Printable Chinese Phrases for Travelers – Download & Print
Fifteen phrases. Five minutes of practice. The difference between pointing helplessly at a menu and ordering exactly what you want. These cards cover the situations where you'll actually need Chinese — taxis, restaurants, hotels, and emergencies. Screenshot them, print them, or download the PDF.
Interactive Phrase Card Generator (Coming Soon)
Select your destination cities and dietary needs — the generator produces a customized phrase card with only the phrases relevant to your trip. Until then, the complete set is below.
Essential Chinese Phrases
🚕 Taxi & Directions
| English |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
| Please take me to [this address] |
请送我到这个地址 |
Qǐng sòng wǒ dào zhège dìzhǐ |
| Where is the bathroom? |
厕所在哪？ |
Cèsuǒ zài nǎ? |
| Where is the subway? |
地铁站在哪？ |
Dìtiě zhàn zài nǎ? |
| Stop here |
停这里 |
Tíng zhèlǐ |
| I'm lost. Can you help me? |
我迷路了，你能帮我吗？ |
Wǒ mílù le, nǐ néng bāng wǒ ma? |
| How do I get to the airport? |
机场怎么走？ |
Jīchǎng zěnme zǒu? |
| Go straight / Turn left / Turn right |
直走 / 左转 / 右转 |
Zhí zǒu / Zuǒ zhuǎn / Yòu zhuǎn |
🍜 Restaurant & Food
| English |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
| I'll have this one (pointing) |
我要这个 |
Wǒ yào zhège |
| No spicy / Less spicy |
不辣 / 微辣 |
Bù là / Wēi là |
| I am vegetarian (Buddhist) |
我吃素 (我吃斋) |
Wǒ chī sù (Wǒ chī zhāi) |
| I am allergic to peanuts |
我对花生过敏 |
Wǒ duì huāshēng guòmǐn |
| The bill, please |
买单 |
Mǎidān |
| Delicious! |
好吃 |
Hǎochī |
| Do you have an English menu? |
有英文菜单吗？ |
Yǒu Yīngwén càidān ma? |
| Too spicy! I can't eat this |
太辣了！我吃不了 |
Tài là le! Wǒ chī bù liǎo |
🏨 Hotel & Accommodation
| English |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
| I have a reservation |
我有预订 |
Wǒ yǒu yùdìng |
| Is there WiFi? What's the password? |
有WiFi吗？密码是多少？ |
Yǒu WiFi ma? Mìmǎ shì duōshao? |
| Can you write the address in Chinese for the taxi? |
请用中文写地址给出租车司机 |
Qǐng yòng Zhōngwén xiě dìzhǐ gěi chūzūchē sījī |
| The air conditioner isn't working |
空调坏了 |
Kōngtiáo huài le |
🆘 Emergencies
| English |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
| Help! |
救命！ |
Jiùmìng! |
| Call the police |
报警 |
Bàojǐng |
| I need a doctor |
我要看医生 |
Wǒ yào kàn yīshēng |
| I need a hospital |
我要去医院 |
Wǒ yào qù yīyuàn |
| I lost my passport |
我护照丢了 |
Wǒ hùzhào diū le |
| English |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
| How much is this? |
多少钱？ |
Duōshao qián? |
| Too expensive! Can you lower the price? |
太贵了！便宜一点吧？ |
Tài guì le! Piányi yīdiǎn ba? |
| I'm just looking, thank you |
我随便看看，谢谢 |
Wǒ suíbiàn kànkan, xièxie |
| Do you accept WeChat Pay / Alipay? |
可以用微信/支付宝吗？ |
Kěyǐ yòng Wēixìn / Zhīfùbǎo ma? |
🚻 Other Essentials
| English |
Chinese |
Pinyin |
| Hello |
你好 |
Nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you |
谢谢 |
Xièxie |
| Sorry / Excuse me |
不好意思 |
Bù hǎoyìsi |
| I don't understand |
听不懂 |
Tīng bù dǒng |
| Do you speak English? |
你会说英语吗？ |
Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? |
| Where can I buy a SIM card? |
哪里可以买SIM卡？ |
Nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi SIM kǎ? |
| Where can I exchange money? |
哪里可以换钱？ |
Nǎlǐ kěyǐ huàn qián? |
Pronunciation Guide
Chinese is a tonal language — the same syllable can mean completely different things depending on pitch. Mandarin has four tones + a neutral tone:
| Tone |
Mark |
Example (ma) |
Meaning |
How It Sounds |
| 1st (high, flat) |
mā |
妈 (mā) |
Mother |
Like singing a steady note |
| 2nd (rising) |
má |
麻 (má) |
Hemp |
Like asking a question: "ma?" |
| 3rd (dipping) |
mǎ |
马 (mǎ) |
Horse |
Your voice dips down then up |
| 4th (falling) |
mà |
骂 (mà) |
To scold |
Sharp, falling, like a command |
| Neutral |
ma |
吗 (ma) |
(question particle) |
Quick and light, no emphasis |
💡 Don't stress the tones: Context carries you 90% of the way. If you point at a menu and say "wǒ yào zhège" (I want this one), the tones barely matter — the pointing does all the work. For absolute beginners, focus on memorizing 5 phrases perfectly: "nǐ hǎo" (hello), "xièxie" (thank you), "zhège" (this one, while pointing), "mǎidān" (the bill), and "cèsuǒ zài nǎ?" (where's the bathroom?). Those five phrases, plus a smile, solve 80% of travel situations.
City-Specific Useful Phrases
| City |
Local Phrase |
Context |
| Beijing |
您吃了吗？(Nín chī le ma?) |
Traditional Beijing greeting: "Have you eaten?" — respond "吃了" (chī le) |
| Shanghai |
侬好 (Nóng hǎo) |
Shanghainese for "hello." Mandarin works fine, but this earns smiles |
| Chengdu |
巴适 (Bāshì) |
Sichuanese for "awesome / comfortable." Use it after a good meal |
| Guangzhou |
唔该 (M̀hgòi) |
Cantonese for "thank you" / "excuse me." Different from Mandarin 谢谢 |
| Xi'an |
嫽扎咧 (Liáo za lie) |
Shaanxi dialect for "excellent!" Use it after roujiamo or yangrou paomo |
Download Options
| Format |
Contents |
Best For |
| Complete PDF (coming soon) |
All 40+ phrases organized by category |
Printing before departure |
| Quick Reference Card (coming soon) |
Top 15 phrases on one page |
Screenshotting to your phone |
| Emergency Card (coming soon) |
8 emergency phrases + hospital addresses in Chinese |
Keeping in your wallet |
| Food Allergy Card (coming soon) |
Customizable: select your allergens, print in Chinese |
Dining safely |
💡 Phone Beats Paper: Screenshot the phrase tables above and save them to your phone's photo gallery or a dedicated "China" album. You'll access them faster than a folded piece of paper, you won't lose them, and showing your phone screen to a taxi driver or waiter works better than reading aloud — the Chinese characters are what they actually need to see. [Full language guide with app recommendations →](/country/language-guide)
Language App Recommendations
| App |
Best For |
Offline? |
| Pleco |
Chinese-English dictionary. Point camera at any character → instant definition |
✅ Yes (free) |
| Google Translate |
Camera translation of menus and signs. Conversation mode for two-way dialogue |
✅ Yes (download Chinese pack) |
| Baidu Translate |
Better Chinese voice recognition than Google |
✅ Yes |
| Waygo |
Visual translator specifically for Chinese menus |
✅ Yes |
Full app comparison: Language Guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most useful Chinese phrases for travelers?
The essential five: "nǐ hǎo" (你好 / hello), "xièxie" (谢谢 / thank you), "zhège" (这个 / this one, while pointing), "mǎidān" (买单 / the bill, please), and "cèsuǒ zài nǎ?" (厕所在哪? / where is the bathroom?). These plus a smile handle 80% of travel situations. See the full phrase tables above.
How do you say "thank you" in Chinese?
Xièxie (谢谢). Pronounced "shyeh-shyeh" — the "x" is like a soft "sh" sound. For extra politeness, add "nǐ" (你): "xièxie nǐ." In Cantonese (Guangzhou, Hong Kong): m̀hgòi (唔该).
How to say "I don't eat spicy" in Chinese?
Wǒ bù chī là (我不吃辣). If you can handle a little: wēi là (微辣 / mild spicy). In Sichuan and Chongqing, "wēi là" is still very hot — prepare accordingly. If you need zero spice: yīdiǎn là dōu bù yào (一点辣都不要 / no spice at all).
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