For anyone beginning their journey into Mandarin Chinese, one of the most impactful first steps is learning basic Mandarin phrases that can be used in everyday life. Practical phrases make it easier to start conversations, ask questions, and express needs confidently, even as a beginner. Whether you're traveling, studying abroad, or simply interacting with native speakers, these phrases place you one step closer to real-world fluency.

This guide covers 200+ Chinese phrases for beginners, organized by everyday topics you’ll actually use. It also includes techniques to help you remember them efficiently—because learning a language isn’t just about vocabulary, but about how you apply it.

200+ Essential Basic Mandarin Phrases for Everyday Conversations

I. 20 Topics of Basic Mandarin Phrases for Beginners

These basic mandarin phrases are grouped by theme so that you build functionally, not just alphabetically. This allows your brain to connect language with real-life situations.

1. Greeting and Self-Introduction

Start with respectful language and common chinese phrases for beginners about self introduction and greeting.

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	是	shì	To be; is, am, are
2	不是	bú shì	Not; is not
3	我	wǒ	I, me
4	你	nǐ	You
5	他	tā	He, him (male)
6	她	tā	She, her (female)
7	它	tā	It
8	的	de	Possessive particle (’s/of)
9	很	hěn	Very
10	叫	jiào	To be called; to be named
11	名字	míngzi	Name
12	来自	láizì	To come from
13	越南	Yuènán	Vietnam
14	中国	Zhōngguó	China
15	会说	huì shuō	Can speak (a language)
16	一点	yìdiǎn	A little bit
17	喜欢	xǐhuan	To like
18	很好	hěn hǎo	Very good / Very well
19	谢谢	xièxie	Thank you
20	再见	zàijiàn	Goodbye

These are among the most important Mandarin phrases for first meetings.

2. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Family

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	妈妈	māma	Mom / Mother
2	爸爸	bàba	Dad / Father
3	弟弟	dìdi	Younger brother
4	哥哥	gēge	Older brother
5	妹妹	mèimei	Younger sister
6	姐姐	jiějie	Older sister
7	儿子	érzi	Son
8	女儿	nǚ’ér	Daughter
9	奶奶	nǎinai	Paternal grandmother
10	爷爷	yéye	Paternal grandfather
11	外公	wàigōng	Maternal grandfather
12	外婆	wàipó	Maternal grandmother
13	家庭	jiātíng	Family (as a unit)
14	叔叔	shūshu	Father's younger brother (Uncle)
15	阿姨	āyí	Mother’s sister or female aunt
16	伯父	bófù	Father’s older brother (Uncle)
17	伯母	bómǔ	Wife of 伯父 (Aunt)
18	妻子	qīzi	Wife
19	丈夫	zhàngfù	Husband
20	家	jiā	Home / Family / House

3. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Numbers and Time

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	一	yī	One (1)
2	二	èr	Two (2)
3	三	sān	Three (3)
4	四	sì	Four (4)
5	五	wǔ	Five (5)
6	六	liù	Six (6)
7	七	qī	Seven (7)
8	八	bā	Eight (8)
9	九	jiǔ	Nine (9)
10	十	shí	Ten (10)
11	一百	yībǎi	One hundred (100)
12	一千	yīqiān	One thousand
13	零	líng	Zero (0)
14	今天	jīntiān	Today
15	明天	míngtiān	Tomorrow
16	昨天	zuótiān	Yesterday
17	点	diǎn	O'clock / Hour
18	分	fēn	Minute
19	秒	miǎo	Second
20	年	nián	Year
21	月	yuè	Month
22	星期	xīngqī	Week
23	日	rì	Day / Date
24	现在	xiànzài	Now / Currently
25	早上	zǎoshang	Morning
26	中午	zhōngwǔ	Noon
27	晚上	wǎnshang	Evening / Night
28	星期一	xīngqī yī	Monday
29	星期二	xīngqī èr	Tuesday
30	星期三	xīngqī sān	Wednesday
31	星期四	xīngqī sì	Thursday
32	星期五	xīngqī wǔ	Friday
33	星期六	xīngqī liù	Saturday
34	星期天	xīngqī tiān	Sunday

4. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Shopping

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	商店	shāngdiàn	Store / Shop
2	便宜	piányi	Cheap / Inexpensive
3	贵	guì	Expensive
4	打折	dǎzhé	Discount / On sale
5	现金	xiànjīn	Cash
6	信用卡	xìnyòngkǎ	Credit card
7	发票	fāpiào	Receipt / Invoice
8	买	mǎi	To buy
9	卖	mài	To sell
10	这个	zhège	This one
11	那个	nàgè	That one
12	颜色	yánsè	Color
13	红色	hóngsè	Red
14	黑色	hēisè	Black
15	白色	báisè	White
16	蓝色	lánsè	Blue
17	黄色	huángsè	Yellow
18	衣服	yīfu	Clothes
19	裤子	kùzi	Pants
20	裙子	qúnzi	Skirt
21	鞋子	xiézi	Shoes
22	帽子	màozi	Hat

These phrases are essential for bargaining and browsing.

5. Food and Dining Basic Mandarin Phrases

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	饭	fàn	Rice / Cooked meal
2	菜	cài	Dish / Vegetables
3	水	shuǐ	Water
4	茶	chá	Tea
5	咖啡	kāfēi	Coffee
6	牛奶	niúnǎi	Milk
7	肉	ròu	Meat
8	蔬菜	shūcài	Vegetables (general)
9	鱼	yú	Fish
10	方便面	fāngbiànmiàn	Instant noodles
11	面条	miàntiáo	Noodles
12	水果	shuǐguǒ	Fruit
13	苹果	píngguǒ	Apple
14	香蕉	xiāngjiāo	Banana
15	橘子	júzi	Orange / Mandarin
16	葡萄	pútáo	Grape
17	芒果	mángguǒ	Mango
18	西瓜	xīguā	Watermelon
19	饮料	yǐnliào	Beverage / Drink
20	奶茶	nǎichá	Milk tea

Perfect when eating out or traveling.

6. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Transportation

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	车	chē	Vehicle / Car
2	公共汽车	gōnggòng qìchē	Bus
3	地铁	dìtiě	Subway / Metro
4	出租车	chūzūchē	Taxi
5	自行车	zìxíngchē	Bicycle
6	摩托车	mótuōchē	Motorcycle / Motorbike
7	走	zǒu	To walk
8	车站	chēzhàn	Bus stop / Station
9	下一站	xià yí zhàn	Next stop
10	上车	shàngchē	Get on (a vehicle)
11	下车	xiàchē	Get off (a vehicle)
12	迷路	mílù	To get lost

Mix these with location words to navigate a city.

7. Basic Action Verbs

No.	Chinese Term	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	做	zuò	To do; to make; to cook
2	学习	xuéxí	To study; to learn
3	吃	chī	To eat
4	喝	hē	To drink
5	看	kàn	To look; to watch; to read
6	睡觉	shuìjiào	To sleep
7	工作	gōngzuò	To work
8	学	xué	To study; to learn
9	玩	wán	To play; to have fun
10	去	qù	To go
11	来	lái	To come
12	听	tīng	To listen
13	说	shuō	To speak; to say
14	写	xiě	To write
15	读	dú	To read aloud
16	跑步	pǎobù	To run
17	跳舞	tiàowǔ	To dance
18	游泳	yóuyǒng	To swim
19	唱歌	chànggē	To sing
20	笑	xiào	To laugh
21	哭	kū	To cry
22	走	zǒu	To walk
23	站	zhàn	To stand
24	坐	zuò	To sit
25	报告	bàogào	To report
26	写	xiě	To write
27	画	huà	To draw
28	洗	xǐ	To wash
29	打扫	dǎsǎo	To clean; to sweep
30	开车	kāichē	To drive (a car)
31	打电话	dǎ diànhuà	To make a phone call
32	照顾	zhàogù	To take care of
33	购物	gòuwù	To shop
34	准备	zhǔnbèi	To prepare
35	结婚	jiéhūn	To get married
36	离开	líkāi	To leave; to depart
37	到达	dàodá	To arrive
38	帮助	bāngzhù	To help
39	理解	líjiě	To understand
40	分享	fēnxiǎng	To share
41	拍照	pāizhào	To take a photo

Mastered verbs boost your flexibility across topics.

8. Places and Directions

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	地图	dìtú	Map
2	地方	dìfang	Place / Location
3	学校	xuéxiào	School
4	医院	yīyuàn	Hospital
5	超市	chāoshì	Supermarket
6	银行	yínháng	Bank
7	公园	gōngyuán	Park
8	图书馆	túshūguǎn	Library
9	北	běi	North
10	南	nán	South
11	东	dōng	East
12	西	xī	West
13	机场	jīchǎng	Airport
14	餐馆	cānguǎn	Restaurant
15	邮局	yóujú	Post office
16	咖啡馆	kāfēiguǎn	Café / Coffee shop
17	公共厕所	gōnggòng cèsuǒ	Public restroom
18	博物馆	bówùguǎn	Museum
19	警察局	jǐngchájú	Police station
20	火车站	huǒchē zhàn	Train station

9. Emotions and Feelings

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	高兴	gāoxìng	Happy / Glad
2	悲伤	bēishāng	Sad / Grieved
3	生气	shēngqì	Angry
4	紧张	jǐnzhāng	Nervous / Tense
5	放松	fàngsōng	Relaxed / To relax
6	害怕	hàipà	Afraid / Scared
7	兴奋	xīngfèn	Excited
8	失望	shīwàng	Disappointed
9	害羞	hàixiū	Shy
10	自豪	zìháo	Proud
11	快乐	kuàilè	Joyful / Happy
12	开心	kāixīn	Cheerful / Happy
13	幸福	xìngfú	Happiness / Blissful
14	满意	mǎnyì	Satisfied
15	舒服	shūfu	Comfortable
16	平静	píngjìng	Calm / Peaceful
17	烦恼	fánnǎo	Worried / Troubled
18	担心	dānxīn	Worried / Anxious
19	不安	bù’ān	Uneasy / Restless
20	难过	nánguò	Upset / Sad
21	伤心	shāngxīn	Heartbroken / Deeply Sad
22	惊讶	jīngyà	Surprised / Astonished
23	感动	gǎndòng	Moved / Touched emotionally
24	热情	rèqíng	Enthusiastic / Warm-hearted

10. School and Learning

No.	Chinese Term	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	学生	xuésheng	Student
2	书	shū	Book
3	笔	bǐ	Pen
4	铅笔	qiānbǐ	Pencil
5	橡皮	xiàngpí	Eraser
6	本子	běnzi	Notebook
7	课本	kèběn	Textbook
8	作业	zuòyè	Homework
9	课桌	kèzhuō	Desk
10	椅子	yǐzi	Chair
11	黑板	hēibǎn	Blackboard
12	电脑	diànnǎo	Computer
13	计算器	jìsuànqì	Calculator
14	词典	cídiǎn	Dictionary
15	练习	liànxí	Practice / Exercise
16	考试	kǎoshì	Exam / Test
17	成绩	chéngjì	Score / Grade
18	课堂	kètáng	Classroom (lesson session)
19	课间休息	kèjiān xiūxi	Break time / Recess
20	实验	shíyàn	Experiment

These help in classroom environments or while studying online.

11. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Health

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	病	bìng	Illness / Disease
2	头疼	tóuténg	Headache
3	感冒	gǎnmào	Cold / Flu
4	肚子疼	dùzi téng	Stomachache
5	发烧	fāshāo	Fever / To have a fever
6	咳嗽	késou	Cough
7	药	yào	Medicine
8	医生	yīshēng	Doctor
9	护士	hùshì	Nurse
10	生病	shēngbìng	To be sick / To fall ill

12. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Occupations

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	工作	gōngzuò	Job / Work
2	医生	yīshēng	Doctor
3	老师	lǎoshī	Teacher
4	警察	jǐngchá	Police officer
5	律师	lǜshī	Lawyer
6	工程师	gōngchéngshī	Engineer
7	厨师	chúshī	Chef / Cook
8	服务员	fúwùyuán	Waiter / Waitress / Service staff
9	售货员	shòuhuòyuán	Salesperson / Shop assistant
10	记者	jìzhě	Journalist / Reporter
11	歌手	gēshǒu	Singer
12	演员	yǎnyuán	Actor / Actress
13	运动员	yùndòngyuán	Athlete / Sports player
14	大学生	dàxuéshēng	University student
15	农民	nóngmín	Farmer
16	工人	gōngrén	Worker / Laborer
17	商人	shāngrén	Businessperson
18	企业家	qǐyèjiā	Entrepreneur
19	科学家	kēxuéjiā	Scientist
20	艺术家	yìshùjiā	Artist

They help in introductions, interviews, and small talk.

13. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Festivals

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	节日	jiérì	Festival / Holiday
2	活动	huódòng	Activity / Event
3	礼物	lǐwù	Gift / Present
4	聚会	jùhuì	Gathering / Party
5	烟花	yānhuā	Fireworks
6	传统	chuántǒng	Tradition
7	春节	chūnjié	Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
8	除夕	chúxī	Chinese New Year's Eve
9	端午节	duānwǔjié	Dragon Boat Festival
10	中秋节	zhōngqiūjié	Mid-Autumn Festival
11	清明节	qīngmíngjié	Tomb-Sweeping Day
12	圣诞节	shèngdànjié	Christmas
13	情人节	qíngrénjié	Valentine's Day
14	劳动节	láodòngjié	Labor Day
15	儿童节	értóngjié	Children's Day
16	宴会	yànhuì	Banquet / Formal Party
17	灯笼	dēnglong	Lantern
18	祝贺	zhùhè	To congratulate
19	联欢	liánhuān	Gathering / Celebration party
20	嘉年华	jiāniánhuá	Carnival / Festival

Festive vocabulary ties language to important cultural moments.

14. Parts of the Body

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	头	tóu	Head
2	眼睛	yǎnjīng	Eyes
3	鼻子	bízi	Nose
4	嘴巴	zuǐbā	Mouth
5	耳朵	ěrduo	Ears
6	牙齿	yáchǐ	Teeth
7	舌头	shétou	Tongue
8	脸	liǎn	Face
9	头发	tóufa	Hair
10	手	shǒu	Hand
11	手指	shǒuzhǐ	Finger
12	肩膀	jiānbǎng	Shoulder
13	胸	xiōng	Chest
14	腿	tuǐ	Leg
15	脚	jiǎo	Foot
16	后背	hòubèi	Back
17	颈	jǐng	Neck
18	心脏	xīnzàng	Heart
19	肺	fèi	Lungs
20	肝	gān	Liver
21	肾	shèn	Kidney
22	皮肤	pífū	Skin

Useful for self-expression, medical, and everyday purposes.

15. Personality Traits

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	友好	yǒuhǎo	Friendly
2	幽默	yōumò	Humorous
3	乐观	lèguān	Optimistic
4	悲观	bēiguān	Pessimistic
5	冷静	lěngjìng	Calm
6	耐心	nàixīn	Patient
7	热情	rèqíng	Enthusiastic
8	自信	zìxìn	Confident
9	害羞	hàixiū	Shy
10	内向	nèixiàng	Introverted
11	外向	wàixiàng	Extroverted
12	正直	zhèngzhí	Honest / Upright
13	独立	dúlì	Independent
14	好奇	hàoqí	Curious
15	犹豫	yóuyù	Hesitant
16	坚定	jiāndìng	Determined
17	随和	suíhé	Easygoing
18	勤奋	qínfèn	Hardworking / Diligent
19	懒惰	lǎnduò	Lazy
20	幼稚	yòuzhì	Childish

16. Household Items

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	桌子	zhuōzi	Table
2	椅子	yǐzi	Chair
3	床	chuáng	Bed
4	沙发	shāfā	Sofa
5	书架	shūjià	Bookshelf
6	衣柜	yīguì	Wardrobe
7	鞋架	xiéjià	Shoe rack
8	灯	dēng	Lamp / Light
9	电视	diànshì	Television
10	冰箱	bīngxiāng	Refrigerator
11	炉灶	lúzào	Stove / Gas cooker
12	洗衣机	xǐyījī	Washing machine
13	空调	kōngtiáo	Air conditioner
14	风扇	fēngshàn	Electric fan
15	吹风机	chuīfēngjī	Hairdryer
16	柜子	guìzi	Cabinet / Cupboard
17	盆子	pénzi	Basin / Sink
18	镜子	jìngzi	Mirror
19	电线	diànxiàn	Electrical wire
20	插座	chāzuò

17. Basic Mandarin Phrases about Nature

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	自然	zìrán	Nature / Natural
2	山	shān	Mountain
3	海	hǎi	Sea
4	湖	hú	Lake
5	河	hé	River
6	森林	sēnlín	Forest
7	沙漠	shāmò	Desert
8	草原	cǎoyuán	Grassland / Prairie
9	花	huā	Flower
10	树	shù	Tree
11	草	cǎo	Grass
12	叶子	yèzi	Leaf
13	动物	dòngwù	Animal
14	天空	tiānkōng	Sky
15	太阳	tàiyáng	Sun
16	月亮	yuèliàng	Moon
17	星星	xīngxing	Star

18. Cosmetics and Personal Care

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	化妆品	huàzhuāngpǐn	Cosmetics / Makeup products
2	美容	měiróng	Beauty treatment / Aesthetics
3	面霜	miànshuāng	Face cream
4	洗面奶	xǐmiàn nǎi	Facial cleanser
5	眼霜	yǎnshuāng	Eye cream
6	化妆水	huàzhuāngshuǐ	Toner (facial toner)
7	面膜	miànmó	Face mask
8	精华液	jīnghuáyè	Essence / Serum
9	防晒霜	fángshài shuāng	Sunscreen
10	口红	kǒuhóng	Lipstick
11	睫毛膏	jiémáogāo	Mascara
12	眉笔	méibǐ	Eyebrow pencil
13	眼影	yányǐng	Eyeshadow
14	腮红	sāihóng	Blush
15	粉底	féndǐ	Foundation (base makeup)

19. Countries and Regions

No.	Basic Mandarin Phrases	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	中国	Zhōngguó	China
2	美国	Měiguó	United States
3	英国	Yīngguó	United Kingdom / England
4	法国	Fàguó	France
5	日本	Rìběn	Japan
6	韩国	Hánguó	South Korea
7	俄罗斯	Éluósī	Russia
8	加拿大	Jiānádà	Canada
9	德国	Déguó	Germany
10	西班牙	Xībānyá	Spain
11	印度	Yìndù	India
12	泰国	Tàiguó	Thailand
13	越南	Yuènán	Vietnam
14	印度尼西亚	Yìndùníxīyà	Indonesia
15	澳大利亚	Àodàlìyà	Australia

II. Fast and Effective Vocabulary Learning Tips for Beginners

Learning basic Mandarin phrases effectively requires focused strategies that build both memory and usage. Here are three key methods highly recommended for beginners:

1. Learn and Take Notes

Writing things down helps you retain and learn Chinese phrases more deeply.

Group vocabulary by theme (e.g., food, travel) for easier recall.
Add sample sentences to understand how words are used in real context.
Review within 24 hours to reinforce memory.
Personalize—connect words like "咖啡" (kāfēi) to something relevant like your favorite café.

Short, daily 5–10 minute review sessions work best to keep information fresh.

2. Use Flashcards

Flashcards train your brain to remember and recall basic Mandarin phrases faster.

Use apps like Anki, Pleco, or Quizlet with spaced repetition systems.
Include Chinese characters, pinyin, English, and even audio.
Limit daily intake (15–20 words) to avoid overload.
Add images to enhance memory—especially for objects like fruits or furniture.

This method is especially effective for memorizing Mandarin easy phrases and high-frequency vocabulary.

3. Speak and Practice in Real Life

Using Chinese actively will accelerate your progress and boost confidence.

Join language exchanges or practice on apps like HelloTalk or iTalki.
Label household objects with their Chinese names.
Think in Chinese as you go about your day.
Watch Chinese shows with subtitles to build listening and context.
Record your voice and compare it to native pronunciation to improve tones and fluency.

Set measurable goals, like ordering food in Mandarin or giving simple directions. These mini-missions create meaningful, motivating progress.

III. Final Thoughts

These basic Mandarin phrases in English weren’t created for memorization—they're tools for real communication. Focus on understanding, pronunciation, and when to apply them. With enough usage, these everyday expressions evolve from “vocabulary” into reflex.

Start with a small set each day and challenge yourself to use them. With consistent practice, you’ll soon have conversational comfort using some of the most important Mandarin phrases for travel, learning, and daily life.