110 Useful Mandarin Chinese Phrases for Your First Conversation

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Ready to have your first conversation in Mandarin? These 110 Mandarin Chinese phrases and words will give you plenty to start with.

Mandarin can feel intimidating at first because tones and characters may be new to you. But you do not need to master the whole language before you start speaking.

In fact, one of my own language-learning missions was to speak Mandarin Chinese in three months. I reached a lower-intermediate level and used it while travelling in China and interviewing people. That mission began in Taiwan, where I learned traditional characters. I still work on maintaining my Mandarin skills.

This is a speaking guide, not a full lesson in hanzi, or Chinese characters. I have included simplified characters with every entry, along with Hanyu Pinyin. You can use the pinyin to begin speaking, then build your knowledge of Chinese characters as you progress.

A quick scope note: this article teaches Standard Mandarin as used in mainland China, with simplified characters and mainland vocabulary. Mandarin is also spoken in Taiwan and Singapore, but pronunciation, vocabulary and everyday register can vary. Taiwan generally uses traditional characters. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is the usual spoken language for most people, although Putonghua, the mainland name for Standard Mandarin, is also used. If you know where you will be speaking, check local usage too.

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.

Mandarin Pronunciation

Mandarin is a tonal language, so a syllable can have different meanings depending on its tone. Mandarin has four lexical tones plus a neutral tone. In pinyin, the four lexical tones are marked and the neutral tone is unmarked.

Using ma as an example, the tones are mā, high and level; má, rising; mǎ, third tone; mà, falling; and neutral ma. A third tone is often low in connected speech. You are most likely to hear its full dip and rise in isolation or for emphasis.

Pinyin normally shows a syllable’s citation tone, not every change that happens in speech. When one third-tone syllable comes immediately before another, the first is pronounced with a second-tone contour. That is why 你好 is written nǐ hǎo but pronounced roughly ní hǎo. Likewise, 不 keeps the spelling bù, but before another fourth tone it is pronounced bú, as in 不用, written bùyòng. 一 also changes tone in connected speech. Learn the written form, then copy audio from a native speaker so the spoken changes become familiar.

Pinyin letters are not English sound spellings. For example, q and x represent Mandarin sounds made farther forward in the mouth than English “ch” and “sh”. English approximations such as “ching” or “shee-eh” can build the wrong habit, so use pinyin with reliable audio rather than treating it like English.

Basic Mandarin Phrases and Greetings

Let’s begin with greetings and polite phrases. Say each one aloud, paying attention to the tone marks.

“Hello” in Mandarin

• “Hello”: Nǐ hǎo. (你好。)

Both syllables carry third-tone marks in writing. Because they are adjacent, the first is pronounced with a second-tone contour: approximately ní hǎo.

“How Are You?” in Mandarin

• “How are you?”: Nǐ hǎo ma? (你好吗？)

The question particle 吗 (ma) turns the statement into a yes-or-no question. This phrase is easy to understand, although friends often greet one another in other ways rather than asking it every time.

“I’m Good” and “I’m Not Good” in Mandarin

• “I’m good”: Hěn hǎo. (很好。)
• “I’m not good”: Bù hǎo. (不好。)

很好 also has two adjacent third tones, so the first changes in connected speech.

“Please” in Mandarin

• “Please”, before a request: Qǐng… (请……)

请 usually introduces a request or invitation. It is not a one-word answer that you can add everywhere English uses “please”.

“Thank You” in Mandarin

• “Thank you”: Xièxie. (谢谢。)

The second syllable is neutral, which is why it has no tone mark.

“You’re Welcome” in Mandarin

• “You’re welcome” or “No need to thank me”: Bùyòng xiè. (不用谢。)

不用 is written bùyòng, but the fourth-tone 不 is pronounced with a rising tone before fourth-tone 用: búyòng.

“Good Morning” in Mandarin

• “Good morning”: Zǎoshang hǎo. (早上好。)
• “Good morning”: Zǎo'ān. (早安。)
• Casual “Morning!”: Zǎo! (早！)

The apostrophe in zǎo'ān separates two vowel-initial syllables. Which greeting sounds most natural depends on place and setting, so listen for what people around you use.

“Good Night” in Mandarin

• “Good night”: Wǎn'ān. (晚安。)

“Goodbye” in Mandarin

• “Goodbye”: Zàijiàn. (再见。)
• “See you later”: Huítóu jiàn. (回头见。)

“Yes” in Mandarin

• “Yes”, confirming a fact: Shì de. (是的。)
• “Yes, it is”: Shì. (是。)

Mandarin does not use one universal word for “yes”. It often sounds more natural to repeat the verb from the question, as you will see below.

“No” in Mandarin

• “Not”, before many verbs and adjectives: Bù. (不。)
• “No, it isn’t”: Bùshì. (不是。)

As with “yes”, the best negative answer depends on the verb in the question. 不 is a negator, not a direct substitute for every English “no”.

“Excuse Me” in Mandarin

• “Excuse me” or a light “sorry”: Bù hǎoyìsi. (不好意思。)

“I’m Sorry” in Mandarin

• “I’m sorry”: Duìbuqǐ. (对不起。)

Use 对不起 for a clearer apology after a mistake. 不好意思 is lighter and also works when you need to get someone’s attention.

Common Mandarin Phrases for a First Conversation

Now you have the core greetings. These next phrases help you manage the conversation, ask for clarification and get to know someone.

“Do You Speak…?” in Mandarin

• “Do you speak English?”: Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? (你会说英语吗？)
• “Do you speak Mandarin?”: Nǐ huì shuō Pǔtōnghuà ma? (你会说普通话吗？)
• “I only speak a little Mandarin”: Wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yīdiǎn Pǔtōnghuà. (我只会说一点普通话。)
• “Yes, I can speak Mandarin”: Huì, wǒ huì shuō Pǔtōnghuà. (会，我会说普通话。)
• “No, I can’t speak it”: Bù huì, wǒ bù huì shuō. (不会，我不会说。)
• “How do you say ___ in Mandarin?”: ___ yòng Pǔtōnghuà zěnme shuō? (___ 用普通话怎么说？)
• “Could you repeat that?”: Néng zài shuō yī biàn ma? (能再说一遍吗？)
• “Please speak more slowly”: Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn. (请说慢一点。)

“I Don’t Know” and Clarification Phrases in Mandarin

• “I don’t know”: Bù zhīdào. (不知道。)
• “I don’t understand”: Wǒ bù míngbai. (我不明白。)
• “What does ___ mean?”: ___ shì shénme yìsi? (___ 是什么意思？)
• “I understand now”: Míngbai le. (明白了。)
• “I know now”: Zhīdào le. (知道了。)
• “Sorry, I didn’t hear that clearly”: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ méi tīng qīngchu. (对不起，我没听清楚。)
• “Do you mean…?”: Nǐ de yìsi shì… ma? (你的意思是……吗？)

The last pattern checks what you think you heard. It is useful for a beginner and often softer than a clipped direct question, which can sound like a challenge in the wrong tone.

“What’s Your Name?” in Mandarin

• “What’s your name?”: Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? (你叫什么名字？)
• “My name is…”: Wǒ jiào… (我叫……)
• “Where are you from?”: Nǐ cóng nǎlǐ lái? (你从哪里来？)
• “I’m from…”: Wǒ láizì… (我来自……)
• Polite “How old are you?” for an adult: Nín duō dà? (您多大？)
• “I’m 35 years old”: Wǒ jīnnián sānshíwǔ suì. (我今年三十五岁。)
• “What do you do for work?”: Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? (你做什么工作？)
• “I’m a…”: Wǒ shì… (我是……)
• “Nice to meet you”: Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ. (很高兴认识你。)

你几岁？ (Nǐ jǐ suì?) is normally used with children. With adults, 多大 is the better beginner pattern, and 您 makes it more respectful. Age and occupation can also feel personal, so take your cue from the conversation.

Useful Reactions and Fillers in Mandarin

• “That’s great!”: Tài hǎo le! (太好了！)
• “Excellent!”: Zhēn bàng! (真棒！)
• “That’s awful”: Tài zāogāo le. (太糟糕了。)
• “That’s a shame”: Zhēn kěxī. (真可惜。)
• “Right”: Duì. (对。)
• “Um…”: Nàge… (那个……)
• “I mean…” or “basically…”: Jiùshì… (就是……)
• “All right then”: Hǎo ba. (好吧。)
• “And then…”: Ránhòu… (然后……)

Fillers are very dependent on context and intonation. Use them to buy a moment, but copy how speakers around you use them rather than translating an English filler word for word.

Useful Mandarin for Restaurants and Shops

English “yes, please” does not map neatly to a fixed two-word answer in Mandarin. Accept the specific offer or say what you want instead. To decline politely, you can use the first phrase below.

• “No, thank you”: Bùyòng le, xièxie. (不用了，谢谢。)
• “May I see the menu, please?”: Qǐng gěi wǒ kànkan càidān. (请给我看看菜单。)
• “I’d like…”: Wǒ xiǎng yào… (我想要……)
• “The bill, please”: Qǐng jiézhàng. (请结账。)
• “I’ll take this one”: Wǒ yào zhège. (我要这个。)
• “That one, please”: Qǐng gěi wǒ nàge. (请给我那个。)
• “How much is it?”: Duōshao qián? (多少钱？)
• “Where is…?”: … zài nǎlǐ? (……在哪里？)
• “Could you help me?”: Nǐ kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma? (你可以帮我吗？)
• “Let’s go!”: Wǒmen zǒu ba! (我们走吧！)

Mandarin Words to Expand Your Vocabulary

Use these words to customise the sentence patterns above. They follow the same mainland Mandarin and simplified-character scope as the rest of the article.

Time:

• Today: jīntiān (今天)
• Yesterday: zuótiān (昨天)
• Tomorrow: míngtiān (明天)
• O’clock: diǎn (点)
• Time: shíjiān (时间)

Food and drink:

• Water: shuǐ (水)
• Coffee: kāfēi (咖啡)
• Tea: chá (茶)
• Beer: píjiǔ (啤酒)
• Chicken: jīròu (鸡肉)
• Fish: yú (鱼)
• Vegetables: shūcài (蔬菜)
• Chocolate: qiǎokèlì (巧克力)

Countries:

• China: Zhōngguó (中国)
• United States: Měiguó (美国)
• United Kingdom: Yīngguó (英国)
• Ireland: Ài'ěrlán (爱尔兰)
• Spain: Xībānyá (西班牙)
• France: Fàguó (法国)
• Italy: Yìdàlì (意大利)
• Canada: Jiānádà (加拿大)
• Japan: Rìběn (日本)

Places:

• Supermarket: chāoshì (超市)
• Bank: yínháng (银行)
• Post office: yóujú (邮局)
• Police station: jǐngchájú (警察局)
• Hospital: yīyuàn (医院)
• Cinema: diànyǐngyuàn (电影院)
• Shop: shāngdiàn (商店)

Numbers:

• One: yī (一)
• Two: èr (二)
• Three: sān (三)
• Four: sì (四)
• Five: wǔ (五)
• Six: liù (六)
• Seven: qī (七)
• Eight: bā (八)
• Nine: jiǔ (九)
• Ten: shí (十)

Jobs:

• Teacher: lǎoshī (老师)
• Salesperson: xiāoshòuyuán (销售员)
• Employee: yuángōng (员工)
• Writer: zuòjiā (作家)
• Doctor: yīshēng (医生)
• Programmer: chéngxùyuán (程序员)

Memorable Mandarin Expressions

These expressions have vivid imagery, but they are not random “funny Chinese” lines to drop into a first conversation. Learn the meaning and register before you use them.

• “Keep going!” or “You can do it!”: Jiāyóu! (加油！) Literally, “add fuel”.
• Speak in a vivid but exaggerated or unrealistic way: tiānhuāluànzhuì (天花乱坠). The image is of heavenly flowers falling in profusion.
• Careless or slapdash: mǎmǎhūhū (马马虎虎). In some conversational contexts it is loosely translated as “so-so”, but its core sense is doing something carelessly.

I have left out insults and short-lived internet slang here. They are easy to misjudge when you do not yet know the relationship, region or tone of the conversation.

Start Speaking Mandarin with These Phrases

You now have 110 Mandarin entries for greetings, introductions, clarification, restaurants, shops and everyday vocabulary. You do not need to memorise them all before you speak.

Choose five phrases that fit a conversation you are likely to have. Practise them with audio, then try them with a language-exchange partner or tutor. After the conversation, add the phrases you wished you had known. That gives you a useful next study list built from real experience.