Essential Chinese Phrases for Travelers: Survive Without Speaking Chinese (2026)

Basic survival phrases

你好 (nǐ hǎo) — Hello. Use this everywhere. 谢谢 (xiè xie) — Thank you. 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) — Excuse me / Sorry. 没关系 (méi guān xi) — It's OK / No worries.

请问 (qǐng wèn) — May I ask... (polite way to start a question). 我听不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) — I don't understand. 你会说英语吗 (nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma) — Do you speak English?

是 (shì) — Yes. 不是 (bú shì) — No (it isn't). 好的 (hǎo de) — OK / Sure. 不要 (bù yào) — Don't want / No thanks.

Getting around

我要去... (wǒ yào qù...) — I want to go to... [show the Chinese address on your phone]. 地铁站在哪里 (dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ) — Where is the metro station? 机场 (jī chǎng) — Airport. 火车站 (huǒ chē zhàn) — Train station.

左边 (zuǒ biān) — Left. 右边 (yòu biān) — Right. 直走 (zhí zǒu) — Go straight. 到了 (dào le) — We've arrived / I'm here (useful in taxis).

太远了 (tài yuǎn le) — Too far. 有点近 (yǒu diǎn jìn) — A bit close. 走路多久 (zǒu lù duō jiǔ) — How long by walking?

Shopping and money

多少钱 (duō shǎo qián) — How much does it cost? 太贵了 (tài guì le) — Too expensive. 便宜一点 (pián yi yì diǎn) — A little cheaper please. 可以刷卡吗 (kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma) — Can I pay by card?

扫码支付 (sǎo mǎ zhī fù) — Scan to pay (QR code payment). 微信还是支付宝 (wēi xìn hái shì zhī fù bǎo) — WeChat or Alipay? You'll hear this at every store. 我用支付宝 (wǒ yòng zhī fù bǎo) — I'll use Alipay.

大号 (dà hào) — Large size. 中号 (zhōng hào) — Medium. 小号 (xiǎo hào) — Small. 有别的颜色吗 (yǒu bié de yán sè ma) — Do you have other colors?

Translation apps that actually work

Baidu Translate (百度翻译) — The best for Chinese. Camera translation mode lets you point your phone at menus, signs, and documents. Works offline. Download the Chinese language pack before your trip.

Apple Translate — Built into iPhone, decent quality. Works offline with downloaded languages. Quick access from Control Center.

Google Translate — Good but requires internet (needs your eSIM). Camera mode works well for Chinese characters. Conversation mode lets you speak and hear translations in real-time — great for complex interactions.

Pro tip: For important interactions (hospitals, police, banks), use your phone's voice translation mode. Speak in English, show the Chinese text to the other person, and let them speak back in Chinese.