Photo by Lau keith on Unsplash
In this post we’ll look at some basic greetings, courtesy expressions, and survival expressions in Chinese.
你好! Nǐ hǎo! Hello! The Basics
Let’s start with basic greetings.
- 你好。 Nǐ hǎo. Hello.
- 嗨。 Hāi. Hi.
- 早上好 。 Zǎo shang hǎo. Good morning.
- 下午好。 Xià wǔ hǎo Good afternoon.
- 晚上好。 Wǎn shang hǎo. Good evening.
- 晚安。 Wǎn ān. Good night.
- 再见。 Zài jiàn. Good-bye.
回头见！ Huí tóu jiàn! See You Soon!
Here are a few more friendly expressions that you might want to be able to use.
- 回头见！Huí tóu jiàn! See you soon.
- 过会儿见！ Guò huìr jiàn! See you later.
- 明天见。 Míng tiān jiàn. See you tomorrow.
- 认识你很高兴。 Rèn shi nǐ hěn gāo xìng. Nice to meet you.
- 睡个好觉！ Shuì gè hǎo jiào! Sleep well!
你怎么样？ Nǐ zěn me yàng? How Are You?
Let’s see a few expressions that you can use when you meet someone, as well as a few more general courtesy and basic expressions.
- 你怎么样？
Nǐ zěn me yàng?
How are you? - 我很好。
Wǒ hěn hǎo.
I’m fine. - 谢谢(你)。
Xiè xie (nǐ).
Thank you. - 不客气。
Bú kè qi.
You’re welcome. - 请。
qǐng.
Please. - 劳驾。
Láo jià.
Excuse me. - 对不起!
Duì bu qǐ!
Sorry! - 你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shén me míng zi?
What is your name? - 我叫 _____。
Wǒ jiào _____.
My name is _____. - 你是哪国人？
Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
What country are you from? - 你是哪儿的人？
Nǐ shì nǎr de rén?
Where are you from? (typically inside China) - 我是 ____ 人。
wǒ shì ____ rén.
I’m from _____.
我不懂。Wǒ bù dǒng. I Don’t Understand.
Now let’s turn to some helpful survival expressions that you can use as you learn the language.
- 我不会说中文。
Wǒ bú huì shuō zhōng wén.
I don’t speak Chinese. - 你会说英语吗？
Nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma?
Do you speak English? - 我不懂。
Wǒ bù dǒng.
I don’t understand. - 我会说一点儿中文。
Wǒ huì shuō yì diǎnr zhōng wén.
I only speak a little Chinese. - 我正在学中文。
Wǒ zhèng zài xué zhōng wén.
I’m learning Chinese. - 我懂一点儿中文。
Wǒ dǒng yì diǎnr zhōng wén.
I understand a little Chinese. - 请再说一遍。
Qǐng zài shuō yī biàn.
Please repeat. - 请写下来。
Qǐng xiě xià lái.
Please write that. - 怎么用中文说 ______？
Zěn me yòng zhōng wén shuō ______？
How do you say _____ in Chinese?
Do you want to learn Chinese?
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