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Mandarin Market Phrases
Buy, negotiate, ask prices. 12+ essential phrases with phonetic pronunciation and 5 full conversation flows for market situations in China.
Start learning freeEssential Market Phrases in Mandarin
Sorted by usefulness. Phonetic pronunciation included.
多少钱
dwaw-shaow chyen
How much?
这个
juh-guh
This one
我要
waw yow
I want / I'll take
好的
how duh
OK / Alright
太贵了
tie gway luh
Too expensive
谢谢
shyeh-shyeh
Thank you
不要
boo yow
No thanks / I don't want
便宜一点
pyen-yee yee-dyen
A bit cheaper
块
kwai
Yuan (colloquial)
那个
nah-guh
That one
微信支付
way-shin juh-foo
WeChat Pay
一
yee
One (1)
...and 69 more market phrases in the app.
Sample: Discovering and tasting at the market
A real market conversation in Mandarin -- both sides of the interaction.
You
你好！这个是什么？
nee how juh-guh shuh shun-muh
Hello! What is this?
Them
juh shuh
They name the product proudly
这是龙眼！
juh shuh long-yen
It's longan!
You
哇，很好看！可以尝尝吗？
wah hun how-kahn kuh-yee chahng-chahng mah
Oh, it looks good! Can I taste?
Them
kuh-yee
They invite you to try it
可以，你尝尝
kuh-yee nee chahng-chahng
Yes, try it!
You
哇，太好吃了！多少钱？
wah tie hun how-chuh luh dwaw-shaow chyen
Wow, delicious! How much?
Them
shuh kwai
They give the price
十块三个
shuh kwai sahn guh
10 yuan for three
5 market conversations available in the app.
FAQ
What happens when they answer back at the market in China?
That's the hard part -- and exactly what TalkThere prepares you for. Each of the 5 market conversations shows you the full back-and-forth: what you say, what they'll likely respond, and how to keep going. You won't freeze when they answer in Mandarin.
Is this enough to get by at a market in China?
Yes. These are the 12+ phrases that actually come up in real market interactions -- not textbook phrases. Sorted by how often you'll need them, with pronunciation you can read at a glance.
Do I need to learn Mandarin script to use this?
No. Every Mandarin phrase has phonetic pronunciation written in plain English. You read it like English and say it out loud. The script is there for reference, but you don't need it.
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