50 Chinese Phrases Every Traveler Needs (with Pronunciation, 2026)

You can travel China with zero Mandarin using apps alone, but learning 10-20 phrases makes the trip 5x better. Here are the 50 most useful, organized by situation. (For the shorter starter set of 20 phrases with audio practice, see our 20 essential phrases guide.)

Before you start: the 5-minute tone crash course

Mandarin has 4 tones + 1 neutral tone. Same syllable + different tone = different word. The classic example:

• 妈 mā (mother) — high flat
• 麻 má (hemp/numb) — rising
• 马 mǎ (horse) — falling-rising
• 骂 mà (scold) — falling

For travelers, you don’t need perfect tones. Locals will figure out what you mean from context. But getting close helps. The audio in Pleco and Google Translate is your best friend.

The 5 phrases to learn first (commit these to memory)

1. 你好 nǐ hǎo — Hello
2. 谢谢 xiè xie — Thank you
3. 多少钱 duōshǎo qián — How much?
4. 厕所在哪里 cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ — Where’s the bathroom?
5. 我不会说中文 wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén — I don’t speak Chinese

Learn these before your trip. The first 4 are daily. The 5th is your universal “I need help” card.

Greetings and basic courtesy (6 phrases)

Bonus polite phrases:

• 不客气 (bú kèqi) — You’re welcome
• 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) — Excuse me / Sorry
• 请 (qǐng) — Please
• 没关系 (méi guānxi) — No problem / It’s OK

Numbers, money, and prices (8 phrases)

Numbers beyond 10:

• 11 = 十一 (shí yī)
• 20 = 二十 (èrshí)
• 100 = 一百 (yī bǎi)
• 1000 = 一千 (yī qiān)
• 10,000 = 一万 (yī wàn) — note: 万 not 千
• 1,000,000 = 一百万 (yī bǎi wàn) — 100 wàn

For prices: 35 元 = sānshíwǔ yuán (35 yuan).

Food and restaurants (10 phrases)

Bonus food phrases:

• 好吃吗? (hǎochī ma?) — Is it good? (when you see locals eating)
• 推荐什么? (tuījiàn shénme?) — What do you recommend?
• 少油少盐 (shǎo yóu shǎo yán) — Less oil, less salt (for health-conscious orders)
• 不要味精 (bù yào wèijīng) — No MSG
• 冰的 (bīng de) — Iced (for drinks)
• 热的 (rè de) — Hot (for drinks or food)

Transit and getting around (10 phrases)

For the practical side of getting around (how to actually book and ride DiDi, set up the app with a foreign card, and the English-version pickup zones), see our DiDi for foreigners guide.

Bonus transit phrases:

• 下一站 (xià yī zhàn) — Next station
• 换乘 (huànchéng) — Transfer
• 打车 (dǎchē) — Call a taxi
• 左转 (zuǒ zhuǎn) — Turn left / 右转 (yòu zhuǎn) — Turn right

Hotels and accommodation (5 phrases)

Bonus hotel phrases:

• 双人间 (shuāng rén jiān) — Double room / 大床房 (dà chuáng fáng) — King bed room / 单人间 (dān rén jiān) — Single room
• 几楼 (jǐ lóu) — Which floor
• 空调 (kōngtiáo) — Air conditioning
• 热水 (rè shuǐ) — Hot water

Shopping (5 phrases)

Bonus shopping phrases:

• 太贵了 (tài guì le) — Too expensive
• 收银台 (shōuyíntái) — Cashier
• 袋子 (dàizi) — Bag
• 发票 (fāpiào) — Receipt / Invoice (often needed for tax refund)

Emergencies and help (6 phrases)

Bonus emergency phrases:

• 警察 (jǐngchá) — Police
• 医院 (yīyuàn) — Hospital
• 药店 (yàodiàn) — Pharmacy
• 我需要医生 (wǒ xūyào yīshēng) — I need a doctor

The “I don’t understand” toolkit

When conversation breaks down, these phrases help:

The strategy: use these + Google Translate. Point your phone at the speaker, get the translation. Most situations can be resolved with patience and translation.

Pronunciation tips

Tones (the hardest part):

• 1st (high flat): 妈 mā — like saying “ma!” at a high pitch
• 2nd (rising): 麻 má — like asking “huh?” with rising inflection
• 3rd (falling-rising): 马 mǎ — pitch drops then rises (often spoken as low/short)
• 4th (falling): 骂 mà — sharp falling pitch (like scolding)

Common confusions (avoid these):

• 您好 (nín hǎo) vs 你好 (nǐ hǎo) — formal vs casual hello
• 是 (shì, yes) vs 四 (sì, four) — “shi” vs “si”
• 哪儿 (nǎr, where) vs 那儿 (nàr, there) — rising vs falling tone

Practice with Pleco: each phrase has audio. Listen, repeat, repeat, repeat. 5 minutes of practice per phrase is enough for muscle memory.

Apps to download before flying

For the full app-by-app comparison (Pleco vs Google Translate vs Baidu Translate vs Waygo), camera-translate workflows, and offline pack setup, see our China translation apps guide. The essentials:

1. Pleco (free) — offline dictionary with audio. The essential Chinese app. Download the Chinese-English dictionary pack. Use it to look up words and hear pronunciation.
2. Google Translate (free) — best for full sentences and camera translation. Download the Chinese offline pack BEFORE flying (requires internet). Use it for menus, signs, conversations.
3. Baidu Translate (free) — Chinese alternative to Google Translate, works in China without VPN. Backup.
4. Waygo (free trial, then paid) — visual menu translation, points at Chinese text and shows English in real-time. Good for restaurants.
5. HelloChinese or Du Chinese (free) — gamified learning apps, good for practice before the trip.

What NOT to say

A few phrases that are rude or have unintended meanings (for the broader etiquette rules behind them, see our China cultural etiquette guide):

• 哪里哪里 (nǎlǐ nǎlǐ) — Sounds like “where where” but actually means “you’re too kind” (response to a compliment). Don’t say this when you actually mean “where?”
• 你吃了吗 (nǐ chī le ma) — Literally “have you eaten?” but it’s a common greeting like “how are you?” in older generations. Don’t interpret literally.
• 小姐 (xiǎojiě) — Means “miss” but is sometimes used for sex workers. Use 姑娘 (gūniang) or just avoid the term.
• 同志 (tóngzhi) — Means “comrade” but in modern Chinese often refers to LGBT people. Be careful with this one.

When locals speak English to you

If a younger, urban Chinese person speaks English to you, respond in English. They often want to practice. If an older person doesn’t speak English, use the Chinese phrases above. Don’t be afraid to use both — switching between Chinese and English is normal in China.

The bottom line

You can travel through China with zero Mandarin using just Alipay, Trip.com, Baidu Maps, and Google Translate. But learning 10-20 phrases makes the trip dramatically better. The 5 essential phrases (你好, 谢谢, 多少钱, 厕所在哪里, 我不会说中文) get you through most daily situations. The other 45 are bonus.

Practice with Pleco audio for 30 minutes before your trip. You’ll feel more confident and the locals will appreciate the effort.

Plan the trip — apps + eSIM

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Plan your trip — verified tools

These free tools are built on real, monthly-verified data and help you skip the trial-and-error phase of China trip planning:

• China 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Checker — 55 countries, 24 provinces, 65 ports. See if you qualify for 10-day visa-free transit, which cities you can visit, and the 5-step process.
• China 6-City 5-Day Budget Calculator — Real 2026 prices for 5 days in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, or Hangzhou. Budget / mid-range / comfort tiers, broken down line by line.

Verified August 2026 by TravelHubChina Editorial. We re-check prices and policy details monthly so the data doesn’t drift.