Most China travel phrase lists are padded with stuff you'll never say. This one cuts to the phrases that actually come up — at payment terminals, in taxis, at hotel check-ins, and when things go wrong.
You don't need to learn Mandarin before visiting China. But having a dozen reliable phrases — and knowing when to use your phone translation instead — makes a real difference.
First: The Honest Truth About Speaking Chinese in China
Tones matter. Mandarin is a tonal language, and the same syllable means completely different things depending on the tone. If your pronunciation is off, you may get blank stares or polite confusion.
The workaround: For anything complex, type the Chinese characters into a translation app (Google Translate or DeepL) and show the screen. For short phrases, speaking is fine — locals in tourist areas are used to foreign accents and can usually infer meaning from context.
Pinyin is the romanized spelling. It's the standard way to represent Mandarin pronunciation in English letters, and it's what's used in this guide. The tones are marked with accent marks over the vowels: ā (flat), á (rising), ǎ (dip-then-rise), à (falling).
Don't stress the tones when you're starting out — a rough approximation plus context usually gets the point across. Just don't skip them entirely.
Payment and Money
Most payments in China are mobile — Alipay or WeChat Pay. But you'll still need these:
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | How much? | 多少钱？ | Duōshao qián? | Works everywhere | | Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？ | Kěyǐ shuā kǎ ma? | Expect "no" at smaller vendors | | Can I pay by Alipay? | 可以用支付宝吗？ | Kěyǐ yòng Zhīfùbǎo ma? | | | Can I pay by WeChat? | 可以用微信支付吗？ | Kěyǐ yòng Wēixìn zhīfù ma? | | | Do you accept cash? | 收现金吗？ | Shōu xiànjīn ma? | | | Receipt please | 请给我发票 | Qǐng gěi wǒ fāpiào | Formal receipt vs. informal slip: 收据 (shōujù) |
→ For full payment setup help: How to pay for things in China without cash
Transport
Taxis and Didi
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | Please take me to [place] | 请带我去... | Qǐng dài wǒ qù... | | I want to go to the airport | 我要去机场 | Wǒ yào qù jīchǎng | | The train station | 火车站 | Huǒchē zhàn | | Please turn on the meter | 请打表 | Qǐng dǎ biǎo | | Stop here | 就在这里停 | Jiù zài zhèlǐ tíng | | How long does it take? | 要多久？ | Yào duō jiǔ? |
Metro
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | Where is the subway? | 地铁在哪里？ | Dìtiě zài nǎlǐ? | | Which line goes to [place]? | 去...坐几号线？ | Qù... zuò jǐ hào xiàn? | | I need to transfer | 我需要换乘 | Wǒ xūyào huàn chéng |
Most major metro systems (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) have English signs and announcements. You mostly need Chinese for buying tickets or asking staff questions.
Hotels and Accommodation
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | I have a reservation | 我有预订 | Wǒ yǒu yùdìng | | My name is... | 我的名字是... | Wǒ de míngzi shì... | | What time is check-in? | 几点可以入住？ | Jǐ diǎn kěyǐ rùzhù? | | What time is check-out? | 几点退房？ | Jǐ diǎn tuì fáng? | | The Wi-Fi password please | 请问Wi-Fi密码是什么？ | Qǐngwèn Wi-Fi mìmǎ shì shénme? | | I need a wake-up call at [time] | 请在...叫醒我 | Qǐng zài... jiào xǐng wǒ | | Can I get a late check-out? | 可以延迟退房吗？ | Kěyǐ yánchí tuì fáng ma? |
Food and Restaurants
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | A table for [number] | [数字]个人 | [number] gè rén | Show fingers if easier | | I'm allergic to [food] | 我对...过敏 | Wǒ duì... guòmǐn | Write the food item in Chinese | | No pork | 不要猪肉 | Bù yào zhūròu | | | No spice / Less spicy | 不辣 / 少辣 | Bù là / Shǎo là | | | I'm vegetarian | 我吃素 | Wǒ chī sù | Note: "素" covers no meat; for vegan say 纯素 (chún sù) | | Can I order? | 可以点餐了吗？ | Kěyǐ diǎn cān le ma? | | | The bill please | 买单 | Mǎi dān | Or: 结账 (jiézhàng) | | Is this dish spicy? | 这道菜辣吗？ | Zhè dào cài là ma? | |
Allergy note: Food allergies are not always well understood in Chinese kitchens. Write your allergy in Chinese characters (not just pinyin) and show the kitchen staff. For serious allergies, travel with a printed medical card.
Shopping
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | Can you give a discount? | 可以便宜一点吗？ | Kěyǐ piányí yīdiǎn ma? | | I'm just looking | 我只是看看 | Wǒ zhǐshì kàn kàn | | I don't want it | 我不要 | Wǒ bù yào | | Too expensive | 太贵了 | Tài guì le | | Do you have a smaller / bigger size? | 有小一点的 / 大一点的吗？ | Yǒu xiǎo yīdiǎn de / dà yīdiǎn de ma? |
Markets with bargaining culture (mainly tourist markets) expect negotiation. Established stores and malls have fixed prices.
Directions and Navigation
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | Where is...? | ...在哪里？ | ...zài nǎlǐ? | | Turn left / Turn right | 左转 / 右转 | Zuǒ zhuǎn / Yòu zhuǎn | | Go straight | 直走 | Zhí zǒu | | How far is it? | 多远？ | Duō yuǎn? | | I'm lost | 我迷路了 | Wǒ mí lù le | | Can you write down the address? | 请把地址写下来 | Qǐng bǎ dìzhǐ xiě xià lái |
Practical tip: The most efficient navigation in China is to get the destination written in Chinese characters and show it to a taxi driver. Most drivers use Didi navigation internally — they need the Chinese address, not a spoken description.
→ How to use Google Maps in China without a VPN
Emergencies
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | Help! | 救命！ | Jiù mìng! | | Call the police | 叫警察 | Jiào jǐngchá | | I need a doctor | 我需要看医生 | Wǒ xūyào kàn yīshēng | | I need an ambulance | 我需要救护车 | Wǒ xūyào jiùhù chē | | I'm having an allergic reaction | 我过敏了 | Wǒ guòmǐn le | | I've lost my passport | 我的护照丢了 | Wǒ de hùzhào diū le | | Where is the nearest hospital? | 最近的医院在哪里？ | Zuìjìn de yīyuàn zài nǎlǐ? |
Emergency numbers in China:
- Police: 110
- Ambulance: 120
- Fire: 119
Communication Basics
| Situation | Chinese | Pinyin | |---|---|---| | Do you speak English? | 你会说英语吗？ | Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? | | I don't understand | 我不明白 | Wǒ bù míngbái | | Please speak slowly | 请说慢一点 | Qǐng shuō màn yīdiǎn | | Can you write it down? | 可以写下来吗？ | Kěyǐ xiě xià lái ma? | | Yes / No | 是 / 不是 | Shì / Bù shì | | Thank you | 谢谢 | Xièxiè | | Excuse me | 不好意思 | Bù hǎoyìsi | | Sorry | 对不起 | Duìbuqǐ |
The Phrases You'll Actually Use Every Day
If you had to pick 10 to learn before you go:
- 多少钱？ — How much?
- 请给我... — Please give me...
- 不辣 — Not spicy
- 买单 — The bill
- 去机场 / 去火车站 — To the airport / station
- 就在这里停 — Stop here
- Wi-Fi密码是什么？ — What's the Wi-Fi password?
- 我需要看医生 — I need a doctor
- 可以用支付宝吗？ — Can I use Alipay?
- 谢谢 — Thank you
When to Use Your Phone Instead
For anything beyond these basics — medical instructions, legal paperwork, complex directions — use Google Translate (photo mode works well for signs and menus) or DeepL. Show the screen rather than trying to pronounce translated text phonetically.
Chinese apps like WeChat have built-in translation for chats. If you're communicating with a hotel or restaurant via WeChat, you can translate their messages in-app.
What Comes Next
Need more than the guide?
This guide covers the basics. If real-world friction shows up, you can compare the support options and choose the level of human backup that fits your trip.