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Mandarin glossary

Chinese Glossary for Practical Mandarin

Learn useful Chinese words and phrases with pinyin, English meaning, example sentences, and links to speaking, HSK, travel, and grammar practice.

Greetings (5)Shopping (3)Useful Patterns (4)Measure Words (4)Travel (4)Restaurant (4)Listening (4)Pronunciation (4)

Greetings

你好

nǐ hǎo · hello

你好 is the most common beginner Mandarin greeting. It is useful for starting simple conversations, but learners should also practice more natural follow-up phrases.

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Greetings

谢谢

xièxie · thank you

谢谢 means thank you. It is one of the first polite words Chinese learners should use in restaurants, shops, taxis, and daily conversation.

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Greetings

再见

zàijiàn · goodbye

再见 is the standard Mandarin word for goodbye. It is safe in class, work, travel, and most beginner conversations.

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Greetings

请

qǐng · please / invite

请 is a polite word used before requests, invitations, and service phrases. It helps direct Mandarin sentences sound softer.

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Greetings

不客气

bú kèqi · you are welcome

不客气 is a common reply to 谢谢. It helps beginners complete polite exchanges in Mandarin.

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Shopping

多少钱

duōshao qián · how much money / how much is it

多少钱 is essential for shopping, ordering, and travel. It asks the price of something and often appears with 这个 or 一共.

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Shopping

太贵了

tài guì le · too expensive

太贵了 means something is too expensive. It is useful for shopping practice and bargaining politely in markets.

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Shopping

便宜一点

piányi yìdiǎn · a little cheaper

便宜一点 is a helpful phrase for asking whether a price can be lowered. Learners often use it with 可以 or 能不能.

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Useful Patterns

我要

wǒ yào · I want / I would like

我要 is a high-frequency pattern for ordering, choosing, and explaining what you want. It is practical but should be used politely in service situations.

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Useful Patterns

我想

wǒ xiǎng · I would like / I want to

我想 is a softer way to say what you would like to do. It is useful for travel, restaurant, and speaking-practice scenarios.

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Useful Patterns

可以吗

kěyǐ ma · is it okay / may I

可以吗 turns a request into a simple yes-no question. It is one of the most useful beginner patterns for permission and confirmation.

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Useful Patterns

没有

méiyǒu · do not have / there is not

没有 is used to say that something does not exist, someone does not have something, or an action did not happen.

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Measure Words

一个

yí ge · one / one item

一个 combines the number 一 with the common measure word 个. It is useful for many nouns, but learners should gradually learn more specific measure words.

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Measure Words

一杯

yì bēi · one cup / one glass

一杯 uses 杯 as the measure word for cups and glasses. It is common when ordering drinks in restaurants and cafés.

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Measure Words

一碗

yì wǎn · one bowl

一碗 uses 碗 as the measure word for bowls of food, especially noodles, rice, soup, and porridge.

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Measure Words

一张

yì zhāng · one flat item / one ticket

一张 is used for flat objects such as tickets, paper, tables, photos, and cards. It is very useful for travel Chinese.

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Travel

在哪里

zài nǎlǐ · where is / where at

在哪里 asks where something is. It is useful for directions, hotels, stations, bathrooms, restaurants, and travel problems.

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Travel

去机场

qù jīchǎng · go to the airport

去机场 is a practical phrase for taxi, ride-hailing, and travel situations. Add 我要 or 我想 before it to make a full sentence.

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Travel

要多久

yào duōjiǔ · how long will it take

要多久 asks how much time something will take. It is useful for taxis, trains, waiting, hotel service, and appointments.

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Travel

我迷路了

wǒ mílù le · I am lost

我迷路了 is an important travel safety phrase. It lets someone know that you are lost and may need directions or help.

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Restaurant

不要辣

bú yào là · not spicy / no spice

不要辣 is a practical restaurant phrase for asking food to be not spicy. It is especially useful when ordering Sichuan, Hunan, or hotpot dishes.

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Restaurant

买单

mǎidān · pay the bill

买单 is a common restaurant phrase for asking to pay the bill. It is useful at the end of a meal or café visit.

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Restaurant

有没有素食

yǒu méiyǒu sùshí · do you have vegetarian food

有没有素食 helps learners ask whether vegetarian food is available. It is useful for restaurants, hotels, and travel situations.

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Restaurant

可以打包吗

kěyǐ dǎbāo ma · can I take it to go

可以打包吗 asks whether food can be packed to go. It is a practical phrase after eating or ordering takeaway.

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Listening

我听不懂

wǒ tīng bù dǒng · I do not understand what I hear

我听不懂 means you cannot understand something you heard. It is a useful repair phrase when native speakers talk too quickly.

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Listening

请说慢一点

qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn · please speak a little slower

请说慢一点 is a polite repair phrase when someone speaks too quickly. It helps learners keep a conversation going.

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Listening

请再说一遍

qǐng zài shuō yí biàn · please say it again

请再说一遍 is a useful phrase for asking someone to repeat. It is essential for listening practice and real conversations.

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Listening

怎么说

zěnme shuō · how do you say

怎么说 asks how to say something in Chinese. It is helpful for learners who need vocabulary during a conversation.

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Pronunciation

声调

shēngdiào · tone

声调 means tone. Mandarin tones change word meaning, so learners should practice tones in words, phrases, and full sentences.

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Pronunciation

拼音

pīnyīn · pinyin

拼音 is the romanization system for Mandarin pronunciation. It helps learners read sounds, tones, initials, and finals before recognizing characters fluently.

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Pronunciation

轻声

qīngshēng · neutral tone

轻声 is the neutral tone in Mandarin. It appears in many common words and makes speech sound more natural.

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Pronunciation

儿化

érhuà · erhua / r-coloring

儿化 is a pronunciation feature where 儿 changes the sound of a word. Learners may hear it in Beijing speech and some common words.

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