the driver navigates for you. Your travel advisor or hotel can help you set it up before you head out.

For situations where you do need to ask:

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Where is…?	…zài nǎ?	…在哪?
Can you show me on the map?	Nǐ néng zài dìtú shàng zhǐ gěi wǒ kàn?	你能在地图上指给我看?
Go straight ahead	Yīzhí zǒu	一直走
Turn left	Zuǒ zhuǎn	左转
Turn right	Yòu zhuǎn	右转
At the traffic lights	Zài hónglǜdēng	在红绿灯
Bank	Yínháng	银行
ATM	Zìdòng qǔkuǎn jī	自动取款机
Pharmacy	Yàodiàn	药店
Hospital	Yīyuàn	医院
Police station	Jǐngchá jú	警察局
Post office	Yóujú	邮局
Public toilet	Gōnggòng cèsuǒ	公共厕所

Transportation

China has an extensive high-speed rail network connecting most major cities. Trains are generally reliable, comfortable, and often faster than flying once you factor in airport time. Your travel advisor can book tickets in advance on your behalf.

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Airport	Fēijī chǎng	飞机场
Train station	Huǒchē zhàn	火车站
Subway station	Dìtiě zhàn	地铁站
Long-distance bus station	Chángtú qìchē zhàn	长途汽车站
What time does it leave/arrive?	Jǐ diǎn kāi/dào?	几点开/到?
I want to go to…	Wǒ yào qù…	我要去…
One-way ticket	Dānchéng piào	单程票
Return ticket	Láihuí piào	来回票
Hard seat	Yìngzuò	硬座
Soft seat	Ruǎn zuò	软座
Hard sleeper	Yìngwò	硬卧
Soft sleeper	Ruǎnwò	软卧
The train has been delayed	Huǒchē tuīchí le	火车推迟了
The train has been cancelled	Huǒchē qǔxiāo le	火车取消了

Numbers in Chinese

Number	Chinese	Pinyin	Number	Chinese	Pinyin
0	零	líng	12	十二	shí èr
1	一	yī	20	二十	èr shí
2	二	èr	21	二十一	èr shí yī
3	三	sān	100	一百	yì bǎi
4	四	sì	101	一百零一	yī bǎi líng yī
5	五	wǔ	200	两百	liǎng bǎi
6	六	liù	1,000	一千	yì qiān
7	七	qī	10,000	一万	yí wàn
8	八	bā	100,000	十万	shí wàn
9	九	jiǔ
10	十	shí

Time and Dates

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Now	Xiànzài	现在
Today	Jīntiān	今天
Tomorrow	Míngtiān	明天
Yesterday	Zuótiān	昨天
Morning	Zǎoshang	早上
Afternoon	Xiàwǔ	下午
Evening	Wǎnshàng	晚上
Weekend	Zhōumò	周末
Monday	Xīngqí yī	星期一
Tuesday	Xīngqí èr	星期二
Wednesday	Xīngqí sān	星期三
Thursday	Xīngqí sì	星期四
Friday	Xīngqí wǔ	星期五
Saturday	Xīngqí liù	星期六
Sunday	Xīngqí tiān	星期天

How Chinese Is Used in Real Travel Situations

In most parts of China, basic English is not widely spoken outside major hotels or tourist areas.

In cities like Shanghai or Beijing, you may find English menus, signs, or staff with some English ability.

In places like Chengdu, Xi’an, or smaller cities, communication often relies on simple phrases, translation apps, or gestures.

In more remote regions such as Tibet or Western Sichuan, knowing a few key phrases can make a real difference in daily interactions.

Download Some Apps to Make Communication Easier

Before your trip, download a translation app.

Google Translate (camera mode) can scan menus and signs instantly, while Pleco is useful for looking up Chinese characters.

In China, apps like WeChat and Alipay are also widely used — not only for payments, but sometimes for ordering food, scanning menus, or sharing information.

These tools won’t replace learning phrases, but they are extremely helpful in daily travel.

How to Pronounce Chinese

Tones

Chinese is a tonal language, meaning the tone you use changes the meaning of a word entirely. Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone, marked in Pinyin with accent symbols above the vowel.

Using the vowel “a” as an example:

Tone	Symbol	Description	Example
First	ā	High and flat	Mā (mother)
Second	á	Rising, like asking a question	Má (hemp)
Third	ǎ	Falls then rises	Mǎ (horse)
Fourth	à	Sharp falling tone	Mà (scold)
Neutral	a	Short and light	Ma (question particle)

Tones feel difficult at first but become more natural with practice. Even approximate tones are better than none at all.

Pinyin

Pinyin is the romanized system for writing Mandarin sounds. Most Pinyin letters are pronounced similarly to English, but a few are quite different.

Initials pronounced differently from English:

Letter	Pronunciation
Q	Similar to “ch” in cheese
C	Similar to “ts” in rats
R	Similar to “s” in leisure
X	Similar to “sy”
Z	Similar to “ds” in roads
Zh	Similar to “j” in jam, with tongue curled back

Vowels:

Vowel	Pronunciation
A	Like “a” in rather
Ai	Like “i” in high
Ao	Like “o” in cow
E	Like “e” in errr
Ei	Like “a” in hay
I	Like “ee” in Lee
Ian	Like “Yen”
Ie	Like “Yeah”
O	Like “o” in for
Ou	Like “Oh”
U	Like “u” in flute
Ui	Like “Way”
Uo	Like “wo”
Yu	Pucker lips as if to whistle and say “Yee”

Common Gestures in China

Body language varies across cultures. Here are a few gestures worth knowing before you travel.

Personal space is often closer in China than in Western countries. Try not to step back instinctively as this can come across as unfriendly.

Thumbs up is a universal sign of approval and excellence.

To beckon someone, hold your palm face down and wave your fingers toward your body. Beckoning with an upward palm as in Western countries can seem rude.

Holding a hand up near the face and gently waving it side to side means no, or signals mild disagreement.

Feet are considered unclean. Avoid placing your feet on a table or pointing your feet toward another person.

Chinese women sometimes smile or laugh when nervous or embarrassed, which can be misread as amusement. It is simply a social reflex.

Final Tip

If you are traveling with us, your guide will help bridge the language gap throughout your trip, from navigating menus to communicating with drivers and locals. The phrases above are a great starting point, but having a knowledgeable local by your side makes all the difference.

For a more detailed guide to ordering food and navigating Chinese restaurants, see our article on how to order food in China.