Journeys With Stephen

Tag: Mandarin

  • 25 useful Chinese phrases for travelers

    25 useful Chinese phrases for travelers

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    No matter what country you travel to, it is helpful to learn a few key phrases. For China this is important, because most people don’t speak English, and Mandarin is very different. Fear not. Try to learn a few words, and locals may point you in the right direction!

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Chinese on Wanfujing Street Beijing” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Chinese-Wanfujing-Street-Beijing-China.jpg” alt=”Chinese on Wanfujing Street Beijing” title_text=”Chinese on Wanfujing Street Beijing” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Before we begin, let’s clear up a few things:

    The common words I present here are only intended to show people that you respect their language and have made the effort to learn a tiny bit. It is more for setting the tone for your interaction.

    Speaking of tone, Chinese is a language of sounds, where a word can have vastly different meanings depending on the tone used. That is too complicated for this exercise. Fortunately, if people understand the context (“How much does this cost?” while you are holding an item in a store), they will probably understand you. I will also help by showing phonetic spellings here.

    You won’t be able to read Chinese characters, but sometimes words might be written in both characters and in pinyin, the English alphabet version of Mandarin. I also include pinyin here.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”4-star toilet sign Beijing” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/4-star-toilet-sign-Beijing-China.jpg” alt=”4-star toilet sign Beijing” title_text=”4-star toilet sign Beijing” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Keep it simple. I have seen guidebooks that teach you how to say in Chinese, “What types of hotel rooms do you have available?” If the desk clerk actually understands you, she will rattle off a long answer in Chinese, and you won’t have understood a word of her reply.

    Learning how to say, “Do you speak English?” in a foreign language is a waste of time. That is the one question you should ask in English! The answer will range from, “yes” to “a little” to a headshake. Take it from there. She may even be anxious to try out her English on you!

    While all written Chinese is the same, there are two very different spoken versions of the language (besides lots of dialects). Mandarin is the official version, which I present here. But if you are in the south of China or Hong Kong, you may hear Cantonese spoken. It is different, although most Cantonese can understand Mandarin. Got it?

    I must reiterate that this is just a way to be polite and show you are making an attempt to communicate. Don’t forget to use apps for other purposes. For example, Waygo enables you to point your phone camera at a sign written in Chinese, and the app will translate it into English. Some apps allow you to speak and listen, but note, Google doesn’t work in China.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Hilly road sign Beijing” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Hilly-road-sign-Beijing-China.jpg” alt=”Hilly road sign Beijing” title_text=”Hilly road sign Beijing” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    That said, let’s get started with some common, useful Chinese words for travel.

    1. Hello, hi

    ni hao (written in pinyin) pronounced as (nee how)

    This is the most common greeting and can be said to everyone.

     

    2. How are you?

    ni hao ma? (nee how ma)

    Just add “ma” to ni hao. Easy, right?

     

    3. Good morning

    zao (dzow)

    A common, friendly greeting in the morning, instead of ni hao.

     

    4. Hello (answer phone)

    wei (way)

    You will hear people answer their phones with wei instead of ni hao.

     

    5. Good

    hao (how)

    Hopefully, it’s your answer to the question “ni hao ma?”

     

    6. Very good

    hen hao (hen how)

    If you have made it this far, then “hen hao.”

     

    7. Thank you

    xie xie (shyeah shyeah)

    This is the most mispronounced phrase by foreigners. Don’t say “shee shee!”

    It is softer: sh-yeah sh-yeah or even see-yeah see-yeah.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Group smiling on Great Wall of China” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Great-Wall-of-China-smiles.jpg” alt=”Group smiling on Great Wall of China” title_text=”Group smiling on Great Wall of China” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    8. You’re welcome

    bukeqi (boo kuh chee)

    If someone thanks you, say this in return. They will smile at your politeness.

     

    9. No problem, it’s nothing

    meishi (may shrr)

    You may hear this often after you thank someone.

     

    10. Sorry, excuse me

    duibuqi (dway boo chee)

    “Sorry” is usually in my top 10 for any language, because I say it a lot!

     

    11. Good-bye

    zaijian (dzeye jee-en)

    Zaijian is somewhat formal. The good news is, you can just say “bye bye!”

     

    12. 1, 2, 3

    yi, er, san (ee, are, san)

    Try saying this just before taking someone’s picture. It always brings a smile.

     

    13. How much?

    duo shao (doo-ah shaow)

     

    14. Money, cost

    qian (chee-en)

    Duoshao qian would therefore mean, “how much does this cost?”

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Stephen Henson Beijing restaurant” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Stephen-Henson-Beijing-China-restaurant.jpg” alt=”Stephen Henson Beijing restaurant” title_text=”Stephen Henson Beijing restaurant” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    15. Bottle of water

    ping shui (ping shway)

     

    16. Cola

    kele (kuhluh)

     

    17. Waiter, attendant

    fuwuyuan (foo woo yoo-an)

    It’s all right to say that loudly in a restaurant to get his attention.

     

    18. Please give me…

    qing ni gei wo (ching nee gay wuh)

    Then order a bottle of cola or water!

     

    19. Bathroom or restroom

    cesuo (tser swor) or weishengjian (way shung jee-en)

    “Bathroom is where?” would be “weishengjian zai nar?”

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Restroom door in China” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Restroom-door-in-China.jpg” alt=”Restroom door in China” title_text=”Restroom door in China” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    20. U.S., America

    Meiguo (may gwah)

     

    21. China

    Zhongguo (joong gwah)

     

    22. Person

    ren (ren)

    So, for example, American is Meiguo ren

     

    23. Yes, no

    dui (dway), bu (boo)

    This is trickier, as dui only means “correct,” not other ways to say “yes.”

    You may often hear it quickly repeated, dui dui dui, like yeah, yeah, yeah.

    And bu can be a little strong, which sometimes is bu hao or “not good.”

     

    24. Beijing

    Beijing (bay jing)

    I include this city because Americans say bay-zhing, which drives me crazy.

    It is a “hard j,” like jingle bells.

     

    25. Shanghai

    Shanghai (shahng high)

    Mispronouncing this to rhyme with twang also drives me crazy.

     

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Beijing China airport sign” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Beijing-China-airport-sign.jpg” alt=”Beijing China airport sign” title_text=”Beijing China airport sign” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    How to make this work? If you and a travel partner are making your first trip to China, I suggest you practice this on each other during the flight there. Then you can say “ni hao!” to “Zhongguo ren” on arrival.

    And, if you’re looking for a bit more perspective on the adventures of trying to speak Chinese, take a few minutes to read one of my other posts: Welcome to China, where you can’t speak, read or write.

    Look for a future post about useful Spanish phrases for travelers!

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  • Welcome to China, where you can’t speak, read or write

    Welcome to China, where you can’t speak, read or write

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    I love China. I was on one of my early trips there, and the task was pretty straightforward: walk from my hotel to the nearest subway and ride it to my company’s office. I already knew that I couldn’t take a taxi in Beijing without being able to speak Chinese, but I wasn’t worried.

    For taxis, foreigners usually need someone to write down the destination address in Chinese characters on a slip of paper to hand to the taxi driver. The drivers don’t read maps either, so pointing to a spot on one is fruitless. If they get lost, they call a buddy for help. Now there are apps to show the address in Chinese from your phone – but even the app isn’t always correct, as streets keep changing. I know; I have used an app and been taken to the wrong place more than once.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Chinese you are here sign” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Chinese-you-are-here-sign.jpg” alt=”Chinese you are here sign” title_text=”Chinese you are here sign” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Fear not, I had been studying conversational Mandarin for a few months and could master some simple sentences in case I got lost. Which I did. My map, entirely in Chinese characters (which I don’t read), indicated the subway station should be close by, but I saw no signs. Of course the street signs are also only in Chinese, but I was looking for the little blue subway logo. Where was it?

    As the mid-morning sun beat down on me in my dark suit and no longer crisp white shirt, I sought the answer. I would duck into the nearby air-conditioned department store and simply ask someone. And I knew how to say it! “Laojia, ditian zhan zai nar?” Literally, “Excuse me, subway station is where?”

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Beijing subway station sign” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Beijing-subway-station-sign.jpg” alt=”Beijing subway station sign” title_text=”Beijing subway station sign” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    As expected, none of the sales clerks spoke English. What I didn’t expect was that no one understood a word I was saying. Should I speak more slowly? Louder? Use hand gestures?

    Well folks, the culture shock we feel going to China versus most tourist spots in the world, is that you are truly illiterate. You can’t speak, listen, read, or write. And English really isn’t a second language, like in much of the Western world. Yes, kids study English in school and have to pass a test to get into college. But the emphasis is on reading and writing, and of course they forget even a lot of that over time. The average person simply does not speak a word of English.

    The conversational difficulties are exacerbated by the Chinese tonal system. Every syllable essentially can be pronounced up to 4 different ways, yielding 4 different meanings. Hey, not that English is easy. Try saying this out loud: “Put some clothes on that animal. I can’t bear to see a bare bear!” We understand it because the words are in context.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Chinese hair salon sign translated” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Chinese-hair-salon-sign-translated.jpg” alt=”Chinese hair salon sign translated” title_text=”Chinese hair salon sign translated” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    Here I was in a department store, where they expected me to be asking for men’s clothing or shoes, and instead I was saying something else. Maybe the puzzled looks were just over a Caucasian speaking Chinese.

    Finally, a customer who spoke some English interpreted my request. “Oh, you mean ditian (subway).” “Yeah, that’s what I’ve been saying.” It turns out that one of the many station entrances was less than 50 meters out the door. They pointed me in the right direction.

    I’m not alone in discovering this culture shock. Deborah Fallows has written a fabulous book about it, “Dreaming in Chinese.” My favorite story was of her walking into a Taco Bell and asking if they have dabao (takeout). They were confused to have a lady asking for a “big hug” or a newspaper or if there was a hail storm outside. Oh well.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Beijing subway route map” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Beijing-subway-route-map.jpg” alt=”Beijing subway route map” title_text=”Beijing subway route map” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    I don’t mean to scare the first-time visitor. Actually, there is an alphabet-based equivalent to the Chinese characters, called pinyin, which helps. I wrote the Chinese sentence above, “Laojia, ditian zhan zai nar?” using pinyin. The subways in major cities list every stop in pinyin, and the nice lady on the speaker says them aloud in an English sentence. “Next stop Fuxingmen.” They are not hard to maneuver.

    Even on an escalator you might hear the recorded voice say in English, “Please hold the handrail and get off” (in case you don’t know how to ride an escalator).

    Big hotels usually have English-speaking staff who can help in numerous ways.

    [/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Beijing menu sign mutton” src=”https://journeyswithstephen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Beijing-menu-sign-mutton.jpg” alt=”Beijing menu sign mutton” title_text=”Beijing menu sign mutton” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”left” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]

    And menus often have pictures, which we know are worth a thousand words that we can’t read. That’s a real help in China that I wish more countries would adopt. One time in Paris I thought I was ordering a veal chop in French, but wound up with a plate of calves’ brains. A picture would have helped a lot.

    So, go with it. Language challenges are part of the adventure – and make for interesting tales to recount later.

    This story is one that appears in the mini version of my upcoming eBook, Pearls of Wisdom about China. You can read some others simply by signing up below for the free newsletter.

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    What’s upscale?

    Staying at luxury Western hotels generally increases your chances of having English-speaking staff who can help translate (and gladly help you practice your Chinese).

    What’s budget?

    All those transportation methods. Taxis are usually reasonable in China and subways are downright cheap (and fun).

     

     

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