Beginner course – Lesson 5 of 15
Basic Mandarin Phrases for Beginners
These are the first phrases I teach every beginner. Each one shows the Chinese characters, the pinyin to help you say it, and the English meaning.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | Hello (polite) |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | Thank you |
| 不客气 | bú kèqi | You're welcome |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | Sorry |
| 没关系 | méi guānxi | It's OK / Never mind |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | Goodbye |
| 请 | qǐng | Please |
| 是 | shì | Yes (it is) |
| 不是 | bú shì | No (it is not) |
| 我叫… | wǒ jiào… | My name is… |
| 你叫什么名字？ | nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? | What is your name? |
| 我听不懂 | wǒ tīng bù dǒng | I don't understand |
| 请再说一遍 | qǐng zài shuō yí biàn | Please say that again |
| 多少钱？ | duōshao qián? | How much is it? |
| 厕所在哪里？ | cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? | Where is the toilet? |
你好
nǐ hǎo
Hello
您好
nín hǎo
Hello (polite)
谢谢
xièxie
Thank you
不客气
bú kèqi
You're welcome
对不起
duìbuqǐ
Sorry
没关系
méi guānxi
It's OK / Never mind
再见
zàijiàn
Goodbye
请
qǐng
Please
是
shì
Yes (it is)
不是
bú shì
No (it is not)
我叫…
wǒ jiào…
My name is…
你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your name?
我听不懂
wǒ tīng bù dǒng
I don't understand
请再说一遍
qǐng zài shuō yí biàn
Please say that again
多少钱？
duōshao qián?
How much is it?
厕所在哪里？
cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ?
Where is the toilet?
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