lonely planet Mandarin phrasebook
Greetings / Title addressing

Basics

Note that in Mandarin, the word "please" (qing,请) always precede as a request. You're likely to become familiar with the last two phrases below as Chinese people use them a lot.

Yes- 是 (shi)

No- 不是 (bushi)

Please...- 请... (qing)

Thank you- 谢谢 (xie xie)

You're Welcome- 不客气 (bu keqi)

Excuse me (to get attention)- 劳驾 (laojia)

Excuse me (to get past)- 借光 (jieguang)

Sorry- 对不起 (duibuqi)

As you please. - 随便 (suibian)

No problem. - 没关系 (meiguanxi)

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Greetings and Goodbyes

Greeting all- 大家好 (dajia hao)

Hello (general)- 你好 (nihao)

Hello (lit: Have you eaten?)- 吃饭了吗？ (Chifan le ma?)

Good....- 。。。好 （...hao）

• morning (after breakfast)- 早上 (zaoshang)
• afternoon- 下午 (xiawu)
• evening- 晚上 (wanshang)
  

How are you? (general)- 你好吗？ (nihao ma)

Fine. And you?- 好。 你呢？ (hao. Ni ne?)

What's your name?- 你叫什么名字？(ni jiao shenme mingzi)

My name is...- 我叫。。。 (wo jiao...)

I'd like to introduce you to..- 给你介绍。。。 (gei ni jieshao)

This is my...- 这是我的。。。 (zhe shi wode...)

• child- 孩子 (haizi)
• colleague- 同事 (tongshi)
• friend- 朋友 (pengyou)
• husband- 丈夫 (zhangfu)
• partner (intimate)- 对象 (duixiang)
• wife- 太太 (taitai)
  

I'm pleased to meet you.- 幸会。 (xinghui)

Goodbye- 再见 (zaijian)

Bye- 拜拜 (baibai)

See you later- 回头见 (huitou jian)

Good night- 晚安 (wan an)

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Title & Addressing people

China is host to a wealth of titles and terms of address, reflecting the richness of China's feudal past. Travelers to China can get by using the three titles given below. The last term (xiaojie 小姐) is becoming the generic term for women of unspecified marital status. Be aware that it can carry a derogatory overtone of "prostitute" but only if you used in a sexually suggestive contexts.

Mr/Sir - 先生 (xiansheng)

Mrs/Madam- 女士 (nushi)

Ms. /Miss- 小姐 (xiaojie)

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Local Talk...

Great! - 太棒！ (taibang!)

Hey! - 劳驾！(laojia!)

It's OK. - 还行。 (haixing)

Just a minute. - 等一下，啊。 (dengyixia, a)

Maybe- 有可能 (you ke neng)

No problem- 没事 (meishi)

No way! - 不可能！(bu ke neng!)

谢谢！I have this chinese writing thing that uses pinyin. Do you know which pinyin you use for 谢? xie?

That's correct bluebear549. You need to type 'xie' to make "谢".

What does 'mei yo' mean?
I don't want it?

没有 (mei yo) has two meaning, it can be "I don't have it" or "It is nothing."

is it possible that you can speak and understand mandarin but can't read and write the language? what is the easiest way to learn both (reading and writing, speaking and understanding mandarin)?

Yes, it is possible to speak and understand Mandarin before you can read and write the language. That how I first learned even though I am Chinese, Mandarin wasn't my first Chinese language I learned. So I went to Chinese school for a year or so and learned it on my own watching numerous shows/series with dubbed Mandarin to get better at it.

I do suggest it the easiest way to learn the language.

That's enough- 性了， 行了！(xingle, xingle!)...is this correct? Or is this chinese input correct?

Well That's enough- 性了， 行了！(xingle, xingle!) is English pronunciation will be "xing le"

I'll edit that part so there won't be any confusion...

Hey ppl.. I would like to know which is the informal way of greeting in mandarin.. Is it 'ni hao ma' or just 'ni hao'.. Because I read in Chinese pod.com they say ni hao is enough.. Is it true?