At a restaurant in China, you often order by scanning a QR code on the table. At a train station, a foreign passport usually sends you to a staffed gate, because the automatic gates cannot read it. Going to Taiwan? Read Taiwan Mandarin Phrases to Learn Before Your First Trip.
Pinyin spells how a Chinese word sounds, and the mark over a vowel shows its tone, the way your voice moves: level (ā), rising (á), dipping (ǎ) or falling (à). A syllable with no mark, like the second one in xièxie, is said short and light. Two words change tone when you say them, and this page writes the tone you say. Before a falling tone, 不 (bù) becomes bú, as in 不要 (bú yào), and 一 (yī) becomes yí, as in 一位 (yí wèi). Before the other tones, 一 (yī) becomes yì. When two third tones come in a row, the first one changes in speech too, and pinyin does not write that change.
| On the sign | What it means | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 出口chūkǒu | Exit | 出 (chū) means out. 口 (kǒu) looks like a small box. It means mouth, and at the end of a sign word it means an opening. |
| 入口rùkǒu | Entrance | 入 (rù) means in. |
| 进站jìnzhàn | Way into the station | 进 (jìn) also means in, and 站 (zhàn) means station or stop. |
| 出站chūzhàn | Way out of the station | |
| 换乘huànchéng | Transfer to another line | |
| 安检ānjiǎn | Security check | You go through one at high-speed rail stations and many subway stations. |
| 检票口jiǎnpiàokǒu | Ticket-check gate | Look for 口 (kǒu) at the end, as in exit. |
| 地铁dìtiě | Subway |
China writes its signs in simplified characters, which have fewer strokes than the traditional characters used in Taiwan. Simplified vs Traditional Chinese shows what changed.
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 请出示护照。qǐng chūshì hùzhào. | Please show your passport. | At the gate you may hear this, or just 护照 (hùzhào) for passport or 证件 (zhèngjiàn) for ID. |
| 这是我的护照。zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào. | This is my passport. | Hand it over as you say it. |
| 人工通道在哪儿？réngōng tōngdào zài nǎr? | Where is the staffed gate? | 人工 (réngōng) means a person handles it. Signs for the staffed gate use different words, so ask if you can't find it. |
| 检票口在哪儿？jiǎnpiàokǒu zài nǎr? | Where is the ticket-check gate? | |
| 出口怎么走？chūkǒu zěnme zǒu? | How do I get to the exit? | 怎么走 (zěnme zǒu) comes after the place you want to reach. To ask where to change lines, say 换乘在哪儿？ (huànchéng zài nǎr?) |
Take the passport you used to book the ticket and go to the staffed gate, where staff check it and your ticket. Keep it handy at your destination too, because the exit gate can check it. Arrive at least 30 minutes before the train leaves. High-speed rail stations are large and have a security check, and the gates usually close three to five minutes before departure. Some cities have more than one station, such as Beijing South and Beijing West, so check the station name on your ticket.
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 请问是尾号5278的乘客吗？qǐngwèn shì wěihào wǔ èr qī bā de chéngkè ma? | Excuse me, are you the passenger whose phone number ends in 5278? | 尾号 (wěihào) means the last digits of a number. Drivers on different apps phrase this check differently. |
| 是的。shì de. | Yes. | You can answer with this, or with either of the next two lines. |
| 对。duì. | Yes, that's right. | |
| 是我。shì wǒ. | That's me. | |
| 请问您的手机尾号是多少？qǐngwèn nín de shǒujī wěihào shì duōshao? | Excuse me, what are the last digits of your phone number? | Some drivers ask you to say the digits. |
| 尾号是1086。wěihào shì yāo líng bā liù. | The last digits are 1086. | You say this one with your own digits. In phone numbers, people usually say the digit 1 as 幺 (yāo), so it is not mixed up with 7. |
| 你在哪儿？nǐ zài nǎr? | Where are you? | Drivers ask this by phone call or message. |
| 我在酒店门口。wǒ zài jiǔdiàn ménkǒu. | I'm at the hotel entrance. | You say this. 酒店 (jiǔdiàn) is the usual word for a hotel in China. |
| 我到了。wǒ dào le. | I've arrived. | Drivers send this when they reach the pickup spot. |
DiDi shows a code that is the last four digits of your phone number, and you show it to the driver. Many drivers speak only Chinese. DiDi's Message button sends ready-made messages that are translated between Chinese and English.
| On the sign or screen | What it means | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 扫码点餐sǎomǎ diǎncān | Scan the code to order | |
| 堂食tángshí | Eat in | |
| 打包dǎbāo | Takeout | You also say it to take your leftovers home. |
| 带走dàizǒu | Takeout | Staff say this at the counter. |
| 外带wàidài | Takeout | You see it on ordering screens. |
| 外卖wàimài | Delivery | For takeout, say 打包 (dǎbāo) or 带走 (dàizǒu). |
| 营业中yíngyè zhōng | Open for business |
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 几位？jǐ wèi? | How many people? | 位 (wèi) is a polite way to count people. |
| 两位。liǎng wèi. | Two people. | Use 两 (liǎng) for two people. |
| 您有预约吗？nín yǒu yùyuē ma? | Do you have a reservation? | 您 (nín) is the polite you. If you don't have a reservation, say 没有 (méiyǒu). |
| 在这儿吃还是带走？zài zhèr chī háishi dàizǒu? | For here or to go? | Reply with 在这儿吃 (zài zhèr chī) or 带走 (dàizǒu). |
| 要袋子吗？yào dàizi ma? | Do you want a bag? | If you don't, say 不用了 (bú yòng le). |
| 微信还是支付宝？Wēixìn háishi Zhīfùbǎo? | WeChat Pay or Alipay? | Say 微信 (Wēixìn) to pay with WeChat Pay or 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo) to pay with Alipay. |
| 你扫我还是我扫你？nǐ sǎo wǒ háishi wǒ sǎo nǐ? | Will you scan my code, or shall I scan yours? | Staff say 你 (nǐ) for you and 我 (wǒ) for themselves. To scan the shop's code yourself, answer 我扫你 (wǒ sǎo nǐ). To let the shop scan your code, answer 你扫我 (nǐ sǎo wǒ). Alipay and WeChat Pay both let you do either. |
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 能帮我点餐吗？néng bāng wǒ diǎncān ma? | Could you help me order? | Say this when the ordering screen won't open or asks for something you can't give. |
| 有纸质菜单吗？yǒu zhǐzhì càidān ma? | Do you have a paper menu? | |
| 我没有中国的手机号。wǒ méiyǒu Zhōngguó de shǒujīhào. | I don't have a Chinese mobile number. | Say this if the screen asks for a Chinese phone number. |
| 可以付现金吗？kěyǐ fù xiànjīn ma? | Can I pay in cash? | |
| 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? | Can I pay by card? | 刷卡 (shuākǎ) means to pay by card. |
Many restaurants keep paper menus, but not all do. The table code often opens the restaurant's own ordering page inside WeChat, called a mini program. Some of these pages ask to use your WeChat nickname and picture, and some ask for the phone number linked to your WeChat account.
In 2024 the People's Bank of China said it would act against shops that refuse cash, and it encouraged key places and shops to accept overseas bank cards.
| On the sign | What it means |
|---|---|
| 洗手间xǐshǒujiān | Restroom |
| 卫生间wèishēngjiān | Restroom |
| 男nán | Men |
| 女nǚ | Women |
| 禁止吸烟jìnzhǐ xīyān | No smoking |
| 请勿吸烟qǐng wù xīyān | Please do not smoke |
| Phrase | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| 这个多少钱？zhège duōshao qián? | How much is this? | |
| 我要这个。wǒ yào zhège. | I'll take this one. | Point at the menu or the shelf as you say it. |
| 洗手间在哪儿？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr? | Where is the restroom? | |
| 能用支付宝吗？néng yòng Zhīfùbǎo ma? | Can I pay with Alipay? | |
| 请再说一遍。qǐng zài shuō yí biàn. | Please say that once more. | |
| 我不会说中文。wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén. | I don't speak Chinese. |
Menus mark spice levels with the words below. When you order out loud, say 不要辣 (bú yào là) for no spice.
| On the menu | What it means |
|---|---|
| 不辣bú là | Not spicy |
| 微辣wēilà | A little spicy |
| 中辣zhōnglà | Medium spicy |
Here the table code won't open, so you ask staff to take your order.
| Who | Chinese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Staff | 欢迎光临，几位？huānyíng guānglín, jǐ wèi? | Welcome. How many people? |
| You | 一位。yí wèi. | One. |
| You | 不好意思，能帮我点餐吗？bù hǎoyìsi, néng bāng wǒ diǎncān ma? | Excuse me, could you help me order? |
| Staff | 可以。您想吃点儿什么？kěyǐ. nín xiǎng chī diǎnr shénme? | Sure. What would you like to eat? |
| You | 一碗牛肉面，不要辣。yì wǎn niúròumiàn, bú yào là. | One bowl of beef noodles, not spicy. |
| Staff | 好的，请稍等。hǎo de, qǐng shāo děng. | OK, one moment, please. |
| You (when you finish) | 买单。mǎidān. | The check, please. |
| Staff | 微信还是支付宝？Wēixìn háishi Zhīfùbǎo? | WeChat Pay or Alipay? |
| You | 支付宝。Zhīfùbǎo. | Alipay. |
| Staff | 你扫我还是我扫你？nǐ sǎo wǒ háishi wǒ sǎo nǐ? | Will you scan my code, or shall I scan yours? |
| You | 我扫你。wǒ sǎo nǐ. | I'll scan yours. |
| Staff (after you pay) | 好的，谢谢，慢走。hǎo de, xièxie, màn zǒu. | OK, thank you. Take care. |
| You | 谢谢，再见。xièxie, zàijiàn. | Thank you, goodbye. |
慢走 (màn zǒu) is the staff member's goodbye. Answer with thanks.
Pleco
When a menu or sign has a word you don't know, Pleco, a Chinese dictionary app, can look it up. Its basic version costs nothing and shows no ads.
- Write a character on the screen with your finger to find the word.
- Works offline once the dictionaries are on your phone.
- Flashcards
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
- Nihao China: A free app from UnionPay for visitors to China, in English and 25 other languages. It has real-time voice translation and QR code payments that also work on buses and subways.
- DiDi: A ride-hailing app with an English screen and in-app messages that are translated between English and Chinese.
- 12306: The official China Railway ticket site and app, with an English version. Foreign travelers can buy tickets with a passport.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Chinese (Mainland). You learn from Chinese (Mainland) you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons about situations you will meet on your trip, like buying a train ticket in Beijing, at your level.
- The Pinyin course teaches pinyin from the first letter.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Read and listen to news and stories in Mandarin Chinese about things you care about.
- Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading. You can also export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn your own Chinese books or articles into lessons. However, you can send Poppy a photo of a page, and she'll tell you what it says, line by line.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
- Teaches Pinyin
- Traditional characters
- Zhuyin
Mobile
Will These Phrases Work in Taiwan?
Some will. Many everyday words differ in Taiwan, and Taiwan vs Mainland Mandarin compares them.
Why Do Some Pinyin Letters Sound Different From English?
In 请勿吸烟 (qǐng wù xīyān), the q sounds close to the ch in punchy and the x close to the sh in push. The ü in 女 (nǚ) is said like ee with rounded lips, and it keeps its two dots because nu and nü are different sounds. Pinyin Tones explains the tone marks.
Where Can You Practice Ordering Food in Chinese?
Bubblegum's guide to Chinese food has lessons on ordering street food and eating at restaurants. Its pinyin course teaches the letters and tones.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Nihao China, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, How to Buy a CRH Train Ticket? (foreign travelers enter and exit the station with the same ID they bought the ticket with, most foreign passports do not work at the automatic gates, the manual verification channel, arrive at least 30 minutes early, gates close 3 to 5 minutes before departure, some cities have more than one station such as Beijing, Beijing South and Beijing West, the 12306 app is available in English)
- Beijing Municipal Government, Taxis & Ride-Hailing (DiDi has an English interface, most drivers only speak Chinese, show the driver the code that is the last four digits of your phone number, messages translated between Chinese and English)
- Shanghai Municipal Government, How to use DiDi Chuxing (messages that translate to English, verify the last four digits of your mobile phone with the driver)
- 新华网, 被“强制扫码”的经历，你有过吗？(shops link the table QR code to a mini program, some ask for a WeChat nickname and avatar or a phone number linked to WeChat, most shops visited gave paper menus and a few did not)
- People's Bank of China, SCIO Holds Policy Briefing on Further Optimizing Payment Services (briefing held March 1, 2024: firm action against merchants who refuse cash, key places and merchants encouraged to accept overseas bank cards)
- Alipay, Merchant QR Code Payment (the customer scans the merchant's QR code to pay)
- Alipay, Barcode Payment (the merchant scans the customer's payment code to collect)
- WeChat Pay, Offline Store without POS Devices (the merchant scans the customer's payment code, or the customer scans the shop's QR code)
- Nihao China, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Nihao China App (a one-stop service for overseas visitors: payment, bus and metro, maps)
- App Store (US), DiDi China: Ride Hailing (free, developer 滴滴出行(北京), English interface, in-app messages with bilingual translation between English and Chinese)
- App Store (US), Nihao China (free, developer 中国银联, English and 25 more languages, QR code payments, bus and metro, maps, real-time voice translation)
- 12306 China Railway, English site (the official ticket site)
- Pleco, Pleco Chinese Dictionary on the App Store (no ads; handwriting; camera lookup is a paid add-on; free built-in dictionaries)
- Pleco, Pleco for iPhone / iPad (the basic version is free; once dictionaries are downloaded it runs without an internet connection)
- Wiktionary, 出 (to go out; to exit)
- Wiktionary, 入 (to enter; to go into)
- Wiktionary, 口 (entrance, opening: 入口 entrance, 出口 exit)
- Wiktionary, 站 (to stand; the sense of a station comes from the same word)
- Wiktionary, 车站 (bus station, train station)
- Wiktionary, 进 (to enter; to go in)
- Wikipedia, Pinyin (x is similar to the sh in push, q is similar to the ch in punchy; ü is said like ee with rounded lips and is written with its dots after n and l, as in nǚ; the neutral tone has no mark; tone sandhi is not ordinarily reflected in pinyin spelling)
- Wikipedia, Standard Chinese phonology (two third tones in a row: the first is said with the second tone; bù, not, is bú before a fourth tone and bù otherwise; yī, one, is yí before a fourth tone and yì before a first, second or third tone; weak syllables are shorter and have the neutral tone)
