Travelling around China with knowledge of the language at whatever level opens up a great realm of possibilities. Here at TCB we have compiled our 8 most essential phrases to get around China, based on our experiences!

I want to go to …

Wǒ xiǎng qù… 我想去 … [我想去]

Always useful to know whenever you find yourself in a taxi! Simply add the name of the place and you are good to go. 

How much money?

Duō Shao qián? 多少钱 [多少钱]

Guaranteed to help you navigate the many stalls and markets China has to offer.

See you later

Húi Tóu Jiàn 回头见 [回头见]

Great for when saying goodbye to new friends, or making plans to meet them!

Nice to meet you

Xìng Huì 幸會 [幸会] [很高兴见到你]

Be as polite as you can be!

I don’t understand

Wǒ Bù Dǒng 我不懂 [我不明白]

If you become stuck, say this simple phrase to let the speaker know you are confused!

How do you say … in Mandarin?

Zhōngwén Zěnme Shuō 中文怎麼說? [你怎么说…普通话]

A get out of jail phrase! A great way to properly ask a native speaker for help, they’ll always be willing to help you with any difficulty you may have.

Would you like to dance with me?

Nǐ Yào Bú Yào Gēn Wǒ Tiàowǔ 你要不要跟我跳舞? [你想跟我跳舞吗]

You’ll never know when you need this one! Better to be prepared!

Enjoy Your Meal!

Chī hǎo hē hǎo! 吃好喝好! [请享用]

This sentence literally means eat well and drink well. It is used to say “Bon appétit” in Chinese!

Tempted to learn more? Here are our 10 Reasons to Learn Chinese. You never know you might already know some Chinese phrases, which make up our 10 Most Recognized Chinese Words in English Language