Greetings & courtesy
- 你好 · Nǐ hǎo — Hello
- 您好 · Nín hǎo — Hello (polite)
- 早上好 · Zǎoshang hǎo — Good morning
- 再见 · Zàijiàn — Goodbye
- 谢谢 · Xièxie — Thank you
- 不客气 · Bú kèqi — You’re welcome
- 对不起 · Duìbuqǐ — Sorry
- 没关系 · Méi guānxi — It’s okay
- 请 · Qǐng — Please
- 不好意思 · Bù hǎoyìsi — Excuse me
Classroom power phrases
- 老师好 · Lǎoshī hǎo — Hello, teacher
- 我叫… · Wǒ jiào… — My name is…
- 我不明白 · Wǒ bù míngbai — I don’t understand
- 请再说一遍 · Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn — Please say it again
- 怎么说…？ · Zěnme shuō…? — How do you say…?
- 这是什么？ · Zhè shì shénme? — What is this?
- 我明白了 · Wǒ míngbai le — I got it
- 太好了 · Tài hǎo le — Awesome
- 慢一点 · Màn yìdiǎn — A little slower
- 可以吗？ · Kěyǐ ma? — Is that okay?
Travel & everyday life
- 多少钱？ · Duōshǎo qián? — How much?
- 在哪里？ · Zài nǎlǐ? — Where is it?
- 我想要这个 · Wǒ xiǎng yào zhège — I want this
- 水 · Shuǐ — Water
- 好吃 · Hǎochī — Delicious
- 洗手间在哪里？ · Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ? — Where is the restroom?
- 我会说一点中文 · Wǒ huì shuō yìdiǎn Zhōngwén — I speak a little Chinese
- 听不懂 · Tīng bù dǒng — I don’t understand what I hear
- 请帮帮我 · Qǐng bāngbang wǒ — Please help me
- 太谢谢你了 · Tài xièxie nǐ le — Thank you so much
Memorizing the list helps. Saying each phrase with a native teacher — tones corrected in real time — is what makes them stick. That’s the heart of Sisi Mandarin lessons in Minneapolis and online.
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