Mandarin Today
Mandarin Chinese is increasingly valuable for travel, business, and culture. This guide covers practical vocabulary and useful expressions to get you started.
Basic Vocabulary
Familiarize yourself with common nouns, verbs, and adjectives that appear in everyday situations. Practice both meaning and pronunciation.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | hello |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | thanks |
| 水 | shuǐ | water |
| 饭店 | fàndiàn | restaurant |
| 火车站 | huǒchēzhàn | train station |
| 多少钱 | duōshao qián | how much (money) |
| 卫生间 | wèishēngjiān | restroom |
| 帮助 | bāngzhù | help |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport |
| 东西 | dōngxi | thing / stuff |
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Example Sentence | Pinyin Sentence | English Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🐉 | lóng | dragon | 🐉 今天的词汇表有很多飞起来的词。 | Lóng jīntiān de cíhuì biǎo yǒu hěn duō fēi qǐlái de cí. | Today's vocabulary list has many words that fly up. |
| 🌸 | huā | flower | 🌸 公园里开满了彩色的花。 | Gōngyuán lǐ kāi mǎn le cǎisè de huā. | The park is full of colorful flowers. |
| 🍎 | píngguǒ | apple | 🍎 篮子里装满了红红的苹果。 | Lánzi lǐ zhuāng mǎn le hóng hóng de píngguǒ. | The basket is full of bright red apples. |
| 🏮 | dēnglóng | lantern | 🏮 夜空中挂着一排排红灯笼。 | Yè kōng zhōng guà zhe yī pái pái hóng dēnglóng. | Rows of red lanterns hang in the night sky. |
| 🚩 | lǐngxiàng | landmark | 🚩 河边的大桥是我们的路标。 | Hé biān de dà qiáo shì wǒmen de lùbiāo. | The big bridge by the river is our landmark. |
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Useful Expressions
Learn set phrases for asking directions, ordering food, and other common interactions. Sentence patterns make it easier to plug in vocabulary.
Asking Directions
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Ordering Food
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Market and Shopping
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Transportation
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Asking Directions
Phrases for finding places and navigating transport will speed up travel and reduce stress. Practice questions and short replies.
Ordering Food
Key sentences for ordering, requesting recommendations, and mentioning preferences help you communicate in restaurants and markets.
Market and Shopping
Expressions for asking prices, bargaining, and paying are useful in markets and small shops. Polite phrases make interactions smoother.
Transportation
Vocabulary and sentences for buying tickets, asking schedules, and catching buses or trains ensure you can get around efficiently.
Summary
Mandarin Chinese opens doors to a vast culture and practical assistance when traveling. Focus on high-frequency vocabulary and useful set expressions to make rapid progress.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025