Essential Chinese Phrases
The survival phrases people actually say — with pinyin, audio, and the tone changes native speakers make
The second syllable is neutral — xièxie, not xièxiè.
不 becomes bú before the 4th tone of 客.
Two 3rd tones — spoken kéyǐ, the first one rises.
一 becomes yí before the 4th tone of 下.
Literally "I am called" — the natural way to give your name.
Swap the country: 英国 UK, 法国 France, 德国 Germany.
Guaranteed to delight everyone you say it to.
The single most useful sentence for a learner.
Also read shuí — shéi is what you'll hear.
Southern China says 哪里 nǎlǐ.
The politer word is 洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān), "hand-washing room".
Show the address in characters on your phone.
The opening move of every market negotiation.
In China it's usually WeChat/Alipay — 微信 or 支付宝.
The police number in China is 110.
Ambulance: 120.
A short list of the right phrases beats a long list of textbook ones. These are the sentences that actually run daily life in China — ordering, asking prices, finding the bathroom, apologizing, and the learner's lifeline 请说慢一点 ("please speak slower") — each with pinyin, audio, and a note on when to use it.
The pinyin shows the *spoken* forms: 不客气 appears as bú kèqi because 不 changes tone before a 4th tone, exactly as a native says it. Filter by situation, play the audio, copy the melody. When a phrase feels smooth, record it in the TonePerfect app and see whether your tones survive contact with a microphone.
What Chinese phrases should a beginner learn first?
The politeness set (你好, 谢谢, 不客气, 对不起), the two learner lifesavers 请再说一遍 (say it again) and 请说慢一点 (slower please), and the transactional trio: 多少钱 (how much), 我要这个 (I'll take this), 买单 (the bill). That handful covers a shocking share of daily interactions.
Why does the pinyin here sometimes differ from my textbook?
We print the spoken form after tone sandhi: bú kèqi, yìdiǎn, yí biàn. Textbooks often print citation tones (bù, yī) and expect you to apply the changes yourself — here the audio and the romanization always agree.
Is 你吃了吗 really a greeting?
Yes — "have you eaten?" is a warm, old-school hello, not an invitation. Answer 吃了 (I've eaten) and greet back. You'll hear it most from older speakers and in smaller cities.
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A guide can explain the tones, but you can't fix your pronunciation by reading. The TonePerfect app lets you actually say the words and scores every syllable — initial, final, and tone — in real time, so you hear your mistakes and correct them on the spot.
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