Plan · Language
Language for travellers
The reality
Mandarin (Putonghua, 普通话) is the standard official language. Cantonese is the spoken language in Guangdong and Hong Kong. Local dialects (Shanghainese, Hokkien, Sichuanese) are spoken in addition to Mandarin in their regions.
English level by region: - **Hong Kong, Macau**: English universally functional. - **Tier-1 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou)**: English in tourist areas, hotels, international restaurants. Limited at street level. - **Major tourist cities (Xi'an, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu)**: English at sights, hotels, English-friendly restaurants. - **Tier-2 / Tier-3 cities**: rare English. Translation apps essential. - **Rural areas**: essentially zero English.
Translation apps
- Google Translate: works offline if you pre-download the Chinese language pack. Conversation mode works for two-way speech. Camera mode reads menus and signs.
- Pleco: Chinese-English dictionary with handwriting recognition, OCR, and bilingual conversation flashcards. Essential for any serious China traveller.
- Microsoft Translator: free, also offline. Shared-conversation mode lets two phones translate to each other.
30 essential phrases
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | nǐ hǎo | ||
| Thank you | 谢谢 | xièxiè | ||
| You're welcome | 不客气 | bù kèqì | ||
| Yes | 是 | shì | ||
| No | 不是 | bù shì | ||
| Excuse me | 不好意思 / 请问 | bù hǎo yìsi / qǐng wèn | ||
| I don't understand | 我不懂 | wǒ bù dǒng | ||
| Do you speak English? | 你会说英语吗? | nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma? | ||
| How much? | 多少钱? | duōshǎo qián? | ||
| Too expensive | 太贵了 | tài guì le | ||
| Cheaper, please | 便宜一点 | piányí yīdiǎn | ||
| Where is the toilet? | 厕所在哪里? | cèsuǒ zài nǎlǐ? | ||
| Where is...? | …在哪里? | ... zài nǎlǐ? | ||
| Beijing | 北京 | Běijīng | ||
| Train station | 火车站 | huǒchē zhàn | ||
| High-speed rail | 高铁 | gāotiě | ||
| Airport | 机场 | jīchǎng | ||
| Hotel | 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | ||
| Restaurant | 饭店 / 餐厅 | fàndiàn / cāntīng | ||
| Menu | 菜单 | càidān | ||
| Water | 水 | shuǐ | ||
| Hot water | 热水 | rè shuǐ | ||
| Tea | 茶 | chá | ||
| Beer | 啤酒 | píjiǔ | ||
| Spicy | 辣 | là | ||
| Not spicy | 不辣 | bù là | ||
| I am vegetarian | 我吃素 | wǒ chī sù | ||
| Bill, please | 买单 | mǎi dān | ||
| Today | 今天 | jīntiān | ||
| Tomorrow | 明天 | míngtiān |
Tones
Mandarin uses four tones (plus a neutral tone). The same syllable can mean four different words depending on tone. Don't worry about getting tones perfectly right as a tourist — context helps. But practise hello (nǐ hǎo) and thank you (xièxiè) so they're recognisable.