Chinese Phrases: The Most Common Mandarin Phrases – Plus a Cantonese Section

Chinese phrases are among the first things you need when you start communicating in Chinese – whether you’re travelling, working with Chinese-speaking colleagues, or simply curious about the language. A handful of well-chosen phrases opens more doors than you’d expect, even before you’ve touched a grammar book.

One thing I’ve noticed across every language I’ve learned: starting with real phrases rather than abstract vocabulary lists makes the early stages far less frustrating. You get something usable immediately, and that usability keeps you going.

This page covers the most common Mandarin Chinese phrases for everyday situations, plus a dedicated section on Cantonese phrases for those with specific connections to Hong Kong or Cantonese-speaking communities. All phrases include the Chinese characters and pronunciation guide.

Chinese phrases you should know

The phrases below cover the situations you’ll encounter most often: greetings, introductions, getting around, and handling everyday conversations. If you want to practise these interactively with audio from native speakers, the free trial of the 17-Minute-Languages Chinese course is worth trying – it covers exactly this vocabulary in structured daily sessions.

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Greet someone in Chinese

Greetings in Mandarin are straightforward. The standard “nǐ hǎo” covers most situations, but knowing a few variations makes a real difference in how you come across.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Welcome!	欢迎！	[xwán jɪ̌ŋ]
Good day to you!	祝你今天愉快！	[ʈʂû nǐ tɕín.tʰjɛn y̌ kʰwâɪ̯]
Good morning!	早上好！	[tsɑ̀ʊ̯ ʂâŋ xàʊ̯]
Good evening!	晚上好！	[wàn ʂâŋ xàʊ̯]
Good to see you.	很高兴见到你。	[xən˨˩˦ káʊ̯ɕîŋ tɕjɛn˥˩ tâʊ̯˥˩ nǐ˨˩˦]
I’m glad to see you.	见到你很高兴。	[tɕjɛn˥˩ tâʊ̯˥˩ nǐ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ káʊ̯ɕîŋ]

If someone greets you in Chinese, here is how to respond:

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Have a nice day too!	祝你也有美好的一天！	[ʈʂû nǐ jɛ̀ jǒʊ̯ měi xàʊ̯ də í tʰjɛn˥]
Thanks, nice to see you too.	谢谢，也很高兴见到你。	[ɕjɛ̂ɕjɛ jɛ̀ xən˨˩˦ káʊ̯ɕîŋ tɕjɛn˥˩ tâʊ̯˥˩ nǐ]

How are you? – asking and answering

In Chinese, asking how someone is doing is a standard part of any greeting exchange. These phrases will get you through the opening of almost any conversation.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
How are you doing?	你怎么样？	[nì tsə̌n mə jâŋ]
Are you doing well?	你过得好吗？	[nì kuô tɤ xàʊ̯ ma]

Possible responses:

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	谢谢你关心，我很好。	[ɕjɛ̂ɕjɛ nǐ ku̯ánɕin wɔ̌ xən˨˩˦ xàʊ̯]
Thank you, I am fine.	谢谢，我很好。	[ɕjɛ̂ɕjɛ wɔ̌ xən˨˩˦ xàʊ̯]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	谢谢，我不太好。	[ɕjɛ̂ɕjɛ wɔ̌ pǔ tʰâɪ̯ xàʊ̯]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you?	谢谢，我很好。你怎么样？	[ɕjɛ̂ɕjɛ wɔ̌ xən˨˩˦ xàʊ̯ nǐ tsə̌n mə yâŋ]

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Saying goodbye in Chinese

The standard “zài jiàn” (再见) works in almost every situation. The variations below add nuance depending on context.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Goodbye!	再见！	[tsaɪ̯˥˩ tɕjɛn˥˩]
Take care of yourself!	保重！	[pàʊ̯˨˩˦ ʈʂʊ̂ŋ]
See you tomorrow!	明天见！	[mǐŋ˧˥ tʰjɛn˥ tɕjɛn˥˩]
See you soon!	回头见！	[xwei̯˧˥ tʰoʊ̯˧˥ tɕjɛn˥˩]
See you later!	待会儿见！	[taɪ̯˥ xweɚ˥˩ tɕjɛn˥˩]
Good night!	晚安！	[wàn˨˩˦ án˥]
Sleep well!	睡个好觉！	[ʂwêɪ̯ kɤ xàʊ̯ tɕjâʊ̯]
Talk to you later.	回头聊！	[xwei̯˧˥ tʰoʊ̯˧˥ ljǎʊ̯˧˥]
Nice to have met you!	很高兴认识你！	[xən˨˩˦ káʊ̯ɕîŋ ʐən˥˩ʂʐ̩ nǐ˨˩˦]

Introducing yourself in Chinese

When meeting someone for the first time in China – or in any Chinese-speaking context – a short, clean introduction goes a long way. These phrases cover the basics.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
My name is Jonas.	我叫约纳斯。	[wɔ̀ tɕjâʊ̯ ɥœ̄ nâ sɯ̄]
What is your name?	你叫什么名字？	[nì tɕjâʊ̯ ʂə̌.mɤ mǐŋ.tsɯ]
What is your surname?	你姓什么？	[nì ɕîŋ ʂə̌.mɤ]
Where do you come from?	你来自哪里？	[nǐ lǎɪ̯ tsɨ˥˩ nǎ lǐ]
I am from London.	我来自伦敦。	[wɔ̌ lǎɪ̯ tsɨ˥˩ lǔn tūn]
Where do you live?	你住在哪里？	[nǐ ʈʂû tsâɪ̯ nǎ lǐ]
I live in Berlin.	我住在柏林。	[wɔ̌ ʈʂû tsâɪ̯ pwɔ̌ lǐn]

If your Chinese is limited, these phrases help manage expectations early:

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Do you speak English?	你会说英语吗？	[ni˨˩˦ xwêɪ̯ ʂwó jɪ́ŋ.ỳ ma]
Yes, I speak English.	是的，我会说英语。	[ʂɻ̩̂ tɤ˙ wɔ˨˩˦ xwêɪ̯ ʂwó jɪ́ŋ.ỳ]
Yes, I speak some English.	是的，我会说一点英语。	[ʂɻ̩̂ tɤ˙ wɔ˨˩˦ xwêɪ̯ ʂwó î.tjɛn˨˩˦ jɪ́ŋ.ỳ]
I understand some Chinese.	我懂一点中文。	[wɔ˨˩˦ tʊ̌ŋ î.tjɛn˨˩˦ tʂʊ́ŋ wən˧˥]

Useful “I am…” phrases in Chinese

These phrases come up constantly in everyday conversation. Learning the pattern “wǒ shì…” (I am…) and “wǒ hěn…” (I am very…) gives you a flexible framework to build on.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
I am hungry.	我饿了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ɤ̂ lɤ˙]
I am thirsty.	我渴了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ kʰɤ̀ lɤ˙]
I need help!	我需要帮助！	[wɔ˨˩˦ ɕŷ.jàʊ̯ páŋ.ʈʂû]
I am tired.	我累了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ lêɪ̯ lɤ˙]
I am happy.	我很高兴。	[wɔ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ káʊ̯ɕîŋ]
I am lost.	我迷路了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ mǐ lû lɤ˙]
I am a tourist.	我是游客。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ʂɻ̩̂ jóʊ̯ kʰɤ̂]
I am ill.	我生病了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ʂə̌ŋ pîŋ lɤ˙]
I am late.	我迟到了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ʈʂʰɨ̌ tâʊ̯ lɤ˙]
I am in a hurry.	我很急。	[wɔ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ tɕǐ]
I am ready.	我准备好了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ʈʂwə̌n pêɪ̯ xàʊ̯ lɤ˙]
I am busy.	我很忙。	[wɔ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ mǎŋ]
I am injured.	我受伤了。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ʂôʊ̯ ʂáŋ lɤ˙]
I am sad.	我很难过。	[wɔ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ nǎn kûɔ]
I am surprised.	我很惊讶。	[wɔ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ tɕīŋ jâ]
I am angry.	我很生气。	[wɔ˨˩˦ xən˨˩˦ ʂə̄ŋ tɕʰî]
I am new here.	我刚到这里。	[wɔ˨˩˦ kāŋ tâʊ̯ ʈʂɤ̂ li˥]
I am a teacher.	我是老师。	[wɔ˨˩˦ ʂɻ̩̂ lɑ̌ʊ̯ ʂɻ̩̌]
I am 30 years old.	我三十岁。	[wɔ˨˩˦ sān ʂɻ̩̌ sweî̯]

Apologising in Chinese

“Duìbuqǐ” (对不起) is the standard apology and covers most situations. The variations below are useful when you want to clarify intent.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
I apologise.	我道歉。	[wɔ̌ tâʊ̯ tɕʰjɛn˥˩]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	对不起，那不是故意的。	[twêɪ̯ pù tɕʰì nâ pǔ ʂʐ̩̂ kû î tə]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	对不起，我不是故意的。	[twêɪ̯ pù tɕʰì wɔ̌ pǔ ʂʐ̩̂ kû î tə]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	对不起，我太笨拙了。	[twêɪ̯ pù tɕʰì wɔ̌ tʰâɪ̯ pə̂n ʈʂwɔ̌ lɤ˙]

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Useful signs and notices in Chinese

These are the characters and phrases you’ll encounter most often on signs, in public spaces, and in everyday navigation across China and Taiwan.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Entrance	入口	[ʐû kʰǒʊ̯]
Exit	出口	[ʈʂʰū kʰǒʊ̯]
Toilet	厕所	[tsʰɤ̂ swɔ̌]
Attention!	注意！	[ʈʂû î]
Caution!	小心！	[ɕjǎʊ̯ ɕīn]
Police	警察	[tɕǐŋ ʈʂʰá]
Emergency services	急救	[tɕí tɕjôʊ̯]
Fire brigade	消防队	[ɕjāʊ̯ fáŋ twêɪ̯]
Passage forbidden.	禁止通行。	[tɕîn ʈʂɻ̩̌ tʰʊ̄ŋ ɕíŋ]

Numbers 1–25 in Chinese

The number system in Mandarin follows a very logical pattern. Once you have 1–10, the numbers 11–19 are simply “ten + digit”, and 20–25 follow as “two-ten + digit.” This makes it much easier to learn than number systems in most European languages.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
1	一	[i˥]
2	二	[aɚ̯˥˩]
3	三	[san˥]
4	四	[sɻ̩˥˩]
5	五	[u˨˩˦]
6	六	[li̯oʊ̯˥˩]
7	七	[tɕʰi˥]
8	八	[pa˥]
9	九	[tɕioʊ̯˨˩˦]
10	十	[ʂʐ̩˧˥]
11	十一	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ i˥]
12	十二	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ aɚ̯˥˩]
13	十三	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ san˥]
14	十四	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ sɻ̩˥˩]
15	十五	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ u˨˩˦]
16	十六	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ li̯oʊ̯˥˩]
17	十七	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ tɕʰi˥]
18	十八	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ pa˥]
19	十九	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ tɕioʊ̯˨˩˦]
20	二十	[aɚ̯˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥]
21	二十一	[aɚ̯˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥ i˥]
22	二十二	[aɚ̯˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥ aɚ̯˥˩]
23	二十三	[aɚ̯˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥ san˥]
24	二十四	[aɚ̯˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥ sɻ̩˥˩]
25	二十五	[aɚ̯˥˩ ʂʐ̩˧˥ u˨˩˦]

Colours in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Red	红色	[xʊ̌ŋ sɤ̂]
Orange	橙色	[ʈʂʰə̌ŋ sɤ̂]
Yellow	黄色	[xu̯ǎŋ sɤ̂]
Green	绿色	[lŷ sɤ̂]
Blue	蓝色	[lǎn sɤ̂]
Purple	紫色	[tsɿ̌ sɤ̂]
Pink	粉色	[fə̌n sɤ̂]
Brown	棕色	[tsʊŋ˥ sɤ̂]
Black	黑色	[xə́ɪ̯ sɤ̂]
White	白色	[pǎɪ̯ sɤ̂]

Days, months and seasons in Chinese

The days of the week in Mandarin follow a number system: Monday is literally “star-week-one”, Tuesday “star-week-two”, and so on. Sunday is the exception – “star-week-sun”. Once you know the numbers, the days come almost automatically.

English	Chinese	Pronunciation (IPA)
Monday	星期一	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ i˥]
Tuesday	星期二	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ aɚ̯˥˩]
Wednesday	星期三	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ san˥]
Thursday	星期四	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ sɯ˥˩]
Friday	星期五	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ u˨˩˦]
Saturday	星期六	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ li̯oʊ̯˥˩]
Sunday	星期日	[ɕiŋ˥˥ t͡ɕʰi˥ ʐ̩̂]
January	一月	[i˥ ɥê]
February	二月	[aɚ̯˥˩ ɥê]
March	三月	[san˥ ɥê]
April	四月	[sɯ˥˩ ɥê]
May	五月	[u˨˩˦ ɥê]
June	六月	[li̯oʊ̯˥˩ ɥê]
July	七月	[t͡ɕʰi˥ ɥê]
August	八月	[pa˥ ɥê]
September	九月	[t͡ɕioʊ̯˨˩˦ ɥê]
October	十月	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ ɥê]
November	十一月	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ i˥ ɥê]
December	十二月	[ʂʐ̩˧˥ aɚ̯˥˩ ɥê]
Spring	春天	[t͡ʂʰwən˥ tʰjɛn˥]
Summer	夏天	[ɕi̯a˥˩ tʰjɛn˥]
Autumn	秋天	[t͡ɕʰjoʊ̯˥ tʰjɛn˥]
Winter	冬天	[tʊŋ˥ tʰjɛn˥]

Cantonese phrases – for Hong Kong and Cantonese-speaking communities

Cantonese is the variety of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong province, as well as in many overseas Chinese communities across the UK, North America, and Australia. It is a distinct language from Mandarin – the vocabulary overlaps significantly in written form, but the pronunciation and tonal system are quite different.

If your connections are specifically with Hong Kong or Cantonese-speaking communities, these phrases are what you need. Arriving with even a handful of Cantonese expressions is noticed and appreciated – Cantonese speakers encounter relatively few foreigners who make the effort.

Note on romanisation: Cantonese is commonly written in Jyutping romanisation below. The numbers after syllables indicate tones (1 = high level, 4 = low falling, etc.).

Greetings in Cantonese

English	Cantonese	Jyutping (pronunciation)
Hello / How are you?	你好	nei5 hou2
Good morning!	早晨	zou2 san4
Good afternoon!	午安	ng5 on1
Good evening!	晚安	maan5 on1
Have you eaten yet? (common greeting)	你食咗飯未？	nei5 sik6 zo2 faan6 mei6?
I’m fine, thank you.	我好好，多謝。	ngo5 hou2 hou2, do1 ze6
Nice to meet you.	幸會幸會。	hang6 wui6 hang6 wui6
I wish you well.	祝你一切順利。	zuk1 nei5 jat1 cai3 seon6 lei6

Saying goodbye in Cantonese

English	Cantonese	Jyutping (pronunciation)
Goodbye!	再見！	zoi3 gin3
See you later!	遲啲見！	ci4 di1 gin3
Take care!	保重！	bou2 zung6
Take care and see you soon.	保重，快啲見。	bou2 zung6, faai3 di1 gin3
Have a good day!	祝你今日愉快！	zuk1 nei5 gam1 jat6 jyu4 faai3
Good night!	晚安！	maan5 on1

Useful everyday Cantonese phrases

English	Cantonese	Jyutping (pronunciation)
Thank you very much.	非常多謝。	fei1 soeng4 do1 ze6
You’re welcome.	唔使客氣。	m4 sai2 haak3 hei3
Sorry / Excuse me.	唔好意思。	m4 hou2 ji3 si3
I don’t understand.	我唔明。	ngo5 m4 ming4
Can you speak more slowly?	你可唔可以講慢啲？	nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 gong2 maan6 di1?
How much does this cost?	呢個幾錢？	ni1 go3 gei2 cin2?
Where is the toilet?	廁所喺邊？	ci3 so2 hai2 bin1?
I need help!	我需要幫助！	ngo5 seoi1 jiu3 bong1 zo6!
Is everything okay?	係咪一切都好？	hai6 mai6 jat1 cai3 dou1 hou2?

Cantonese phrases for navigation and wayfinding

These are particularly useful in Hong Kong, where signage switches between English and Cantonese, and where locals appreciate even basic attempts at the language.

English	Cantonese	Jyutping (pronunciation)
Where is…?	…喺邊？	…hai2 bin1?
Entrance	入口	jap6 hau2
Exit	出口	ceot1 hau2
Left	左	zo2
Right	右	jau6
Straight ahead	直行	zik6 haang4
MTR / subway station	地鐵站	dei6 tit3 zaam6
Bus stop	巴士站	baa1 si2 zaam6

Cantonese phrases for business contexts

If your reason for learning Cantonese is professional – meetings with Hong Kong counterparts, working with Cantonese-speaking clients, or navigating business environments in Guangdong – these phrases are a practical starting point. A Cantonese-speaking tutor through Preply* is worth considering if business communication is your primary goal.

English	Cantonese	Jyutping (pronunciation)
Nice to meet you. (formal)	幸會。	hang6 wui6
Here is my business card.	呢係我的名片。	ni1 hai6 ngo5 ge3 ming4 pin2
I work for [company].	我喺[公司]做嘢。	ngo5 hai2 [gung1 si1] zou6 je5
Let’s discuss this further.	我哋再傾下。	ngo5 dei6 zoi3 king1 haa5
I’ll get back to you.	我之後再聯絡你。	ngo5 zi1 hau6 zoi3 lyun4 lok3 nei5
Thank you for your time.	多謝你抽時間。	do1 ze6 nei5 cau1 si4 gaan3

For deeper Cantonese learning beyond phrases, Preply offers Cantonese tutors for one-on-one sessions* – you can filter by focus area, availability, and price.

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More on learning Chinese:

• Learn Chinese: Mandarin or Cantonese – complete guide
• Learn Chinese with Mondly – full review
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• How to train your listening comprehension
• Learning languages quickly – is it really possible?
• The different types of language learners

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