Survival Chinese for Travelers
25 essential phrases with audio — click to hear native pronunciation. No grammar, just what you actually need in Guilin and Yangshuo.
By Guilin & Yangshuo Travel Guide · Published · Updated
Click the ▶ button next to any phrase to hear it spoken in natural Mandarin. Best with headphones or earbuds.
Essential Phrases
How to Use This Table
Each row gives you the phrase, how it sounds, and the exact situation to deploy it. Tap the play button to hear natural Mandarin before you need it under pressure.
| English | Chinese | Pronunciation | When to Use | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | Ni hao (nee how) | General greeting | |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | Xie xie (shyeh shyeh) | Always | |
| I don't want it | 不要 | Bu yao (boo yow) | Declining vendors. Most useful phrase! | |
| How much? | 多少钱？ | Duo shao qian? (dwo shao chyen) | Asking price at markets | |
| Too expensive! | 太贵了 | Tai gui le (tie gway luh) | Negotiating. Say this, then walk away. | |
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪儿？ | Ce suo zai nar? (tsuh swo dzai nar) | Self-explanatory. Memorize this one. | |
| I want this one | 我要这个 | Wo yao zhe ge (wo yow juh guh) | Point at a photo menu, say this. | |
| Check, please | 买单 | Mai dan (my dan) | At restaurants. No tipping expected. | |
| I don't understand | 我听不懂 | Wo ting bu dong (wo ting boo dong) | When lost. They will switch to gestures. | |
| Delicious! | 好吃 | Hao chi (how chir) | Say this to the cook. They will beam. | |
| Not spicy | 不要辣 | Bu yao la (boo yow lah) | Ordering food. Critical in Guilin. | |
| I eat vegetarian | 我吃素 | Wo chi su (wo chir soo) | Dietary restriction. Some places understand. | |
| Can you go cheaper? | 能便宜吗？ | Neng pianyi ma? (nung pyen-yee ma) | Bargaining at markets. Use with a smile. | |
| Do you have Wi-Fi? | 有没有Wi-Fi？ | You meiyou Wi-Fi? (yo may-yo Wi-Fi) | At cafes and hotels. They will show you the password. | |
| One bottle of water | 一瓶水 | Yi ping shui (ee ping shway) | At any convenience store. ~2-3 RMB. | |
| Can I use Alipay? | 支付宝可以吗？ | Zhifubao keyi ma? (jrr-foo-bow kuh-ee ma) | Before you pull out cash. Most say yes. | |
| I am a foreigner | 我是外国人 | Wo shi waiguoren (wo shr why-gwo-ren) | Explains a lot. People become more patient. | |
| Where is the restroom? | 洗手间在哪儿？ | Xishoujian zai nar? (she-show-jyen dzai nar) | The polite version. Hotels and restaurants. | |
| How to get to Yangshuo? | 阳朔怎么去？ | Yangshuo zenme qu? (yang-shwo dzuh-muh chyoo) | Asking for directions from Guilin. | |
| Slow down please | 慢一点 | Man yi dian (man ee dyen) | When someone speaks Chinese too fast. | |
| Help! (emergency) | 救命！ | Jiu ming! (jyo ming) | Only in real emergencies. Police: 110. | |
| English menu? | 有英文菜单吗？ | You yingwen caidan ma? (yo ying-wen tsai-dan ma) | At restaurants. If they have one, they will bring it. | |
| I am allergic to peanuts | 我对花生过敏 | Wo dui huasheng guomin (wo dway hwa-shung gwo-min) | Critical. Show this on your phone screen. |
Numbers (Essential)
One to Ten Out Loud
1-10: Yi, Er, San, Si, Wu, Liu, Qi, Ba, Jiu, Shi — (ee, ar, san, suh, woo, lyo, chee, bah, jyo, shr).
For prices, vendors will either show you on a calculator or write the number. Learn to recognize the hand gestures for 1-10 — they are different from Western gestures and widely used in markets.
Apps That Help
Our Three Picks
- Google Translate (with Chinese downloaded offline): Camera translation for menus and signs works surprisingly well.
- Pleco: The best Chinese-English dictionary app. Works offline. Draw characters with your finger to look them up.
- Baidu Translate: Often better than Google for Chinese. Works without a VPN.