40 Basic Mandarin Phrases You’d Actually Say

40 basic Mandarin phrases you’d actually say

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• Mandarin Phrases

40 basic Mandarin phrases you’d actually say

Simple phrases you can start using right away.

Beginner-friendly Everyday use Short & clear High-frequency

你好

nǐhǎo

Hello

你好，我叫安娜

Nǐhǎo, wǒ jiào Ānnà

Hello, my name is Anna

你好，请问你有时间吗？

Nǐhǎo, qǐngwèn nǐ yǒu shíjiān ma?

Hello, do you have time?

早上好

zǎoshang hǎo

Good morning

早上好，你今天起得真早

Zǎoshang hǎo, nǐ jīntiān qǐ de zhēn zǎo

Good morning, you’re up really early today

早上好，路上注意安全

Zǎoshang hǎo, lùshang zhùyì ānquán

Good morning, stay safe on the way

晚上好

wǎnshang hǎo

Good evening

晚上好，今天忙吗？

Wǎnshang hǎo, jīntiān máng ma?

Good evening, are you busy today?

晚上好，好久不见

Wǎnshang hǎo, hǎojiǔ bú jiàn

Good evening, long time no see

再见

zàijiàn

Goodbye

行，那再见

Xíng, nà zàijiàn

Alright then, goodbye

再见，到家告诉我

Zàijiàn, dào jiā gàosu wǒ

Goodbye, let me know when you get home

明天见

míngtiān jiàn

See you tomorrow

那就明天见

Nà jiù míngtiān jiàn

Then see you tomorrow

明天见，别迟到

Míngtiān jiàn, bié chídào

See you tomorrow, don’t be late

谢谢

xièxie

Thank you

谢谢，你帮了我很多

Xièxie, nǐ bāng le wǒ hěn duō

Thank you, you helped me a lot

这个给你，谢谢

Zhège gěi nǐ, xièxie

This is for you, thank you

不用谢

bú yòng xiè

You’re welcome

不用谢，小事

Bú yòng xiè, xiǎo shì

You’re welcome, it was nothing

不用谢，应该的

Bú yòng xiè, yīnggāi de

No need to thank me, it’s the least I could do

对不起

duìbuqǐ

Sorry

对不起，我迟到了

Duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le

I’m late, sorry

对不起，让你等久了

Duìbuqǐ, ràng nǐ děng jiǔ le

Sorry for making you wait so long

没关系

méi guānxi

It’s okay / No worries

没关系，我不着急

Méi guānxi, wǒ bù zháojí

No worries, I’m not in a rush

没关系，下次再说吧

Méi guānxi, xià cì zài shuō ba

It’s okay, let’s talk about it next time

请问

qǐngwèn

Excuse me / Can I ask something?

请问，洗手间在哪儿？

Qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?

Excuse me, where is the restroom?

请问，这个多少钱？

Qǐngwèn, zhège duōshao qián?

Excuse me, how much is this?

麻烦你了

máfan nǐ le

Thanks, I really appreciate it

这件事麻烦你了

Zhè jiàn shì máfan nǐ le

Thanks for helping with this

今天真的麻烦你了

Jīntiān zhēn de máfan nǐ le

I really appreciate your help today

没事

méi shì

No problem / It’s nothing

没事，我自己来

Méi shì, wǒ zìjǐ lái

It’s okay, I’ll do it myself

你不用担心，没事

Nǐ bú yòng dānxīn, méi shì

Don’t worry, it’s okay

我知道了

wǒ zhīdào le

Got it

我知道了，马上去

Wǒ zhīdào le, mǎshàng qù

Got it, I’ll go right away

好好好，我知道了

Hǎo hǎo hǎo, wǒ zhīdào le

Alright, alright, I got it

我明白了

wǒ míngbai le

I get it

我明白了，谢谢你解释

Wǒ míngbai le, xièxie nǐ jiěshì

I get it, thanks for explaining

现在我明白了

Xiànzài wǒ míngbai le

Now I understand

我不懂

wǒ bù dǒng

I don’t get it

这个我不懂

Zhège wǒ bù dǒng

I don’t understand this

我不懂，你能再说一遍吗？

Wǒ bù dǒng, nǐ néng zài shuō yí biàn ma?

I don’t get it, can you say it again?

可以

kěyǐ

Okay / Sure

可以，我现在有时间

Kěyǐ, wǒ xiànzài yǒu shíjiān

Sure, I have time now

这样可以吗？

Zhèyàng kěyǐ ma?

Is this okay?

不可以

bù kěyǐ

No / You can’t

这里不可以停车

Zhèlǐ bù kěyǐ tíngchē

No parking here

现在不可以进去

Xiànzài bù kěyǐ jìnqù

You can’t go in now

没问题

méi wèntí

No problem

没问题，我来帮你

Méi wèntí, wǒ lái bāng nǐ

No problem, I’ll help you

明天见面没问题

Míngtiān jiànmiàn méi wèntí

Meeting tomorrow works fine for me

当然

dāngrán

Of course

当然，我记得

Dāngrán, wǒ jìde

Of course, I remember

他当然知道

Tā dāngrán zhīdào

He obviously knows

好吧

hǎo ba

Alright

好吧，那我们走

Hǎo ba, nà wǒmen zǒu

Alright, then let’s go

下次再说，好吧？

Xià cì zài shuō, hǎo ba?

Let’s talk about it next time, alright?

等一下

děng yíxià

Wait a sec

你等一下，我还没准备好

Nǐ děng yíxià, wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo

Wait a sec, I’m not ready yet

等一下，这是谁的？

Děng yíxià, zhè shì shéi de?

Hold on, whose is this?

慢一点

màn yìdiǎn

A bit slower

慢一点，我听不懂

Màn yìdiǎn, wǒ tīngbudǒng

A bit slower, I don’t understand

你说慢一点好吗？

Nǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn hǎo ma?

Could you speak a bit slower?

再说一遍

zài shuō yí biàn

Say it again

请再说一遍

Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn

Please say it again

我没听清，再说一遍好吗？

Wǒ méi tīng qīng, zài shuō yí biàn hǎo ma?

I didn’t hear clearly, could you say it again?

什么意思？

shénme yìsi?

What does that mean?

这个词什么意思？

Zhège cí shénme yìsi?

What does this word mean?

你说的是什么意思？

Nǐ shuō de shì shénme yìsi?

What do you mean?

我觉得也是

wǒ juéde yě shì

I think so too

我觉得也是，这样比较好

Wǒ juéde yě shì, zhèyàng bǐjiào hǎo

I think so too, this way is better

你说得对，我觉得也是

Nǐ shuō de duì, wǒ juéde yě shì

You’re right, I think so too

我也是

wǒ yě shì

Me too

你喜欢茶？我也是

Nǐ xǐhuan chá? Wǒ yě shì

You like tea? Me too

我也是这么想的

Wǒ yě shì zhème xiǎng de

I think the same way

我想去

wǒ xiǎng qù

I want to go

我想去中国看看

Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó kànkan

I want to go see China

这个地方我想去

Zhège dìfang wǒ xiǎng qù

I want to go to this place

我不想去

wǒ bù xiǎng qù

I don’t want to go

今天太累了，我不想去

Jīntiān tài lèi le, wǒ bù xiǎng qù

I’m too tired today, I don’t want to go

那里人太多，我不想去

Nàlǐ rén tài duō, wǒ bù xiǎng qù

There are too many people there, I don’t want to go

我在路上

wǒ zài lùshang

I’m on my way

别急，我在路上

Bié jí, wǒ zài lùshang

Don’t worry, I’m on my way

我在路上，十分钟到

Wǒ zài lùshang, shí fēnzhōng dào

I’m on my way, I’ll be there in ten minutes

我到了

wǒ dào le

I’m here / Just arrived

我到了，你出来吧

Wǒ dào le, nǐ chū lái ba

I’m here, come out

我到了，在门口等你

Wǒ dào le, zài ménkǒu děng nǐ

I’m here, waiting for you at the entrance

你在哪儿？

nǐ zài nǎr?

Where are you?

你在哪儿？我没看到你

Nǐ zài nǎr? Wǒ méi kàndào nǐ

Where are you? I can’t see you

你现在在哪儿？

Nǐ xiànzài zài nǎr?

Where are you now?

现在几点？

xiànzài jǐ diǎn?

What time is it?

现在几点？我们该走了

Xiànzài jǐ diǎn? Wǒmen gāi zǒu le

What time is it? We should get going

你知道现在几点吗？

Nǐ zhīdào xiànzài jǐ diǎn ma?

Do you know what time it is?

我先走了

wǒ xiān zǒu le

I’m heading out

我先走了，明天见

Wǒ xiān zǒu le, míngtiān jiàn

I’m heading out first, see you tomorrow

我还有事，我先走了

Wǒ hái yǒu shì, wǒ xiān zǒu le

I still have something to do, so I’m leaving first

我回来了

wǒ huílái le

I’m back

我回来了，你在家吗？

Wǒ huílái le, nǐ zài jiā ma?

I’m back, are you home?

你终于回来了

Nǐ zhōngyú huílái le

You’re finally back

我饿了

wǒ è le

I’m hungry

我饿了，去吃饭吧

Wǒ è le, qù chī fàn ba

I’m hungry, let’s go eat

我有点饿了

Wǒ yǒudiǎn è le

I’m getting a bit hungry

我累了

wǒ lèi le

I’m tired

我累了，想休息一下

Wǒ lèi le, xiǎng xiūxi yíxià

I’m tired, I want to rest a bit

今天太忙了，我累了

Jīntiān tài máng le, wǒ lèi le

Today was too busy, I’m tired

我想睡觉

wǒ xiǎng shuìjiào

I want to sleep

我想睡觉，明天再说吧

Wǒ xiǎng shuìjiào, míngtiān zài shuō ba

I want to sleep, let’s talk tomorrow

太晚了，我想睡觉

Tài wǎn le, wǒ xiǎng shuìjiào

It’s too late, I want to sleep

我喜欢这个

wǒ xǐhuan zhège

I like this

我喜欢这个，颜色很好看

Wǒ xǐhuan zhège, yánsè hěn hǎokàn

I like this, the color looks nice

这个不错，我喜欢这个

Zhège búcuò, wǒ xǐhuan zhège

This is pretty good, I like this

这个不错

zhège búcuò

That’s pretty good

这个不错，可以试试

Zhège búcuò, kěyǐ shìshi

This is pretty good, you can try it

我觉得这个不错

Wǒ juéde zhège búcuò

I think this is pretty good

下次吧

xià cì ba

Maybe next time

今天不行，下次吧

Jīntiān bù xíng, xià cì ba

Today doesn’t work, maybe next time

今天太忙了，下次吧

Jīntiān tài máng le, xià cì ba

I’m too busy today, maybe next time

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