108 Basic Chinese Words and Phrases for Beginners

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These 108 basic Chinese words and phrases give you a practical starting point for Mandarin. You’ll get greetings, conversation repair, travel vocabulary and polite expressions, all in simplified Chinese characters with tone-marked pinyin.

This guide teaches Standard Mandarin and uses Mainland China travel terms. Mandarin is only one language within the wider Chinese language family, and word choice varies across Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and other Chinese-speaking communities.

Pinyin is a pronunciation guide, not English spelling. The marks show the four main tones, while an unmarked syllable is neutral. Listen to native audio as you learn each entry, because tones also change in connected speech: nǐ hǎo is written with two third tones, for example, but the first syllable sounds closer to ní. Our Mandarin tones guide will help you hear and practise those patterns.

Here are five entries from the full list to get you started:

• 你好 (nǐ hǎo) – “hello”
• 最近怎么样？(zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?) – “How have you been lately?”
• 是 (shì) – “to be”; it can affirm a question built with 是, but it is not a universal word for “yes”
• 没有 (méiyǒu) – “not have; there isn’t”; 不 (bù) negates many other verbs and adjectives
• 谢谢 (xièxie) – “thank you”

I usually recommend that language learners start with words they expect to use in their own lives. This broader list gives you 108 teaching entries to choose from, rather than 108 items to memorise in one sitting.

• 16 useful Mandarin greetings and goodbyes
• 43 words and phrases for a first conversation
• 35 travel, sign and safety entries
• 14 polite expressions with context

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Chinese for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

16 Useful Mandarin Greetings and Goodbyes

Some of these are everyday greetings, while others belong to a particular moment. The notes matter: 晚安 is something you say when parting for the night, and 慢走 is normally said by the person staying behind.

• 你好 (nǐ hǎo) – “Hello”
• 您好 (nín hǎo) – a respectful “Hello” to one person
• 好久不见 (hǎojiǔ bú jiàn) – “Long time no see”
• 最近怎么样？(zuìjìn zěnmeyàng?) – “How have you been lately?”
• 欢迎 (huānyíng) – “Welcome”
• 早上好 (zǎoshang hǎo) – “Good morning”
• 早！(zǎo!) – a casual “Morning!”
• 下午好 (xiàwǔ hǎo) – “Good afternoon”; more formal than a simple 你好
• 晚上好 (wǎnshang hǎo) – “Good evening”; also on the formal side
• 晚安 (wǎn’ān) – “Good night”, used when parting or going to bed
• 再见 (zàijiàn) – “Goodbye”
• 拜拜 (bàibài) – a casual “Bye-bye”
• 回头见 (huítóu jiàn) – “See you later”
• 慢走 (màn zǒu) – “Take care as you leave”, said by a host or member of staff to someone departing
• 祝你今天愉快 (zhù nǐ jīntiān yúkuài) – “Have a nice day”; polite but more formal than an everyday goodbye
• 一路平安 (yílù píng’ān) – “Have a safe journey”

43 Useful Chinese Words and Phrases for Beginners

These entries help you introduce yourself, repair a conversation and ask simple questions. Learn the complete phrase where one is given. A single word such as 谁 or 为什么 still needs a sentence around it.

• 我不明白。(wǒ bù míngbai) – “I don’t understand.”
• 你明白吗？(nǐ míngbai ma?) – “Do you understand?”
• 你会说英语吗？(nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?) – “Do you speak English?”
• 我只会说一点中文。(wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén) – “I only speak a little Chinese.”
• 请说慢一点。(qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn) – “Please speak more slowly.”
• 你可以再说一遍吗？(nǐ kěyǐ zài shuō yí biàn ma?) – “Can you say that again?”
• 这个多少钱？(zhège duōshao qián?) – “How much is this?”
• 太贵了。(tài guì le) – “It’s too expensive.”
• 能便宜一点吗？(néng piányi yìdiǎn ma?) – “Can it be a little cheaper?” Use this only where bargaining is appropriate.
• 好吧。(hǎo ba) – “All right, then.”
• 这是什么？(zhè shì shénme?) – “What is this?”
• 你是哪国人？(nǐ shì nǎ guórén?) – “What nationality are you?” This is direct, so use it when the topic is already relevant.
• 我是……人。(wǒ shì… rén) – “I’m [nationality].” Replace the dots with the relevant nationality word.
• ……用中文怎么说？(… yòng Zhōngwén zěnme shuō?) – “How do you say … in Chinese?”
• 我很高兴认识你。(wǒ hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ) – “Nice to meet you.”
• 你是什么意思？(nǐ shì shénme yìsi?) – “What do you mean?” This can sound challenging; 你的意思是……吗？ asks the softer “Do you mean…?”
• 我是学生。(wǒ shì xuésheng) – “I’m a student.” Use 是 before a noun or identity, not before an ordinary adjective.
• 你叫什么名字？(nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) – “What’s your name?”
• 我叫……。(wǒ jiào…) – “My name is…”
• 这是什么意思？(zhè shì shénme yìsi?) – “What does this mean?”
• 生日快乐！(shēngrì kuàilè!) – “Happy birthday!”
• 我爱你。(wǒ ài nǐ) – “I love you.” This is a strong, intimate statement.
• 我想你。(wǒ xiǎng nǐ) – “I miss you” or “I’m thinking of you”, depending on context.
• ……在哪儿？(… zài nǎr?) – “Where is…?”
• 你还好吗？(nǐ hái hǎo ma?) – “Are you all right?”
• 怎么了？(zěnme le?) – “What happened?” or “What’s wrong?”
• 是 / 不是 (shì / bú shì) – affirmative and negative answers to a question built with 是
• 有 / 没有 (yǒu / méiyǒu) – “have; there is” / “don’t have; there isn’t”, and the matching answers to a question built with 有
• 也许 (yěxǔ) – “Maybe”
• 我不知道。(wǒ bù zhīdào) – “I don’t know.”
• 再说一次。(zài shuō yí cì) – “Say it again.” Add 请 at the beginning to make the request more polite.
• 谁 (shéi) – “Who”
• 什么 (shénme) – “What”
• 怎么 (zěnme) – “How”
• 什么时候 (shénme shíhou) – “When”
• 几点 (jǐ diǎn) – “What time?”
• 哪里 / 哪儿 (nǎlǐ / nǎr) – “Where”; 哪儿 is especially common in northern speech
• 为什么 (wèishénme) – “Why”
• 很 / 非常 (hěn / fēicháng) – both can mean “very”; 很 is also a common linker before an adjective and may sound weaker than English “very”
• 哇！(wā!) – “Wow!”
• 真好！(zhēn hǎo!) – “Really good!” or “How nice!”
• 春节 (Chūnjié) – “Spring Festival”, the usual name for Lunar New Year in Mainland China
• 恭喜！(gōngxǐ!) – “Congratulations!”

35 Chinese Travel, Sign and Safety Entries

This section uses Mainland China vocabulary. Some entries are words you might read on a sign, while others are complete requests you can say. That distinction is especially important in an emergency.

• 洗手间 / 厕所 (xǐshǒujiān / cèsuǒ) – “Restroom” / “toilet”; 洗手间 is the more polite choice
• 浴室 (yùshì) – “Bathroom” or “shower room”, not a public toilet
• 入口 (rùkǒu) – “Entrance”
• 出口 (chūkǒu) – “Exit”
• 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) – “Train station”
• 公交车站 (gōngjiāo chēzhàn) – “Bus stop” or “bus station”
• 机场 (jīchǎng) – “Airport”
• 出租车 (chūzūchē) – “Taxi”
• 车票 (chēpiào) – “Ticket” for transport
• 着火了！(zháohuǒ le!) – “Fire!” or “It’s on fire!”
• 请帮我！ / 救命！(qǐng bāng wǒ! / jiùmìng!) – “Please help me!” / “Save me!” Reserve 救命 for immediate serious danger.
• 紧急出口 (jǐnjí chūkǒu) – “Emergency exit”
• 逃生通道 (táoshēng tōngdào) – “Escape route” or “emergency passage”
• 警察 (jǐngchá) – “Police”
• 请报警！(qǐng bàojǐng!) – “Please call the police!”
• 医院 (yīyuàn) – “Hospital”
• 请叫救护车！(qǐng jiào jiùhùchē!) – “Please call an ambulance!”
• 消防站 (xiāofángzhàn) – “Fire station”
• 急诊室 (jízhěnshì) – “Emergency room”
• 药店 (yàodiàn) – “Pharmacy”
• 医生 (yīsheng) – “Doctor”
• 牙医 (yáyī) – “Dentist”
• 杂货店 (záhuòdiàn) – “Grocery shop” or “general shop”
• 市场 (shìchǎng) – “Market”
• 超市 / 超级市场 (chāoshì / chāojí shìchǎng) – “Supermarket”; 超市 is the everyday short form
• 购物中心 (gòuwù zhōngxīn) – “Shopping centre”
• 餐馆 (cānguǎn) – “Restaurant”
• 麦当劳 (Màidāngláo) – “McDonald’s”
• 咖啡店 (kāfēidiàn) – “Café”
• 今天 (jīntiān) – “Today”
• 昨天 (zuótiān) – “Yesterday”
• 明天 (míngtiān) – “Tomorrow”
• 好 (hǎo) – “Good”
• 不好 / 坏了 (bù hǎo / huài le) – “Not good” / “broken” or “gone wrong”
• 好吃 / 可口 (hǎochī / kěkǒu) – “Tasty”; 好吃 is the everyday choice for food, while 可口 is more formal or written

Emergency numbers are not the same across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Check the current official guidance for your destination before you travel, and save the local numbers in your phone.

14 Polite Mandarin Expressions and When to Use Them

礼貌用语 (lǐmào yòngyǔ) means “polite expressions”. Politeness is not a fixed set of magic words, though. Your relationship, role, tone and the size of the request all matter, so learn each expression with its communicative job.

不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) – “Excuse Me” or “Sorry” for a Small Imposition

Use 不好意思 to get someone’s attention, acknowledge a minor inconvenience or make a light apology. It is often a better fit than 对不起 when no serious harm was done.

谢谢 / 非常感谢 (xièxie / fēicháng gǎnxiè) – “Thank You” / “Thank You Very Much”

谢谢 is the standard everyday “thank you”. 谢谢你 puts emphasis on the person you are thanking. 感谢 is a verb meaning “to thank” and appears in more formal or emphatic expressions, often with an object or reason. 谢了 (xiè le) is casual and relationship-dependent, so do not choose it only because someone is your age.

For more gratitude phrases, see our guide to saying “thank you” in Chinese.

对不起 (duìbuqǐ) – “I’m Sorry”

对不起 is a substantive apology when you made a mistake or caused harm. For example: 对不起，占用了你这么多时间。(duìbuqǐ, zhànyòng le nǐ zhème duō shíjiān) – “Sorry for taking up so much of your time.”

请问 (qǐngwèn) – “Excuse Me, May I Ask…”

请问 is a polite opener before a question. Try 请问，洗手间在哪里？(qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?) – “Excuse me, where is the restroom?” It is not the phrase for asking someone to let you pass.

[Surname] + 先生 ([xìng] + xiānsheng) – “Mr [Surname]”

先生 is commonly used after a surname, as in 王先生 (Wáng xiānsheng), “Mr Wang”. A bare 先生 can appear in formal or service settings, but it is not inserted into ordinary sentences in exactly the same way as English “sir”.

女士 / 夫人 (nǚshì / fūrén) – “Ms” / “Mrs; Madam”

女士 is the safer neutral title for an adult woman and commonly follows a surname. 夫人 refers respectfully to a wife or married woman, often after her husband’s surname or title. Do not use 夫人 as a generic polite address for every woman you meet.

请 + Verb (qǐng + verb) – “Please…”

Put 请 before the action you are requesting. 请给我两张往返票。(qǐng gěi wǒ liǎng zhāng wǎngfǎn piào) means “Two return tickets, please.” 麻烦给我…… can make a larger request feel less directive.

不客气 / 不用谢 / 别客气 (bú kèqi / búyòng xiè / bié kèqi) – Replies to “Thank You”

不客气 is the standard “you’re welcome”. 不用谢 literally means “no need to thank me”. 别客气 can work as “don’t mention it”, but it also tells someone not to stand on ceremony. They overlap without being freely interchangeable in every situation.

没关系 (méi guānxi) – “It’s All Right” or “No Problem”

没关系 dismisses a problem or accepts an apology: “It’s okay” or “It doesn’t matter.” It is not the ordinary default response when someone thanks you.

稍等 (shāo děng) – “One Moment”

稍等 asks someone to wait briefly. Add 请 for a polite service phrase: 请稍等。(qǐng shāo děng) – “Please wait a moment.”

放心吧 (fàngxīn ba) – “Don’t Worry” or “Rest Assured”

放心吧 reassures someone. For example: 放心吧，我和你一起去。(fàngxīn ba, wǒ hé nǐ yìqǐ qù) – “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.” In a formal service setting, 请放心 is more polite.

麻烦问一下 (máfan wèn yíxià) – “Sorry to Bother You, May I Ask…”

麻烦 means “trouble” or “bother”, and it can soften a request. 麻烦问一下，你知道酒店在哪里吗？(máfan wèn yíxià, nǐ zhīdào jiǔdiàn zài nǎlǐ ma?) means “Sorry to bother you, do you know where the hotel is?”

打扰一下 (dǎrǎo yíxià) – “Excuse Me” or “Sorry to Interrupt”

打扰一下 softens an interruption or request. For example: 打扰一下，能不能帮我拿一下行李？(dǎrǎo yíxià, néng bu néng bāng wǒ ná yíxià xíngli?) – “Excuse me, could you please help me with my luggage?”

不好意思，请让一下 (bù hǎoyìsi, qǐng ràng yíxià) – “Excuse Me, Please Let Me Through”

让一下 asks someone to make room or allow a brief action, so it is broader than passing through. The full phrase above is safer than the more direct bare command.

How to Practise These 108 Basic Chinese Words and Phrases

Words are easier to retrieve when you learn them inside a useful phrase. This short clip from @languagehacking compares learning words on their own with learning them in context:

Start with twelve entries, three from each major section, and use this loop:

1. Choose phrases that fit a real conversation you expect to have.
2. Listen to a native recording or ask a tutor to say each one. Treat pinyin as a reminder, not the audio itself.
3. Say each phrase aloud five times and record the last attempt.
4. Cover the Chinese, retrieve it from the English prompt, then reverse the direction.
5. Change one detail, such as the place in 请问，……在哪里？ or the noun in 这是……。
6. Role-play a greeting, a shop exchange, asking for directions and requesting help without looking at the page.
7. Get one correction from a tutor or exchange partner, then update your note or flashcard before the next review.

For your next step, work on Mandarin greetings, simplified Chinese characters, first-conversation phrases or the most common Chinese words.

If you want help turning your personal word list into a repeatable review routine, Fi3M’s paid Vocab Vault course is built for vocabulary practice.

下次见！(xiàcì jiàn!) – “See you next time!”