100 Essential Chinese Phrases for Beginners
How to Use This Guide
Every phrase below shows three things: the Chinese characters (汉字), the pinyin romanization, and the English translation. Pinyin is colour-coded by tone so you can practise correct pronunciation at a glance. Learn more about tones and sounds on the Complete Pinyin Chart.
For counting and numbers, visit our Chinese Numbers 1–100 interactive guide.
Chinese Greetings & Introductions (打招呼)
Basic Greetings
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | Nǐ hǎo | Hello | Casual greeting |
| 您好 | Nín hǎo | Hello (formal) | Formal / respectful |
| 嗨 | Hāi | Hi | Very casual |
| 早上好 | Zǎoshang hǎo | Good morning | Before noon |
| 下午好 | Xiàwǔ hǎo | Good afternoon | After noon |
| 晚上好 | Wǎnshang hǎo | Good evening | Evening |
| 再见 | Zàijiàn | Goodbye | Standard farewell |
| 拜拜 | Bāibāi | Bye-bye | Casual farewell |
| 晚安 | Wǎn ān | Good night | Before sleep |
Introducing Yourself
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我叫… | Wǒ jiào… | My name is… | Introduce your name |
| 我是美国人 | Wǒ shì Měiguó rén | I am American | State nationality |
| 我在学中文 | Wǒ zài xué Zhōngwén | I am learning Chinese | Beginner context |
| 你好吗？ | Nǐ hǎo ma? | How are you? | Casual inquiry |
| 我很好，谢谢 | Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie | I am fine, thanks | Polite response |
| 很高兴认识你 | Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ | Nice to meet you | First meetings |
Practice These Phrases with AI Voice Recognition
Reading isn't enough — you need to speak! FlowChinese gives you instant AI pronunciation scoring on every phrase, so you learn faster and build real confidence.
Download Free on App StoreContinue Learning
Frequently Asked Questions
The most useful Chinese phrases for beginners are greetings like 你好 (Nǐ hǎo, Hello) and 谢谢 (Xièxie, Thank you), plus survival phrases like 多少钱？(How much?), 在哪里？(Where is...?), and 帮帮我！(Help!). Start with greetings and polite expressions — they open every conversation.
The standard way to say hello in Chinese is 你好 (Nǐ hǎo). For a more formal or respectful greeting use 您好 (Nín hǎo). In casual settings, especially among younger people, 嗨 (Hāi, Hi) is very common. In the morning say 早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo, Good morning).
Common Chinese greetings include 你好 (Hello), 早上好 (Good morning), 下午好 (Good afternoon), 晚上好 (Good evening), and 再见 (Goodbye). Chinese speakers also commonly ask 你吃了吗？(Have you eaten?) as a friendly greeting, especially among family and friends.
Mandarin has a reputation for being difficult, but many aspects are actually straightforward: no verb conjugation, no noun genders, no plural forms. The main challenges are the 4 tones and the writing system. With focused practice — especially using apps like FlowChinese that give instant AI pronunciation feedback — most learners can hold basic conversations within 3 months.