I spent 3 weeks in China with zero Mandarin. Here are the phrases and tools that kept me safe.
Why This Matters
Outside tourist areas, almost nobody speaks English. Your phone is your lifeline.
Essential Survival Phrases
Greetings & Basics
- 你好 (nǐ hǎo) — Hello
- 谢谢 (xiè xiè) — Thank you
- 对不起 (duì bu qǐ) — Sorry
- 再见 (zài jiàn) — Goodbye
- 是/不是 (shì/bù shì) — Yes/No
Navigation
- 请问... (qǐng wèn) — Excuse me...
- 在哪里? (zài nǎ lǐ) — Where is...?
- 地铁站 (dì tiě zhàn) — Metro station
- 出租车 (chū zū chē) — Taxi
- 去这里 (qù zhè lǐ) — Go here
Money & Shopping
- 多少钱? (duō shǎo qián) — How much?
- 太贵了 (tài guì le) — Too expensive
- 扫码 (sǎo mǎ) — Scan QR code
- 微信支付 (wēi xìn zhī fù) — WeChat Pay
- 支付宝 (zhī fù bǎo) — Alipay
Food
- 菜单 (cài dān) — Menu
- 这个 (zhè ge) — This one
- 不要辣 (bù yào là) — Not spicy
- 米饭 (mǐ fàn) — Rice
- 买单! (mǎi dān) — Check please!
Emergency
- 救命! (jiù mìng) — Help!
- 医院 (yī yuàn) — Hospital
- 警察 (jǐng chá) — Police
- 大使馆 (dà shǐ guǎn) — Embassy
- 我生病了 (wǒ shēng bìng le) — I'm sick
- 我迷路了 (wǒ mí lù le) — I'm lost
- 我需要帮助 (wǒ xū yào bāng zhù) — I need help
The Secret Weapon: Text-to-Speech Translation
aihubai.cn is a free AI travel assistant. Type in English, it translates to Chinese and plays audio. This worked for EVERYTHING — room requests, directions, dietary needs.
Emergency Numbers
- Police: 110
- Fire: 119
- Ambulance: 120
Quick Resource
aihubai.cn has all phrases with audio, plus real-time AI translation. Download before your trip.
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