· 6 min read
Chinese Phrases for Beginners: 33 with Pinyin
By Language Lab editorial team
33 Mandarin Chinese phrases for beginners in characters and pinyin: greetings, polite words, introducing yourself, asking for help and the numbers 1 to 10.
Start Mandarin Chinese with a handful of phrases you can say today. Hello is 你好, nǐ hǎo. Thank you is 谢谢, xièxie. Goodbye is 再见, zàijiàn, literally again see. To give your name, say 我叫, wǒ jiào, and then your name. Below are 33 phrases and numbers in simplified characters with pinyin, the system that writes Chinese sounds in Latin letters, taken from the BBC's archived guide to Chinese and the Open University's free beginners' course. Learn each one with its tones: the marks over the pinyin vowels show the tone, and a syllable said in the wrong tone can be a different word. Listen to a recording, repeat aloud, and only then read.
Hello, goodbye and thank you
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | Hello (polite) |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | Goodbye |
| 回头见 | huí tóu jiàn | See you later! |
| 请 | qǐng | Please |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | Thank you |
| 不客气 | bú kèqì | You're welcome |
| 对不起 | duìbuqǐ | I'm sorry |
The Open University's course explains the two hellos. 你好 is the most commonly used greeting and can be used throughout the day. 您好 is the polite form, used with someone you meet for the first time or who is senior in age or status. The course adds that expressions for good morning, good afternoon and good evening exist but are not often used.
Yes, no and how you are
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 是的 | shì de | Yes |
| 不是 | bú shì | No |
| 还不错，谢谢 | hái bú cuò, xièxie | I'm fine, thank you |
| 我不舒服 | wǒ bù shūfu | I'm not well |
| 太好了! | tài hǎo le! | Great! |
| 干得好! | gàn de hǎo! | Well done! |
| 祝你好运! | zhù nǐ hǎo yùn! | Good luck! |
Introducing yourself
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 我叫... | wǒ jiào ... | My name is ... |
| 你叫什么名字? | nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? | What's your name? |
| 很高兴认识你 | hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ | Pleased to meet you |
| 你是哪国人? | nǐ shì nǎ guó rén? | Where are you from? |
| 我是英国人 | wǒ shì Yīngguó rén | I am British |
Two points from the Open University's course help here. A Chinese name is given with the family name first. And a nationality is made by adding 人, rén, meaning person, to the name of the country: 英国 is Britain, so 英国人 is a British person.
When you need help
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你讲英语吗？ | nǐ jiǎng yīngyǔ ma? | Do you speak English? |
| 我不明白 | wǒ bù míngbai | I don't understand |
| 请帮个忙 | qǐng bāng ge máng | I need help, please |
Numbers from one to ten
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一 | yī | 1 |
| 二 | èr | 2 |
| 三 | sān | 3 |
| 四 | sì | 4 |
| 五 | wǔ | 5 |
| 六 | liù | 6 |
| 七 | qī | 7 |
| 八 | bā | 8 |
| 九 | jiǔ | 9 |
| 十 | shí | 10 |
Once you know one to ten, the rest of the numbers up to 99 are easy to form, the course notes: 十一, ten one, is 11, and 二十, two ten, is 20. Eight is regarded as a lucky number.
First, pinyin and tones
This page shows Chinese in simplified characters with pinyin beside them. Use the pinyin to get the sound, and pay attention to the tone marks. Mandarin has four tones, and tone is part of the word, so learn each phrase from a recording, not from the spelling alone.
- Listen to the phrase, then say it aloud.
- Cover the pinyin and read the characters.
- Cover the Chinese and produce it from the meaning.
- Come back after a day, a week and a month.
Language Lab's Chinese course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can hear these phrases and practise saying them.
Frequently asked
How do you say hello in Chinese?
你好, nǐ hǎo. The polite form, used with people who are older or senior, is 您好, nín hǎo.
How do you say thank you in Chinese?
谢谢, xièxie. The reply, you're welcome, is 不客气, bú kèqì.
How do you say my name is in Chinese?
我叫, wǒ jiào, followed by your name. To ask someone's name, say 你叫什么名字?, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What is pinyin?
A way of writing the sounds of Mandarin Chinese in Latin letters, with marks over the vowels to show the tone.
How do you count to ten in Chinese?
一 yī, 二 èr, 三 sān, 四 sì, 五 wǔ, 六 liù, 七 qī, 八 bā, 九 jiǔ, 十 shí.
How do you say goodbye in Chinese?
再见, zàijiàn, which literally means again see.
Sources: BBC Languages, A Guide to Chinese: Key phrases, and Chinese Quick Fix (archived pages); The Open University, OpenLearn, Beginners' Chinese: a taster course: Greetings, Introducing oneself, Nationalities and Basic numbers. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: Boat on West Lake with Xiling Bridge, Hangzhou, Windmemories / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
