Survival Phrases

Don't waste your time! Get the most language in the shortest time with these survival phrases.

Absolute Beginner

Curriculum

Survival Phrases

In this 60-lesson series, you'll learn vital Chinese phrases in each lesson that will help prepare you for an upcoming trip to China. Topics covered include ordering at a restaurant, taking public transportation, asking directions, checking into a hotel, and much more. If you have not studied Chinese and simply want to master basic phrases without getting into the details of grammar, this is the series for you.

Lesson #	Title	Topic	Function	Target Phrases	Key Vocab	Cultural Insight
1	Thank You!	Gratitude	Thanking someone	谢谢。多谢。我很感谢。	我，很，您，多，谢谢，多谢，我很感谢。	A gesture of gratitude
2	You're Welcome!	Gratitude	Responding to thanks	不用谢。不客气。没事。	不，不用谢	The Beijing "r"
3	This, Please	Questions	Asking for something	请给我。请给我这个。请给我那个。	我，那个，请给我	How to show a vendor what you want
4	Basic Greetings	Greetings	Saying hello	你好。早上好。你好吗。	你，好，早上好，你好吗？	Gesture of greeting
5	Goodbye	Greetings	Saying goodbye	再见。明天见。晚安。	再，明天，再见，明天见，晚安	A proper Chinese send-off
6	Where Is the Bathroom?	Directions	Asking where things are	洗手间在哪儿？洗手间在哪儿啊？	洗手间，在，哪儿，银行	What should you bring to a Chinese bathroom?
7	I Don't Understand	Basic conversation	Saying that you don't understand	我不明白。不好意思。我不会说中文。	说，中文，我不明白，我不会说中文，不好意思	Repelling peddlers
8	Can You Speak English?	Questions	Asking whether someone speaks English	你会说英语吗？	你，说，你会说英语吗？	Ways to say "English"
9	Please Say it Once Again	Basic conversation	Asking someone to repeat something	请再说一遍。请说慢一点。	再，说，慢，请再说一遍，请说慢一点	Two ways to say "again"
10	Apologies	Apologies	Apologizing	对不起。不好意思。没问题。	不，好，不好意思，对不起，没问题	Responding to an apology
11	Business Greetings: Welcome!	Greetings	Welcoming someone into a shop	欢迎光临。欢迎再来。	欢迎，欢迎光临，欢迎再来	Simplified vs. traditional characters
12	Restaurant, Part 1: How Many People?	Restaurant	Saying how many people you are	几个人？三个人。一个人。	人，几个人	A politer version
13	Restaurant, Part 2: Waiter!	Restaurant	Ordering food	服务员！这个（给我）。我要这个。	我，要，我要这个	A simpler way to answer questions
14	Restaurant, Part 3: Getting the Bill	Restaurant	Getting the check	买单! 下一次我请你。	买单，请，下，次，发票，结账，下一次我请你。	Busy restaurant hosts
15	Restaurant, Part 4: Paying with Plastic	Restaurant	Paying with a credit card	可以用信用卡吗？	可以，来，可以用信用卡吗？	Eat food, not rice
16	Counting 1-10	Numbers	Counting 1-10	Missing	零，二，三，四，五，六，七，八，九，十，二十，两，人	Arabic 0=zero trouble
17	How Much?	Shopping	Asking the price	多少钱? 这个多少钱? 那个多少钱?	多，那，那个，两，二，这个多少钱	Where do I pay?
18	Lower the Price, Please!	Shopping	Haggling	太贵啊。便宜一点。	太，一点，贵，便宜，太贵啊。	Path to the right price
19	Please Pass the Chopsticks!	Requests	Asking for something	请给我那个。请给我筷子。请给我酱油。	请，我，那个，请给我那个	Demonstrative + counter
20	Internet Cafe	Internet	Using an internet cafe	网吧。请帮我。	网吧，在，哪儿，请，我	Avoid the gamer rush
21	Riding the Bus, Part 1: Does This Bus Go to Beijing?	Bus	Riding the bus	到北京站吗？这个车到北京站吗？	到，北京	A word for anything with wheels
22	Riding the Bus, Part 2: Where Is the Bus Going?	Bus	Asking where a bus goes	到哪儿?	到，哪儿，下	Where to get on and off
23	Riding the Bus, Part 3: Please Tell Me When We Arrive	Bus	Knowing when to get off	到的时候，请叫我。下一个站是什么？	到，请，叫，我，是，什么	How to count stops
24	Riding the Rails, Part 1: Subway	Train	Buying a subway ticket	Missing	票	Ride anything with one card in Beijing
25	Riding the Rails, Part 2: Long-Distance Travel	Train	Buying a train ticket	几张？硬座。	火车，硬，软，卧，上，中，下	Tickets at the hotel?
26	Taking a Taxi	Taxi	Taking a taxi	到北京站。我想去北京站。	到，北京，站，我，想，去	Hotel cards and why you need them
27	Do You Have Power Converters?	Shopping	Asking whether a store carries something	你有变压器吗？有。没有。不知道。	没，不，知道	The nonexistent nonsmoker
28	Where Are the Power Converters?	Directions	Asking where to buy something	在哪儿可以买变压器？在哪儿可以买电话卡？	在，哪儿，可以，买，变压器，电话卡	Types of phone cards
29	Where Is the Convenience Store?	Directions	Asking where a certain kind of store is	便利店在哪儿？二十四小时店在哪儿？水在哪儿？	在，哪儿，这儿，那儿，这里，便利店，小时，水，那里	Beijing dialect: standard?
30	Directions	Directions	Understanding directions	往前走。往左转。往右转。在十字路口往右转。在十字路口往左转。这儿就行。	走，十字路口，在，往，钱，左，右，转，就，行	Ordinal numbers
31	Can You Take My Picture?	Photos	Asking someone to take your photo	请帮我照照片。请帮我照照片吧。	请，帮，我，吧，走，照，照片	You'd think they'd never seen a...
32	How Do You Say This In Chinese?	Questions	Asking how to say a word in Chinese	这个用中文怎么说？ Boat 用汉语怎么说？请再说一遍。	这，中文，再，遍，汉语，说，用，怎么，请	Don't wait--use that new word!
33	Write It Down, Please	Requests	Asking someone to write something down for you	请写下来。请写拼音。	请，写，下，来，拼音	Pinyin for everyone
34	How Do You Read This?	Questions	Guessing the pronunciation and meaning of Chinese characters	这个怎么读？什么意思？	这，怎么，什么，个，读，意思	From picture to pinyin
35	Numbers 10-100	Numbers	Counting 10-100	三十十一	零，一，二，三，四，五，六，七，八，九，十，发财，死，点	Decimals
36	Numbers 100-1,000	Numbers	Counting 100-1,000	三百	多少	几 (jǐ) vs. 多少 (duōshǎo)
37	Numbers 1,000-10,000	Numbers	Counting large numbers	三千	千，万，亿，左，右	Numbers over 100,000,000
38	Post Office	Post office	Mailing a letter	我想把这个送到东京。明白了。	到，美国，这儿，用，想，把，送，东京，明白	Place names
39	Weather Watch	Weather	Talking about the weather	明天的天气怎么样？天气很好。天晴。下雨。	明天，天气，怎么，很，好，要	When 要=will
40	Exchanging Contact Info	Relationships	Asking for someone's contact info	请给我你的电话号码。请给我你的电子邮箱。请给我你的email地址。	请，给，我，你，地址	Prepare to be popular
41	Bottled Water, Please	Requests	Asking for drinks	请给我一瓶水。不要冰块。请给我两瓶水。	请，给，我，一，水，不，要，热	When water means water (and when it doesn't quite)
42	Saying No	Basic conversation	Refusing someone	不对。不行。不。	不，对，她，说，你	Express agreement with 行 (xíng)
43	English Info Guide	Requests	Asking for an English info guide	有英语版吗？	有，英语，版	Avoid a common art scam
44	Business Etiquette	Basic conversation	Interacting at work	我先走了。辛苦了。	我，走，辛苦，很，要，她	The social contract
45	I Am a Vegetarian	Food	Saying that you're a vegetarian	我是素食主义者。我不吃肉。我是佛教。可以不放肉吗？	我，是，不，吃，肉，佛教，素食主义者	Buying fruit
46	Help!	Help	Asking for help	救命啊！请打110。	啊，救命，请，打	Safer than America
47	Medical Assistance	Medical assistance	Getting medical help	请叫救护车。请送我到医院。	叫，到	Emergency numbers to know
48	Explaining Symptoms in Chinese, Part 1	Pharmacy	Finding a pharmacy	药店在哪儿？西药在哪儿？	在，哪儿，这边	Quack medicine
49	Explaining Symptoms in Chinese, Part 2	Pharmacy	Explaining what ails you	我肚子疼。这儿疼。我发烧了。我拉肚子了。	我，这儿，要，肚子，疼，发烧，拉肚子	The short space between sober and drunk
50	Certain Medicine in China	Medicine	Getting the right medicine	我要止疼药。我要阿斯匹林。我要头疼药。我要感冒药。	我，要，药，止疼药，阿司匹林，过敏药，过敏，头疼，感冒	A sneeze is just a sneeze
51	Chinese Self-Introduction	Introduction	Introducing yourself	我叫... 我是...	我，叫，是，我姓黃。，我是Michael., 很高兴认识你。	Nicknames young and old
52	Introducing Others in Chinese	Introduction	Introducing others	这是... 这是我朋友。这是我丈夫。这是我妻子。	朋友，是，妻子，丈夫，这是我丈夫Peter。, 这是我妻子。, 这是我朋友Bobby Valentine。, 这是Michael.	Why no name?
53	Long Time, No See in China	Greetings	Running into an acquaintance	好久不见。	好久	Have you eaten?
54	What Time Is It?	Time	Asking the time	现在几点？四点。请问。十二点四十分。十二点半。	刻，现在，分，小时，点，现在几点？，四点。，请问。，十二点四十分。，十二点半。	How to say "half past" and "quarter past"
55	Likes and Dislikes	Preferences	Telling your preferences	我喜欢。我不喜欢。我喜欢这个。我喜欢中国菜。	我喜欢中国菜美国菜我喜欢。我不喜欢。我喜欢唱歌。我喜欢中国菜。	How to ask for someone else's preferences
56	Useful and High-Frequency Chinese Adjectives	Basic conversation	Using common adjectives	我很高兴。我饿死了。	我很高兴饿死我很高兴。我饿死了。	So...that I could die!
57	Chinese for Special Events	Holidays	Wishing someone a happy holiday	生日快乐。春节恭喜发财！恭喜	生日, 快乐, 春节, 恭喜, 发财	Chinese New Year
58	The 4 Chinese Tones	Tones	Speaking with the proper tones	-	声调一声二声三声四声	Where to put the tone mark, and why it isn't a big deal
59	Have a Great Trip!	tips	the last language tip	-	-