Chinese from scratch: the most compact phrasebook. Conversational phrases in Chinese that will allow you to relax and enjoy communication
Do you know what is the most embarrassing moment for all foreigners learning Chinese? When they realize that “ni hao” is far from the most popular word that the people of the Middle Kingdom use to greet.
How do you say “hello” or “how are you” in Chinese? Just for you - six ways to say it.
Bonus! (ni hao!) / 您好 (Ning hao!) - “Hello!” / “Hello!”
In case you have just started learning Chinese, or you are a simple tourist who is not even going to learn the language, but has already applied for a visa to the Celestial Empire.
“Ni Hao” is the first thing all foreigners learn. And even those who are completely unfamiliar with the language know that if you want to say “hello” in Chinese, say “ni hao.” If translated literally, the meaning will be consonant with our “hello”: “neither” - you; "hao" - good.
In fact, locals rarely use this phrase, as it sounds too formal. “Ning hao” is a respectful form (“ning” means you). Most often used to greet teachers or superiors. In this form it is actively used.
Also, quite often, even in the first lessons of Chinese, they learn: if you add an interrogative particle to “ni hao”, then the greeting turns into the question “how are you” (“ni hao ma?”). However, this will immediately make you look like a foreigner. The Chinese use this phrase not to ask how things are, but to make sure that everything is fine. That is, when you say “ni hao ma,” you focus on the fact that the person looks, to put it mildly, unimportant and you want to find out if he is healthy.
早！(Zao!) - “Good morning!”
"Zao" is short for 早上好! (“Zao shang hao!”), which means “good morning.” This is one of the popular ways to say “hello” in Chinese. The only case when using this word is inappropriate is if it is evening outside.
你吃了吗？(Ni chi le ma?) - “Have you eaten?”
If you are asked, “Ni chi le ma?”, don’t rush to talk about the delicious sandwich you had for breakfast or look around for food.
For the Chinese, this is not an invitation to dinner, but a way to ask how you are doing. It is enough to simply answer: “Chi le. No ne? (“I’ve eaten, and you?”). This is how you express unobtrusive concern for the person. If you ask this way, no one will demand treats from you, but it is quite possible that the locals’ attitude towards you will become several degrees warmer. The Chinese love foreigners who not only know how to say “hello” in Chinese, but are also not surprised when asked about food.
最近好吗？(Zui jin hao ma?) - “How are things going?”
“Zui jin hao ma?” similar to Russian “how are you?” The answer may be the same as in your native language. You can limit yourself to a short “hao” - “good”, or simply nod your head affirmatively. Or, if your language level allows you, you can say a couple of phrases about how things are going.
喂 (Way!) - “Hello?”
This is how the Chinese answer phone calls. A very simple and pleasant sounding word. It is used by everyone, regardless of age, gender and social status.
去哪儿？(Chu nar?) - “Where are you going?”
“Ni chu nar?” is a way to say "hello" in Chinese if you bump into someone. By our standards, such a question may seem like excessive curiosity, especially when the interlocutor is a casual acquaintance. However, for the Chinese this is just a way to show concern and show some respect for a person.
Often a question form is used where the location is already specified. For example, when faced with a student or schoolchild, you can ask: “Chu shan ky le?” (“Are you going to class/classes?”).
好久不见！(Hao jou bu zen!) - “Long time no see!”
“Hao jou bu zen!” - this is how you can say “hello” in Chinese to an old acquaintance whom you have not seen for quite a long time. This phrase has a very positive emotional connotation.
Small "but"
As you probably know, Chinese is a tone language. The same word said in a different tone can mean something completely different. Of course, if you are a tourist, and even a fair-haired one, then the good-natured Chinese will definitely make a discount on this. But if you want to sound like a local, be warned: knowing how to say "hello" in Chinese isn't enough. Pronunciation also plays an important role.
There is a very simple option for those who are not going to seriously study the language - enter the phrase into an online translator with the ability to listen to the typed text and just try to copy the speaker’s intonation. It's much easier than understanding the nuances of one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn.
Most importantly, don't be afraid to speak up. The Chinese will always be happy to tell you how to do it right. Especially if you respond by taking a photo with them and teaching them a few phrases in Russian or English. Or buy something since the noodle vendor helped you.
Greetings and farewells
Hello - nihao - 你好
Hi all! - dajia hao - 大家好
Long time no see - haojiu bujian - 好久不见
How are you - ni zenmeyang - 你怎么样?
Excellent - henhao - 很好
Not bad - bucuo - 不错
So-so - mama huhu - 马马虎虎
No way - bu zenmeyang - 不怎么样
Goodbye - zaijian - 再见
See you - zaihui - 再会
See you tomorrow - mingtian jian - 明天见
Bye - baibai - 拜拜
Frequently used phrases
I love traveling on my own - wo xihuan ziji lvyou - 我喜欢自己旅游
Thank you - xiexie - 谢谢
Please - bukeqi - 不客气
Please (please) - qing - 请
Sorry - buhaoyisi - 不好意思
Sorry (I am sorry) - duibuqi - 对不起
Sorry, - qingwen - 请问,
Yes - dui - 对
No - bu (bu shi) - 不(不是)
I don't know - bu zhidao - 不知道
I don’t understand (what you are saying) - ting bu dong - 听不懂
I don’t understand (in general) - bu ming bai - 不明白
Where are you from (what country) - ni shi na ge guojia de - 你是哪个国家的?
I'm from Russia - wo shi eluosiren - 我是俄罗斯人
No problem - meiwenti - 没问题
Wait a minute - deng yixia - 等一下
Decide for yourself (up to you) - sui bian - 随便
Forget (give it up) - suan le - 算了
What? - shenme 什么?
Where? - nali - 哪里?
When? - shenme shihou - 什么时候?
How? - zenme - 怎么?
Why? - weishenme - 为什么?
Which? - neige - 哪个?
Who? - shui - 谁?
Give me - gei wo - *给我
Take - gei ni - 给你
Bad or good? - haobuhao - 好不好?
Yes or not? - 有没有?
What to do? - zenmeban - 怎么办?
Nothing can be done - meibanfa - 没办法
Languages and communication
Do you speak English? - ni hui shuo yingwen ma - 你会说英文吗?
Does anyone here speak Russian? zheli you ren hui shuo eyu ma - 这里有人会说俄语吗?
How to say... in Chinese? - ... zhongwen zenme shuo - 。。。中文怎么说?
What means...? - ... shi shenme yisi - 。。。是什么意思?
I don't understand - ting bu dong - 听不懂
Transport
Airport - feijichang - 飞机场
Railway train station - huochezhan - 火车站
Bus station - qichezhan - 汽车站
Metro - ditie - 地铁
I need to get to the airport - wo yao qu feijichang - 我要去飞机场
I need a cheap ticket... - wo yao yi zhang qu ***pianyi de piao - 我要一张去***便宜的票
One way ticket - dan cheng piao - 单程票
Return ticket - wang fan piao - 往返票
I need two compartment tickets to Beijing - wo yao liang zhang dao bei jing de ruanwo piao - 我要两张到北京的软卧票
I need a plane ticket to Sanya (for other cities, see the next geographical branch) - wo yao yi zhang qu san ya de feiji piao - 我要一张去三亚的飞机票
I want to change my ticket - wo xiang huan wo de piao - *我想换我的票
Accommodation
I'm looking for an inexpensive hotel - wo yao zhao pianyi de lvguan - 我要找便宜的旅馆
Do you have any available rooms - nin zheli you fangjian ma - 您这里有房间吗?
I need an inexpensive double (single) room - wo yao pianyi de shuangrenjian (danrenjian) - 我要便宜的双人间(单人间)
What is the price? - duoshaoqian - 多少钱?
Sea view room - hai jing fang - 海景房
Can't it be cheaper? - keyi bu keyi pianyi yidian - 可以不可以便宜一点?
Is breakfast included in the price? - han zaocan ma - 含早餐吗?
I would like to pay, checkout - wo xiang tui fang - 我想退房
Directions
I'm lost - wo milule - 我迷路了
How to get? - zenmezou - 怎么走?
In which direction - wang na ge fangxiang - 往哪个方向?
Ahead - qianmian - 前面
From behind - houmian - 后面
On the right - youbian - 右边
Left -zuobian - 左边
Please tell me where is the bathhouse nearby - qingwen, zai zhe"er fujin youmeiyou yuchi - 请问,在这儿附近有没有浴池?
... sauna - sangna - 桑拿
... toilet - cesuo - 厕所
... hotel - bingguan - 宾馆
... internet cafe - wangba - 网吧
... diner - xiaochidian - 小吃店
... mail - youju- 邮局
... supermarket - chaoshi - 超市
... market - shichang - 市场
... bus stop - qichezhan - 汽车站
... ATM - qukuanji -取款机
... hospital - yiyuan - 医院
... police - jingchaju - 警察局
... Bank of China - zhongguo yinhang - 中国银行
Shopping
I want to buy... - wo xiang mai... - 我想买。。。
What is the price? - duo shao qian - 多少钱?
Can I have a look? - keyi kankan ma - 可以看看吗?
It's too expensive - tai guile - 太贵了
I don't like it - wo bu xihuan - 我不喜欢
Can I pay by credit card? - keyi yong xinyongka ma - 可以用信用卡吗?
Are you crazy? - ni feng le - 你疯了?
At the restaurant
Are you hungry? - ni e le ma - 你饿了吗?
I'm starving to death - wo e si le - 我饿死了
I'm hungry - wo yao chifan - 我要吃饭
I haven't eaten for three days - wo santian mei chi fan le - 我三天没吃饭了
I am a vegetarian - wo chi su - 我吃素
Waiter! - fuwuyuan - 服务员
Menu - caidan - 菜单
Not spicy - bu la - 不辣
Cold - bing de - 冰的
Eat - chi fan ba - 吃饭吧
Napkins - canjinzhi - 餐巾纸
Is it possible to smoke here? - zai zheli keyi chouyan ma - 在这里可以抽烟吗?
Where is the toilet? - xishoujian zai nali - 洗手间在哪里?
Meat - rou - 肉
Fish - yu - 鱼
Noodles - mian - 面
Steamed rice - mifan - 米饭
Fried rice - chaofan - 炒饭
Dumplings - jiaozi - 饺子
Chopsticks - kuaizi - 筷子
Can I have a fork (spoon) - nimen haiyou chazi (shaozi) ma - 你们还有叉子(勺子)吗?
Check! - maidan - 买单
In the supermarket
Bread - mianbao- 面包
Water - shui - 水
Package - daizi - 袋子
Shopping cart - gou wu lan - 购物篮
Shopping cart - gou wu che - 购物车
Membership card - hui yuan ka - 会员卡
Photo and video
Digital camera - shuma zhaoxiangji- 数码照相机
Memory card - cunshu ka - 存储卡
Camera bag - zhaoxiangji bao - 照相机包
I lost my camera - wo diushi le wo de zhaoxiangji - 我丢失了我的照相机
My camera was stolen - wo de zhaoxiangji bei tou le - 我的照相机被偷了
Useful things
Map - ditu - 地图
Flashlight - shoudian - 手电
Mobile phone - shouji - 手机
Toilet paper - wei sheng zhi - 卫生纸
Aspirin - asipilin - 阿司匹林
Sunscreen - fangshaiyou - 防晒油
“Hello” is perhaps the very first word with which one begins to learn a foreign language. And if you decide to start learning Chinese, then it would be logical to start with this word.
Hello in Chinese looks and sounds like this (Russian translation nihao):
你好 nǐhǎo
There is also a polite form of address. Here's how to say hello in Chinese:
您好 nínhǎo
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But, to be honest, I almost never heard it used in communication. Therefore, I prefer to use the first option.
To greet several people or a company at once, you can use this expression:
Hello everyone
What do "good morning", "good afternoon" and "good night" sound like in Chinese?
Also, I think it would be a good idea to find out how to greet a person depending on the time of day:
- Good morning
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- Good afternoon
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- Good evening or good night
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Chinese from scratch: the most compact phrasebook
The Chinese language is incredibly complex - and the Chinese agree. Their country has a huge number of dialects. A southern Chinese can compete with a northern Chinese in the pronunciation of the same word. But every self-respecting citizen of the People's Republic of China knows Putonghua, the national Chinese language. If you master at least a dozen of his words and phrases, you will be understood in any corner of China. Oh, and don't forget to learn how to count to 10.
Politeness is the basis of dialogue with Asians. There is an optimal set of phrases to express it. He will build bridges of understanding in foreign lands. Read and remember:
Hello! 你好 Ni hao!
Goodbye! 再见 Tsai jien!
Welcome! 欢迎 Huanying!
Please! 请 Tsin!
Thank you! 谢谢 Se se!
Yes! 是 Shi!
No! 不 Boo!
How are you? 你 吃饭 了 吗? Ni chi fan le ma.
Literally, this chain of Chinese characters translates as “Have you eaten?”, but can also mean “How are you?” or "What's going on?"
It is for you! 我 敬 你! Wo jing ni. This phrase can be heard during a toast at dinner. In meaning it is similar to “Hurray”.
I appreciate your hard work! 你辛苦了! Ni xin ku le.
The Chinese say these words when they have received a favor or been helped.
Excuse me! 多多包涵! Do do bao han!
Everything is clear here. In Russian, the phrase “I'm sorry” will be synonymous.
You are incredible! 你真牛! Ni zhen nu!
The character 牛 means "cow" in Chinese. It is not entirely clear why you should use such a comparison when you want to praise someone. But that's how Chinese works.
Please take a photo of us. 请给我们拍一照. Tsin gey vomen phai i zhao.
Please repeat what you said. 请您再说一遍. Tsing nin zai shuo yi bien.
And this is a translation from Chinese into Russian. Photo: macos.livejournal.com Where can I buy a calling card? 在哪儿可以买到电话卡？ Zainar khei maidao dienhua kha?
Tell me, please, what time is it? 请问，现在几点了？ Tsingwen, xienzai jidien le?
Let's go have a snack together! I'm treating you! 起吃饭，我请客! And qi chi fan, vo qing ke! Keep in mind that you should not refuse a Chinese person a meal together. For them, this is an important ritual and a way to establish personal and business relationships.
Please tell me how to get there? 请问，到 怎么走? Tsing wen, dao zenme zou?
Tell me, please, where is the toilet? 请问，厕所在哪里？ Tsing wen, zhesuo zai nali?
Where? Where? 哪里哪里?Nali, nali?
A rhetorical question used in China for a polite answer. For example, when they say “thank you,” say “nali, nali.” Believe me, this will impress the Chinese.
What is the cost? 多少钱？ Tuo shao tsien?
Please count me in! 买单! May tribute!
I love you. 我爱你 Wow.
I love you too. 我也爱你 Vo e ai ni.
Bonus! Numbers in Chinese
Photo: shilaoshi.ru 1 一 AND
2 二 ER
3 三 SAN
4 四 SY
5 degrees U
6 六 LIU
7 七 TSI
8 八 BA
9 九 TsZIU
10 十 SHI
11 SHI YI
12 十二 SHI ER
20 pm ER SHI
30 pm SAN SHI
40 四十 SY SHI
50 五十 EARS
100 一百 AND BYE
200 二百 ER BAY
1,000 一千 AND TSIEN
10,000 一万 AND WANG
1,000,000 一百万 AND BAI WANG
The bare minimum of polite Chinese is right in front of your eyes. Master it in advance and at first you will definitely not be lost in the Celestial Empire.
Chinese Language History Chinese is a language with a rich history that dates back to 1122 BC. (BC). While today more than one billion people worldwide speak several variations of Chinese, the history of this language is associated with a more primitive, simpler language known as Proto-Sino-Tibetan. Modern linguists classify Chinese within the Sino-Tibetan group of languages.
Interestingly, the history of the Chinese language is a controversial issue among linguists, as many have conflicting notions of how the evolution of this language should be classified. However, despite ongoing scientific debate, many experts rely on the historical classification system developed by Swedish linguist Bernhard Carlgren in the early 20th century. Karlgren suggested seeing the history of the Chinese language in the following eras: Old Chinese Middle Chinese Modern Chinese Traditionally, Chinese characters are written in columns. These columns must be read from top to bottom and from right to left. Since it is a writing system that uses one character to represent a word or phrase, there are literally thousands of characters. In fact, Hanzi (literally Chinese for "Chinese characters") has over 50,000 characters. This is a huge number of counting characters, particularly for the high level of illiteracy in China. In an attempt to circumvent this problem, the People's Republic of China introduced a program to simplify the language into a set of commonly used characters. Today's notation system uses approximately 6,000 of these characters. Of course, proper names of symbols are also used, which rarely appear.
| Hello | Nihao | 你好 |
| Goodbye | Tsai Zen | 再见 |
| Do you speak English? | No fuck sho inwen ma? | 你会讲英语吗？ |
| Thank you very much! | Sese, feichang fanse! | 非常感谢你！ |
| Please | Buyun Xie | 请 |
| Sorry | Blow buti | 遗憾 |
| What is your name? | Ni jiao shemme mingzi? | 你叫什么名字？ |
| Yes | Shi | 是的 |
| No | Bushy | 无 |
| Do you want to dance? | Ni xiang tiao wu ma? | 想跳舞吗？ |
| I love you! | Wow! | 我爱你！ |
Numbers and numbers
| One | AND | 一 |
| Two | Er | 二 |
| Three | San | 三 |
| Four | Sy | 四 |
| Five | U | 五 |
| Six | Liu | 六 |
| Seven | Qi | 七 |
| Eight | Ba | 八 |
| Nine | Tszyu | 九 |
| Ten | Shi | 十 |
| Twenty | Ershi | 二十 |
| Thirty | Sanshi | 三十 |
| Fourty | Syshi | 四十 |
| Fifty | Ears | 五十 |
| One hundred | And bye | 百 |
| Thousand | Yi Qian | 千 |
| Million | And Bai Wan | 百万 |
Shops, hotels, transport
| How much does it cost? | Zheige dongxi doshao tien? | 需要多少费用？ |
| I will buy it | In May Zheig | 我就买它 |
| How much does the ticket cost? | Phyao doshao tien? | 多少钱的车票？ |
| When does the train arrive/depart? | Hoche shemme shihou daoda? | 当到达（送）火车？ |
| Porter! | Banyungong! | 波特！ |
| Where is the taxi stand? | Chuzu chezhan zai naer? | 出租汽车在哪里？ |
| Where is the bus stop? | Gonggong qiche zhan zai naer? | 哪里是公交车站？ |
| What's the next stop? | Xia zhan shi naer? | 什么是下一站？ |
| Do you have any available rooms? | Nimen hai you meiyou kun fanjian? | 你有没有可用的房间吗？ |
| Is breakfast included in this price? | Zhe baoko zaocan feile ma? | 是这里的早餐的价格是多少？ |
| Do you have a map of the city? | Ni you chengshi jiaotong tu ma? | 你有一个城市的地图？ |
For different occasions
| Where are postcards (booklets, guidebooks) sold? | Mingxinpian (shouce, zhinan) tsai shemma difang mai? | 在哪里购买卡（手册，指南等）？ |
| How many people in your city got sick with SARS? | Nimen de chengshi you doshao ren ganzhanle feidianfeiyan? | 有多少人在你的城市病综合症？ |
| How many died? | Doshao zhen sile? | 而有多少人死亡？ |
| So much (little)? | Name do (shao)? | 这么多（小）？ |
| How are you feeling? | Ning juede shufu ma? | 你感觉怎么样？ |
| Are you coughing, or is it just my imagination? | Nin kesou, wo kenen tintsole ma? | 你咳嗽，或者它似乎给我吗？ |
| I feel myself good | Wo juede shufu | 我觉得没事 |
| I didn't cough | Wo mei yo kesou | 我没有咳嗽 |
| I don't have a fever | Wo meiyou fashao | 我没有温度 |
| I assure you I didn't cough | Zhen de, wo mei kesou | 我向你保证，我没有咳嗽 |
| Thank you, no need to call a doctor | Sese, daifu bu yong jiao | 谢谢你，这是没有必要叫医生 |
| Take your hands off | Zou kai ba | 保持你的双手 |
| You are not a doctor, you are a pest | Ning bu shi isheng. Ning shi weihai fengzi | 你是不是医生，你害虫 |
| You yourself infected me | Ning Ziji Chuanzhanle Wo | 请你帮我和感染 |
| I spat in your rice, now you're going to die | Wo Xiang Nide Fanwanli Thule Tan | 我在你的饭吐了，现在你死 |
At the restaurant
| We need a table for two (three, four) | Women yao liange ren (sange ren, sige ren) canzhuo | 我们需要两（三，四）表 |
| Menu, please | Qing na tsaidan lai | 菜单，请 |
| I want to try this | Wo Xiang Chan Yixia Zhege | 我想尝试一下 |
| Bon appetit! | Zhu ni weikou hao! | 个饱！ |
| Please explain how they eat it | Qing Jieshi Yixia, Zhege Zenme Chi | 解释，请，你怎么吃 |
| I do not know how to eat with chopsticks | Wo bu dick yong kuaizi | 我不知道怎么用筷子吃饭 |
| The check, please | Qing Jiezhang | 比尔，请 |
Chinese video lessons for beginners
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