Simple Chinese language phrases to enhance your China trip (pinyin and pronunciation)PinYin - English : pronunciation.
Nǐ Hǎo - Hello / Hi (literally, you good? / how are you?) : nee how
Zài Jiàn - Goodbye / bye : z~eye jee~ann
***
XièXiè - : Thanks : she~air she~air (second is a little softer/quieter)
XièXiè Nǐ ! - Thank you! : she~air she~air nee!
***
DuìBuQǐ - Excuse me / sorry : der boo chee
BúKèQì - You're welcome : boo ker chee
Qǐng - Please : ching
Mei / MeiHǎo - Beautiful : may
***
DuWei - That's right : doo~way (uickly, and often said twice)
***
Wǒ - I / me : woh
Nǐ - You : nee
Tā - He / she : tah
***
Wǒ Yào - I want / would like I would like one of these : Wǒ yào Yī ge Zhè ge (woh yow ee guh jay guh)
***
ZhèGe - This : jay guh
NàGe - That : nay guh
***
Yī Ge - One : ee guh
Lian Ge - Two : lee~ann guh (Two as a simple number is Er, pronounced 'are')
Sān Ge - Three : san guh
***
Duō Shǎo Qián? - How much? : doo~or sh~ow[l] chee~ann?
Tài Guì Le! - too expensive! : tie gwee ler!
***
Hǎo De - ok : how der
Hěn Hǎo - Good : hen how
Bù Hǎo - Not good : boo how
***
ShénMe? - When? : shen mer
NǎLi? - Where : nah lee?
Nǎr - There (gesturing) : nah
***
Xiao - Small : sh~ow[l]
Da - Big : dah
Tai - Too : tie
***
Bin De - Ice-cold : bin der
Lian De - Cold : lee~ann der
***
La - Spicy : lah
Bu La - not spicy : boo lah
Xiao La - a little spicy : shee~ow[l] lah
Da La - Very spicy : dah lah
Tai La! - too spicy! : tie lah!
***
Noodles - Miàn : mee~ann
Dumplings - Jiǎozi : jee~ow[l] zuh
Rice - MiFàn / Fàn : mee fan / fan
Eggs - JīDàn : jee dan
Beef - NiúRòu : nee~you row
Lamb - YángRòu : yang row
Chicken - JīRòu : jee row
Tofu - DòuFu : doh foo
(See BeijingBuzzz's food cheat sheet for much more)
***
ZhōngGuó - China : jong goo~woh
YīngGuó - England : ying goo~woh
MěiGuó - America : may goo~woh
ZhōngWén - Chinese nationality : jong ren
YīngWén - English nationality : ying ren
***
Hótel - Hotel
FànDiàn - Hotel / Restaurant : fan dee~ann
Wǒ Bù ZhīDào - I don't know : woh boo juh~dow
Tīng Bù Dǒng - I don't understand : ting boo dong
ZhèGe Duōshǎo Qián? / DuōShǎo Qián? - How much is this? : doo~or sh~ow[l} chee~ann?
- Too expensive! : tie-gwee lah!
Wo Yao ... - I would like ... : woh yow ...
Wǒ Yào ZhèGe - I want this one : woh yow jay~guh
***
BúShì - No : boo shh
ShìDe - Yes : Shh der
MéiYǒu - none / out of stock : may~oh
***
Wǒ ài ... - I love ... : woh eye ...
- I love this! : woh eye jay-guh!
Wǒ ài ZhōngGuó - I love China
***
Hǎo Chī - Delicious (literally good eat) : how ch
Bú Hǎo Chī - Not tasty : boo how ch
***
Wǒ Bù LiǎoJiě - I don't understand : woh boo lee~ow[l]~jee~air
***
Wǒ Xiǎng ... - I would like ... : woh shee~ang ...
Wǒ Xiǎng Chī ... - I would like to eat ... : woh she~ang ch
***
Bei - North : bay
Nan - South : nan
Xi - West : shee
Dong - East : dong
***
DìTiě - Subway train : dee tee~air
Dìtiě nali ma? - Where is the subway? : dee tee~air nah~lee ma
Zhan - Train station : zahn
Men - gate : men
Yuan / kwai - rmb (currency) : yoo~ann / kw~eye
Gong yuan - Park : gong yoo~ann
***
KāFēi - Coffee : kah fay
Chá - Tea : chah
kěLè - Cola : ker ler
PiJiou - Beer : pee jee~oh
Shui - Water : shway
Wo yao liang ge pijiou liande - I would like two cold beers : woh yow[l] lee~ann guh pee jee~oh lee~ann der
***
Jia Yo! - Let's go! / Go! (encouraging) : jee~ah yoh!
Wǒ Bù Shuō Hànyǔ / ZhōngWén - I don't speak Chinese (huh?!) Or simply Bù ZhōngWén : boo jong wen
***
Numbers are easy (there are finger position numbers too, but that's not so easy) :
1 - Yī : ee
2 - Èr : are
3 - Sān : san
4 - Sì : si (the sound is the first half of 'soot') (short sound)
5 - Wǔ : woo~oh
6 - Liù : lee~oo
7 - Qī : chee
8 - Bā : bah
9 - Jiǔ : jee~oo
10 - Shí : shhh (longer sound)
Example of 11 - 99 :
73 - Qi Shí Sān (7x10) + 3 : chee shhh san (7 10 3)
70 - Qi Shí (7x10) : chee shhh (7 10)
100 - Bǎi : buy
Example of 101 - 999 :
357 - Sān Bǎi Wǔ Shí Qī (3x100 + 5x10 + 7) : san buy woo~oh shhh chee (3 100 5 10 7)
300 - Sān Bǎi (3x100) : san buy (3 100)
***
Cheers! - GānBēi! : gan bey!
