You are not learning Chinese. You are arranging for it to be readable.
Use these Chinese cards for specific, common situations. Twenty sentences can help with the situations below; for everything else, show a clear screen at the right moment rather than trying to memorize a phrase for every possibility.
- What was checked
- The dated official and publisher references named in this guide's source section. Each reference explains the specific rule or instruction it supports.
- Known limits
- Prices, opening hours, availability and individual account or document eligibility are not live guarantees. Provider conditions and your actual route, passport, device and circumstances can change the answer.
| Chinese | Say it as | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 你好 | nǐ hǎo | Hello | Any opening. Works in a shop, a taxi, a hotel. |
| 谢谢 | xiè xie | Thank you | Any closing. Say it twice if the person did something real. |
| 多少钱？ | duō shao qián | How much? | Shops, taxis, markets with no price tag. |
| 不要辣 | bú yào là | Not spicy | Said before the dish is cooked, not after it arrives. |
| 买单 | mǎi dān | The bill, please | Restaurant only. In a shop you simply walk to the counter. |
| 我不懂 | wǒ bù dǒng | I don't understand | Say it early, before the other person repeats louder. |
| 洗手间在哪里？ | xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ | Where is the toilet? | Add 'qǐng wèn' in front to make it polite. |
| 打表 | dǎ biǎo | Use the meter | Taxis only. If the driver refuses, get out and take another. |
Two of these eight sentences are about failing gracefully.
'Wǒ bù dǒng' and 'qǐng màn yì diǎn' stop a conversation before it becomes a performance. Everything else in this guide assumes you will need them.
Show the Chinese address, not the English one
A map pin and a Chinese place name are readable. A transliterated street name is not.
Say the meter word before the car moves
'Dǎ biǎo' is short and unambiguous. Saying it while the car is already rolling invites an argument.
Confirm the destination at arrival
'Shì zhè lǐ ma' plus pointing at the building is enough. Do not get out until you recognise the place.
Ask which exit letter
Metro exits are lettered and several hundred metres apart. 'Jǐ hào chū kǒu' gets you the letter, not a direction.
Point at the photo, then say the count
'Zhè ge, liǎng fèn' is a complete order for two portions of one dish.
Ask for rice separately
Rice is often not included and is ordered by the bowl. 'Mǐ fàn liǎng wǎn' covers two people.
Put chilli instructions last
Kitchen staff remember the last instruction. Finishing with 'bú yào là' is more reliable than starting with it.
Ask for the bill, then check it
'Mǎi dān' gets the bill. Read the lines before paying; a tea or tissue charge is normal and should be visible.
Two directions, two sentences
'Nǐ sāo wǒ' means the merchant scans your code. 'Wǒ sāo nǐ' means you scan theirs. Mixing them wastes a queue.
Have the fallback visible
Cash in a pocket, not buried in a bag. If the code fails twice, pay cash and move on rather than debugging in front of a queue.
Ask the amount before you pay
'Duō shao qián' after the total is shown prevents the awkward moment of paying the wrong line.
Receipts and refunds need the order page
A verbal promise from a cashier cannot move money. The order record in the app is what a later complaint uses.
Ask one concrete thing
A direction, a charger, a phone call, a pen. Abstract requests get polite nods.
Hand over the phone, not a sentence
A translated question on screen survives noise in a way spoken words do not.
Say the emergency number yourself
Bystanders will help, but dialling 120 yourself removes the step where someone decides whether it is serious.
Keep a written address on you
The hotel's Chinese name and address on paper works when a phone is dead, wet or stolen.
| Address | Pronounce | Who | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 服务员 | fú wù yuán | Server | Restaurants. Say it once, clearly, and raise a hand; staff are trained not to hover. |
| 师傅 | shī fu | Driver, technician, guard | The safest general address for a man doing a job, including taxi drivers. |
| 老板 | lǎo bǎn | Shop owner | Small shops and family restaurants. Not for a chain store employee. |
| 阿姨 | ā yí | Auntie, middle-aged woman | Warm and common for cleaners, stallholders and older staff; avoid for a young professional. |
| 老师 | lǎo shī | Teacher, respected specialist | Guides, interpreters and anyone explaining something professionally. |
| 您 | nín | Polite 'you' | Use with staff, elders and anyone you have just met. 'Nǐ' is for peers and children. |
'Shīfu' is the safest word for someone doing a job.
It works for a driver, a technician, a guard and a delivery rider, and it carries respect without familiarity. When unsure, use it instead of guessing at age.
CHINESE HELP CARDS · WRITTEN FOR THESE SITUATIONS
I don't understand — and please slow down
The most useful sentence in the language. It stops a stream of words you cannot parse.
不好意思，我听不懂中文。请说慢一点，或者写在这里给我看。我可以用翻译软件，请稍等一下，谢谢。Taxi: use the meter, go here
Show the Chinese address first, then say this. Both parts matter.
师傅，您好。请去这个地址（出示手机上的中文地址）。请打表。到了请告诉我，我付钱用支付宝或现金。谢谢。Asking directions and confirming the exit
Name the exact thing you want. 'Where is' plus a place is enough grammar.
不好意思，请问洗手间在哪里？我要去这个地址（出示手机），是从这个地铁口出去吗？如果走错了，请指给我正确的出口字母，谢谢。Ordering by pointing, with quantity
Point at the photo, say the number, then add the chilli instruction separately.
您好，我要这个（指图片），两份。米饭两碗。不要辣，不要放辣椒和红油，谢谢。如果这个本来就是辣的，请告诉我哪几道不辣。The payment that is stuck
Means 'you scan me'. Show your payment code, do not scan theirs.
不好意思，我的扫码付不了。可以你扫我吗？这是我的付款码。如果还是不行，我用现金付，请问一共多少钱？Asking a bystander for one specific thing
'Má fan nín' is the polite opener. Follow it immediately with the one thing you need.
麻烦您帮我一下。我不会说中文，手机上有翻译。请问这个地方怎么走？能不能在地图上指给我看，或者帮我写下来？非常感谢。An emergency, stated in four words
Only for a real emergency. Say the address before the symptom.
我需要帮助，这是紧急情况。请帮我拨打120，地址是 ＿＿＿。我（或同行的人）出现了 ＿＿＿ 症状。我是外国游客，护照在我身上。谢谢。Finding a toilet, and whether it is usable
Add the second sentence if you need paper or a seated toilet.
请问洗手间在哪里？里面有纸吗？是蹲的还是坐的？如果没有纸，我可以去哪里买？谢谢。Use these cards for common travel situations. Replace any blank with your own detail before showing the card.
Should I learn tones?
Learn to hear the difference between the four tones, but do not delay the trip to master them. A wrong tone with the right word and a phone screen usually still works.
Is English widely spoken?
In international hotels, in some airport counters and among younger staff in big cities. Everywhere else, assume not, and prepare the card.
Which translation app should I use?
Any of the major ones for a sentence, plus offline packs downloaded before you fly. None of them handles a shouted conversation across a counter reliably.
Can I photograph a menu and translate it?
Yes, and it is genuinely useful for a printed menu. It fails on handwritten specials, on dishes named after people and on anything where the ingredient is implied.
Is it rude to point?
Pointing at an object on a menu or a shelf is normal. Pointing at a person is not.
What if someone speaks English to practise?
It is usually friendliness, not a sales approach. Answer briefly; if it turns into an invitation to a tea shop or a gallery, decline and walk on.
Do I need Chinese for an emergency?
Dial 120 and give the address in Chinese if you can; if not, hand the phone to a bystander and show the address card. Emergency lines do not provide interpretation.
Official and publisher references used in this guide
These are external references. They are not live availability, price, approval or service guarantees, and each date marks the point after which a rule may have changed.
Common emergency numbers: 110, 119, 120, 122
Police 110, fire 119, ambulance 120, traffic accident 122. These are the numbers to keep on a phone lock screen; they are not a translation service and do not replace the local emergency instructions at a site.
12306 help: ticketing, documents and station procedures
The operator's own answer page for common ticketing questions. It is the place to confirm a document or collection rule the day you travel, because platform copy changes faster than any guide.
Paying in Shanghai with an overseas card or phone
A city-level explanation of card, mobile and cash acceptance. It reflects one city's published guidance, so it is not evidence that every merchant in another city behaves the same way.
12315: consumer complaint and report channel
The official route for a consumer dispute over a meal, a delivery order or a purchase. It records a complaint; it does not order a refund, send an inspector to your table, or act as an emergency line.
Updates and corrections
The dates above apply only to the checks described here. Recheck current prices, opening hours, availability and account or document eligibility with the responsible provider before you rely on them. When an official rule changes, the affected guidance and its review date should be updated. To report a specific change, email support@slowchinaguide.com with the place, date and current source.
Send a correctionWhat this guide does and does not do
This guide turns practical questions and dated references into steps you can follow. It is not a booking service, a live price list or a substitute for a clinician, a lawyer or the staff responsible for your actual situation.
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