Learn Chinese: everyday phrase guides
Short, accurate guides to the Chinese phrases people ask about most — each with the characters, the pinyin, the tones marked, the mistakes learners make, and the cultural context that changes how a phrase is really used. Free to read, written by a Chinese language academy.
How do you say hello in Chinese?
The standard way to say hello in Mandarin Chinese is 你好 (nǐ hǎo). It literally means “you good”, and it works in almost any situation — but there is one pronunciation detail that most beginners get wrong, and a more natural greeting that native speakers actually reach for.
How do you say “how are you” in Chinese?
The phrase every textbook teaches for “how are you” is 你好吗 (nǐ hǎo ma). It is correct and everyone understands it — but it is worth knowing how to answer it, and that native speakers usually ask after each other a different way.
How do you say thank you in Chinese?
Thank you in Mandarin is 谢谢 (xièxie). It is one of the first words most people learn, and it is genuinely used everywhere — but knowing how to respond to it, and when *not* to over-use it, is what makes it sound natural.
How do you ask “what is your name” in Chinese?
The everyday way to ask someone’s name in Mandarin is 你叫什么名字? (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?). There is also a noticeably more polite version for formal or respectful settings, which is worth having ready.
How do you say “I love you” in Chinese?
I love you in Mandarin is 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ). It is grammatically simple, but 爱 (ài, “love”) is a strong, weighty word in Chinese, and there are gentler and more playful ways people actually express affection.
What are the Chinese numbers one to ten?
The numbers one to ten are the best possible starting point in Mandarin: they are short, they combine to build every larger number, and they carry real cultural weight — some are lucky, one is distinctly unlucky.
How many letters are in the Chinese alphabet?
The honest answer to “how many letters are in the Chinese alphabet” is: none. Chinese does not have an alphabet at all. It uses a completely different kind of writing system, and understanding how it works removes most of the fear beginners have about it.
Ready to go further than phrases?
These guides are a taste. Real progress comes from lessons with a teacher — online, in person in Abu Dhabi, or with a home tutor, all mapped to the official HSK levels.
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