Basic Mandarin Phrases: How to Say Common Expressions in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin	Pronunciation note
Hello	你好	Nǐ hǎo	"nee how" — both syllables dip-rise (3rd tone each)
Thank you	谢谢	Xièxiè	"shyeh-shyeh" — both fall sharply (4th tone); second syllable is lighter
What is this?	这是什么？	Zhè shì shénme?	"juh shr shun-muh" — falling, falling, rising, neutral
Please	请	Qǐng	"ching" with a dip-rise tone — like a polite question intonation
Yes	是的	Shì de	"shr-duh" — first syllable falls, second is neutral/unstressed
No	不	Bù	"boo" with a sharp falling tone — decisive and short
Excuse me / Sorry	对不起	Duìbuqǐ	"dway-boo-chee" — falling, neutral, dip-rise; a genuine apology
I don't understand	我不明白	Wǒ bù míngbái	"waw boo ming-bye" — dip-rise, falling, rising, rising
How much does this cost?	这个多少钱？	Zhège duōshao qián?	"juh-guh dwaw-shao chyen" — the key question in any market
Where is the bathroom?	洗手间在哪里？	Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ?	"shee-show-jyen dzye nah-lee" — always useful to know
Goodbye	再见	Zàijiàn	"dzye-jyen" — both falling; literally "see again"
Do you speak English?	你会说英语吗？	Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?	"nee hway shwaw ying-yoo mah" — the 吗 at the end marks a yes/no question
I want this	我要这个	Wǒ yào zhège	"waw yow juh-guh" — point at the item; yào falls sharply
Very delicious	很好吃	Hěn hǎo chī	"hun how chr" — the highest compliment after a meal

Related: Mandarin numbers 1–10 — characters, pinyin, stroke order, and cultural notes for each digit.

The greetings: 你好, 再见, and when to use each

你好 (Nǐ hǎo) is the textbook greeting — it works in any situation where you'd say "hello" in English. Strangers, shopkeepers, teachers, classmates. The tones are technically both third (dip-rise), but in natural speech the first syllable often shifts to a second tone (rising) because two consecutive third-tone syllables trigger a tonal sandhi rule. If you say it in two even dip-rises and it sounds a bit stiff, that's why — listening to native speakers will smooth it out fast.

For someone older or in a position of authority — a teacher, a grandparent, a doctor — the polite version is 您好 (Nín hǎo). The 您 (nín) is simply a formal "you," equivalent to "vous" in French. Children addressing adults they don't know well should use this form.

再见 (Zàijiàn) means goodbye. Both syllables fall — "dzye-jyen." It's literally "see again," which gives it a warm feel even in a short encounter. In informal settings, people often say 拜拜 (bāibāi, borrowed from English "bye-bye") instead, particularly in Taiwan.

Thank you in Chinese: 谢谢 and when to add more

谢谢 (Xièxiè) is the everyday thank you in Chinese. Both characters are the same — 谢 means to thank — and you're effectively saying "thanks thanks," which just reads as a warm expression rather than a stutter. The second syllable is almost always said lighter and shorter than the first.

If you want to acknowledge who you're thanking, add 你 (nǐ) at the end: 谢谢你 (Xièxiè nǐ). For a formal context — thanking a teacher, an elder, or someone you've just met in a professional setting — use 您 (nín) instead: 谢谢您 (Xièxiè nín). The difference is real and noticed.

A useful response when someone thanks you is 不客气 (Bù kèqi) — "don't mention it," or more literally "no need to be polite." It's a natural follow-up that signals you understood and accepted the thanks.

What is this in Mandarin: breaking down 这是什么

这是什么 (Zhè shì shénme) is one of the most productive questions a beginner can learn, because it works anywhere you point. In a restaurant, a market, a museum. You can point at an unfamiliar dish, a tool, a character on a sign — and this question does the work.

Breaking it apart: 这 (zhè) is "this," 是 (shì) is "is," and 什么 (shénme) is "what." The structure is subject-verb-what, which mirrors English closely enough that it sticks quickly. Add 那 (nà — that) in place of 这 (zhè) and you get 那是什么 (Nà shì shénme?) — "What is that?" The swap is clean and useful.

When you get an answer, you might hear a noun followed by 是 — "X 是 ___" — meaning "this is [thing]." Context will carry a lot; you don't need to understand everything to get the gist.

How much does this cost: 多少钱 in practice

这个多少钱 (Zhège duōshao qián?) is the market-essential question. 这个 (zhège) is "this one," 多少 (duōshao) is "how much/many," and 钱 (qián) is money. In a bustling night market where pointing and numbers are the main communication tools, getting this phrase right opens up a lot.

Prices in Chinese are given in 元 (yuán), also called 块 (kuài) in spoken Mandarin. The digits will come from your knowledge of numbers. Once you hear the amount, you can compare it to fingers held up, a calculator screen, or a written number — sellers in tourist areas know this dance well.

A related phrase worth adding quickly: 太贵了 (Tài guì le) — "too expensive." Two falling tones followed by a neutral particle. It's not rude; it's expected in bargaining contexts and often gets a response.

Saying please and sorry in Mandarin

请 (Qǐng) works as a standalone please but more often functions as a polite prefix. 请进 (Qǐng jìn) is "please come in." 请坐 (Qǐng zuò) is "please sit." 请问 (Qǐngwèn) — "may I ask" — is how you politely open a question to a stranger. You'll hear 请问 constantly: at information desks, train stations, anywhere you need help.

For sorry, 对不起 (Duìbuqǐ) is the word for a genuine apology — bumping into someone, arriving late, making a mistake. In lighter situations — catching someone's attention, asking someone to repeat themselves, needing to get past in a crowd — people often use 不好意思 (Bù hǎo yìsi), which translates roughly as "I feel embarrassed" but functions as a soft "excuse me" or "pardon." It's softer in tone and used more frequently in everyday Taiwan conversation.

I don't understand: what to say when you're lost

我不明白 (Wǒ bù míngbái) is the literal "I don't understand." A slightly more common version in conversational Mandarin is 我听不懂 (Wǒ tīng bù dǒng) — "I can't hear and understand it" — which is a bit more specific about the problem being the spoken language, not the concept. Either works.

A useful follow-up is 请再说一遍 (Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) — "please say it once more." Or simply 请说慢一点 (Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn) — "please speak a little slower." Speakers will almost always comply, and slowly you'll catch more than you expect.

A quick note on Mandarin tones

Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone that shapes every syllable. The tone marks in pinyin show you which is which:

1st tone (ā — flat line above)

High and level, like holding a musical note steady. Example: 妈 (mā) — "mother."

2nd tone (á — rising line)

Rising, like the intonation on "really?" when surprised. Example: 麻 (má) — "hemp/numb."

3rd tone (ǎ — V shape)

Dips low then rises — the hardest for English speakers. Example: 马 (mǎ) — "horse."

4th tone (à — falling line)

Sharp and falling, like "no!" when emphatic. Example: 骂 (mà) — "to scold."

Neutral tone (a — no mark)

Short and light, unstressed. Appears in particles like 吗 (ma) and 的 (de).

Those four syllables — mā, má, mǎ, mà — all use the same sound but mean completely different things. Getting tones wrong doesn't always cause confusion in context, but it helps enormously to practise them from the start, before incorrect pronunciations become fixed habits. The phrases in the table above include tone marks throughout — reading them while listening to a native speaker is the fastest way to get the feel for each tone.

Putting phrases together

Once you have the basic phrases, you can start combining them. Point at something and say 这是什么 (What is this?). When the person answers, say 谢谢 (Thank you). If you didn't catch what they said, say 请再说一遍 (Please say it again). That's a full exchange — and it's achievable in a first lesson.

The phrases on this page also double as reading checkpoints. Each Chinese character here appears in common everyday contexts: signs, menus, package labels, screen prompts. When you're out and you spot one of these characters — 请 on a door, 谢谢 on a receipt, 不 on a sign — you're reading Mandarin. That recognition compounds quickly.

For children in Coachers programs, these phrases connect to classroom vocabulary, family conversations, and Taiwan cultural contexts they already know in some form. The bridge between "I've heard this at home" and "I can read and write it" is often shorter than parents expect.

FAQ

What is "what is this" in Mandarin?

"What is this?" in Mandarin is 这是什么？(Zhè shì shénme?). The breakdown: 这 (zhè) = this, 是 (shì) = is, 什么 (shénme) = what. It's one of the most useful questions for a beginner to know by heart — it works anywhere you can point at something.

How do you say thank you in Chinese?

Thank you in Chinese is 谢谢 (Xièxiè). Both syllables fall sharply (4th tone), and the second is said a bit lighter. For a more formal version: 谢谢你 (Xièxiè nǐ) or 谢谢您 (Xièxiè nín) when speaking to an elder. The common response is 不客气 (Bù kèqi) — "don't mention it."

How do you say hello in Mandarin?

Hello in Mandarin is 你好 (Nǐ hǎo). Both syllables are 3rd tone (dip-rise). The polite version for elders or authority figures is 您好 (Nín hǎo). In informal settings among friends, 嗨 (hāi — borrowed "hi") is common too.

How do you say please in Chinese?

Please in Chinese is 请 (Qǐng). It's a 3rd-tone syllable and most often appears as a prefix — 请进 (please come in), 请坐 (please sit), 请问 (may I ask). As a standalone "please," 请 works, but attaching it to a request phrase is how it's most naturally used.

How do you say sorry or excuse me in Mandarin?

For a real apology: 对不起 (Duìbuqǐ). For lighter situations — catching attention, getting past someone, a small inconvenience — use 不好意思 (Bù hǎo yìsi). It's softer and appears far more often in everyday Taiwan conversation than 对不起.