Order, ask and get around China in Mandarin

• 你好 Nǐ hǎo
  Hello

  Opens every interaction. Say it once as you step into a shop and staff turn toward you immediately.

• 谢谢 Xièxie
  Thank you

  Say it as you take your change, not as you leave — that is when it lands.

• 多少钱？ Duōshao qián?
  How much is it?

  Works at markets, ticket windows, taxis and anywhere else without a printed price.

• 太贵了。 Tài guì le.
  That's too expensive.

  Your opening line in any market. Said lightly, it is a negotiation starter, not an insult.

• 便宜一点吧。 Piányi yìdiǎn ba.
  Could you make it a bit cheaper?

  便宜 (cheap) plus 一点 (a little) plus 吧 (softening particle). The standard friendly haggle.

• 我要这个。 Wǒ yào zhège.
  I'll have this one.

  Point while you say it. This single line covers most ordering in restaurants and shops.

• 洗手间在哪里？ Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?
  Where is the restroom?

  洗手间 is the polite word. Look for the signs 卫生间 or the older 厕所.

• 买单。 Mǎidān.
  The bill, please.

  Said to a server after the meal, or at the counter by the door if you cannot catch anyone's eye.

• 不要辣。 Bù yào là.
  Not spicy, please.

  Say it before the kitchen starts. You can put almost any ingredient after 不要.

• 我对花生过敏。 Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn.
  I'm allergic to peanuts.

  Worth writing down as well as saying. Show the screen to the person cooking if you can.

• 请帮我一下。 Qǐng bāng wǒ yíxià
  Please help me for a moment.

  Good for luggage, directions and anything with an app you cannot read.

• 我听不懂。 Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
  I don't understand what you're saying.

  The honest answer that makes people slow down or switch to gestures.

• 请写下来。 Qǐng xiě xiàlái
  Please write it down.

  Your best move for addresses. A Chinese character on a receipt beats repeating yourself three times.

• 去这里。 Qù zhèlǐ.
  Take me here.

  Show the driver the address on your phone and say this. Every taxi and Didi ride starts this way.

• 有英文菜单吗？ Yǒu Yīngwén càidān ma?
  Do you have an English menu?

  Ask before you sit down. In smaller towns the answer is often no, so have photos ready.

• 可以刷卡吗？ Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?
  Can I pay by card?

  Foreign cards are unreliable in small shops. Ask first, and keep a cash backup.

• 我吃素。 Wǒ chī sù.
  I'm vegetarian.

  Say it, then check each dish. Vegetables are often finished with meat stock or lard.

• 请问，这是哪里？ Qǐngwèn, zhè shì nǎlǐ?
  Excuse me, where am I?

  The line for when your map is open but you cannot work out which way it is facing.

• 再见。 Zàijiàn.
  Goodbye.

  Fine to use with shopkeepers and hotel staff. Friends say 拜拜 instead.

• 干杯！ Gānbēi!
  Cheers!

  Literally 'dry the cup'. At a banquet you can sip instead of draining it and nobody minds.

See the full phrase library →