Survival Chinese: Essential Phrases for Independent Travelers

You don't need to speak Chinese to travel in China. Millions of tourists navigate the country every year using gestures, translation apps, and sheer determination. But here's the thing: learning even twenty phrases will fundamentally change your experience. The smile on a noodle vendor's face when you order in Chinese. The taxi driver who suddenly becomes chatty. The shopkeeper who gives you the local price instead of the tourist price.

Chinese (Mandarin, 普通话) is a tonal language, which intimidates most English speakers. But for survival phrases, your tones don't need to be perfect — context does the heavy lifting. If you point at a bowl of noodles and say "zhège" (this one), nobody cares if your tone is slightly off. They're impressed you tried.

Each phrase below includes the Chinese characters (for showing to locals when pronunciation fails), pinyin (romanized pronunciation), and English meaning.

Greetings & Basics

你好 (nǐ hǎo) — Hello. Universal, appropriate everywhere.

谢谢 (xièxiè) — Thank you. You'll use this constantly.

不客气 (bú kèqì) — You're welcome. The polite response to xièxiè.

对不起 (duìbùqǐ) — Sorry / excuse me. Use to get attention or apologize.

没关系 (méi guānxì) — No problem / it doesn't matter. The response to duìbùqǐ.

再见 (zàijiàn) — Goodbye. Literally "again see."

是 (shì) / 不是 (bú shì) — Yes / No. Simple and essential.

我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) — I don't understand. This phrase alone will save you countless awkward situations.

你会说英语吗？(nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?) — Do you speak English? Worth asking before launching into English.

Numbers & Prices

Numbers matter for bargaining, ordering, and understanding prices. Learn 1-10 and you can build the rest:

*Use 两 (liǎng) when counting things (两个人, two people); use 二 (èr) for numbers (二十, twenty).

多少钱？(duōshǎo qián?) — How much? The most important phrase for shopping.

太贵了 (tài guì le) — Too expensive. Essential for bargaining.

便宜一点 (piányí yīdiǎn) — A little cheaper. The polite way to negotiate.

这个 (zhège) — This one. Point and say zhège to order or select items.

Directions

在哪里？(zài nǎlǐ?) — Where is...? Attach it to any place name: 厕所在哪里？(cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? — Where is the bathroom?)

左转 (zuǒ zhuǎn) — Turn left.

右转 (yòu zhuǎn) — Turn right.

直走 (zhí zǒu) — Go straight.

这里 (zhèlǐ) / 那里 (nàlǐ) — Here / there.

远不远？(yuǎn bù yuǎn?) — Is it far? The response will usually be 不远 (bù yuǎn, not far) or 很远 (hěn yuǎn, very far).

地铁站在哪里？(dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ?) — Where is the metro station?

打车 (dǎ chē) — Take a taxi. Say this to get help hailing a cab.

Ordering Food

菜单 (càidān) — Menu. Ask for it at any restaurant.

点菜 (diǎn cài) — Order food. Say this to signal you're ready to order.

这个，一个 (zhège, yī gè) — This one, one serving. Point at the menu or at another table's dish.

不要辣 (bú yào là) — Not spicy. Critical in Sichuan and Hunan.

微辣 (wēi là) — Slightly spicy. A compromise when "not spicy" isn't an option.

好吃 (hǎo chī) — Delicious. Say this to the chef and you'll make their day.

买单 (mǎidān) — The bill, please. Essential at every meal.

水 (shuǐ) — Water. Add 热 (rè) for hot water, 冰 (bīng) for ice water. Note: most Chinese restaurants serve hot water or tea by default. Cold water requires asking.

啤酒 (píjiǔ) — Beer.

米饭 (mǐfàn) — Rice.

筷子 (kuàizi) — Chopsticks. Ask for a fork (叉子, chāzi) if you need one — no shame in it.

Shopping & Bargaining

看看 (kànkan) — Just looking. Say this when shopkeepers approach you.

有没有...? (yǒu méiyǒu...?) — Do you have...? Useful for asking about specific items.

可以试试吗？(kěyǐ shìshì ma?) — Can I try it?

打折吗？(dǎzhé ma?) — Is there a discount? Markets and small shops often negotiate; chain stores and supermarkets don't.

Bargaining strategy: Start at 30-40% of the asking price. The seller will counter. Meet somewhere in the middle, usually around 50-70% of the original price. Walk away if the price feels wrong — they'll often call you back with a better offer.

Emergencies

救命 (jiùmìng) — Help! (Emergency)

请帮我 (qǐng bāng wǒ) — Please help me.

医院 (yīyuàn) — Hospital.

警察 (jǐngchá) — Police.

我生病了 (wǒ shēngbìng le) — I'm sick.

我迷路了 (wǒ mílù le) — I'm lost.

大使馆 (dàshǐguǎn) — Embassy. Know where your country's embassy or consulate is before you travel.

我的护照丢了 (wǒ de hùzhào diū le) — I lost my passport. Hopefully you'll never need this one.

Using Translation Apps

Even with these phrases, you'll encounter situations where language barriers are insurmountable. Here's how to bridge the gap:

Pleco (dictionary app): The gold standard for Chinese-English translation. Its camera OCR feature lets you point your phone at Chinese text — menus, signs, product labels — and see instant English translations. Works offline. Free with paid add-ons.

Baidu Translate (百度翻译): Better than Google Translate for Chinese-English, and works without a VPN. The conversation mode lets two people speak into the phone and see real-time translations. The camera translation handles menus and signs.

WeChat Translate: Long-press any message in WeChat to translate it. Useful for text communication with hotel staff, taxi drivers, or anyone you've added on WeChat.

Pro tip: When all else fails, type what you want to say in English on your phone and show the screen. Many younger Chinese people can read basic English even if they can't speak it. For complex situations, use a translation app to generate Chinese text and show it to the person.

Tips for Situations with No English

Hotels: Most hotels above budget level have at least one English-speaking receptionist. If not, show your booking confirmation (in Chinese if possible — Trip.com provides bilingual confirmences).

Restaurants: Photo menus are increasingly common. If not, point at other tables' food and say "zhège" (this one). You'll eat well and sometimes discover dishes you'd never have ordered from a menu.

Taxis: Show the driver the address in Chinese characters (have your hotel write it down or screenshot it from Baidu Maps). Use Didi (ride-hailing through Alipay) to eliminate the language barrier entirely — the destination is set in the app.

Shops: Calculator bargaining is universal. The seller types a price on a calculator, you shake your head and type a lower number, back and forth until you agree. No words needed.

The effort you put into speaking Chinese — however clumsy — is noticed and appreciated. Chinese people are genuinely delighted when foreigners try their language, and that goodwill opens doors that no amount of English ever will. Start with these twenty phrases, add more as you go, and watch your China experience transform.