You don’t need much Chinese. A few phrases, shown on your phone, solve most arrival moments. Showing the Chinese characters is more reliable than speaking them.
The twelve you’ll actually use
| English | Chinese | Say it roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | nee-how |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | shyeh-shyeh |
| Sorry / excuse me | 不好意思 | boo-how-ee-see |
| How much? | 多少钱？ | daw shao chee-en |
| Too expensive | 太贵了 | tie gway luh |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？ | shee-show-jee-en zai na-lee |
| I don’t understand | 我听不懂 | waw ting boo dong |
| Do you speak English? | 你会说英语吗？ | nee hway shwo ying-yoo ma |
| Please take me here | 请送我去这里 | ching song waw chyu juh-lee |
| The bill, please | 买单 / 结账 | my-dan / jyeh-jang |
| No spicy | 不要辣 | boo yow lah |
| Help! | 救命！ | jyoh-ming |
How to use them
- Show the characters on your screen — don’t rely on pronunciation.
- Screenshot your hotel address and key phrases in Chinese before you land.
- Translation apps: Google Translate (download the offline pack) or Pleco.
- Voice input in translation apps often works better than typing.
Numbers that come up
| Number | Chinese | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | yī | 1 |
| 二 / 两 | èr / liǎng | 2 |
| 三 | sān | 3 |
| 十 | shí | 10 |
| 百 | bǎi | 100 |
| 千 | qiān | 1,000 |
Prices are often shown as ¥ / 元 (yuán). “块 (kuài)” is the everyday word for yuan.
Practical tips
- Pinyin tones matter — the same sound with a different tone means something else.
- Point and show if speaking fails; it’s normal and works.
- Write down your hotel name and address in Chinese.
- Learn “no spicy” if you don’t like heat — it’s the one phrase you’ll say most.