Chinese for Travel
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Unit 0 · Basics Lesson 1 5 min Free in the app

Hello, thank you and other lifesavers in Chinese

Say hello and thank you, and ask for help when you don't understand. A quiet Beijing hutong at breakfast time. An old man on a folding stool nods as you walk past.

你好

Key phrases

The 6 phrases this lesson is built around, with the words that make them up. Tap ▶ to listen, or the turtle to hear it slowly.

  • 你好。

    Nǐ hǎo.

    Hello.

    • 你Nǐ
    • 好hǎo

  • 谢谢。

    Xièxie.

    Thank you.

  • 不好意思。

    Bù hǎoyìsi.

    Excuse me.

    • 不Bù
    • 好意思hǎoyìsi

  • 我不会说中文。

    Wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    I don't speak Chinese.

    • 我Wǒ
    • 不bú
    • 会huì
    • 说shuō
    • 中文Zhōngwén

  • 请说慢一点。

    Qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn.

    Please speak more slowly.

    • 请Qǐng
    • 说shuō
    • 慢màn
    • 一点yìdiǎn

  • 再见。

    Zàijiàn.

    Goodbye.

More phrases for this situation

Every other phrase from the lesson: 9 in all.

  • 您好。

    Nín hǎo.

    Hello (polite).

  • 不客气。

    Bú kèqi.

    You're welcome.

  • 对不起。

    Duìbuqǐ.

    I'm sorry.

  • 没关系。

    Méi guānxi.

    No problem.

  • 请问……

    Qǐngwèn…

    Excuse me, may I ask…

  • 好的。

    Hǎo de.

    OK.

  • 我听不懂。

    Wǒ tīng bu dǒng.

    I don't understand.

  • 请再说一遍。

    Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.

    Please say that again.

  • 可以写下来吗？

    Kěyǐ xiě xiàlai ma?

    Could you write it down?

What you’ll hear, and how to answer

Staff won’t follow your script. These are things they are likely to say here, with a reply that works.

  1. Staff

    你好！需要帮忙吗？

    Nǐ hǎo! Xūyào bāngmáng ma?

    Hello! Do you need any help?

    You

    我不会说中文。

    Wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    I don't speak Chinese.

  2. Staff

    不客气，慢走！

    Bú kèqi, màn zǒu!

    You're welcome. Take care!

    You

    再见。

    Zàijiàn.

    Goodbye.

Play the scene

A quiet Beijing hutong at breakfast time. An old man on a folding stool nods as you walk past.

北京·胡同 · A Beijing hutong

  1. Staff

    你好！需要帮忙吗？

    Nǐ hǎo! Xūyào bāngmáng ma?

    Hello! Do you need any help?

  2. You

    我不会说中文。

    Wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén.

    I don't speak Chinese.

  3. Staff

    往前走，第二个路口右转就到了。

    Wǎng qián zǒu, dì èr ge lùkǒu yòu zhuǎn jiù dào le.

    Go straight on and turn right at the second corner — you're there.

  4. You

    请说慢一点。

    Qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn.

    Please speak more slowly.

  5. Staff

    好，我慢点说：往前走，右转。

    Hǎo, wǒ màn diǎn shuō: wǎng qián zǒu, yòu zhuǎn.

    OK, slowly: straight ahead, then right.

  6. You

    谢谢。

    Xièxie.

    Thank you.

  7. Staff

    不客气，慢走！

    Bú kèqi, màn zǒu!

    You're welcome. Take care!

  8. You

    再见。

    Zàijiàn.

    Goodbye.

Culture tip

Say 您 to elders and staff

Use 您 (nín) instead of 你 (nǐ) with older people, officials and service staff. It's the polite “you”, and one small word earns a lot of goodwill.

Which greeting is more polite to an older person?

Show the answer

您好。 — Hello (polite).

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