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Mandarin Social Phrases
Greetings, introductions, politeness. 12+ essential phrases with phonetic pronunciation and 11 full conversation flows for social situations in China.
Start learning freeEssential Social Phrases in Mandarin
Sorted by usefulness. Phonetic pronunciation included.
你好
nee how
Hello
谢谢
shyeh-shyeh
Thank you
一
yee
One (1)
二
ar
Two (2)
不
boo
No / Not
我
waw
I / Me
好
how
Good / OK
三
sahn
Three (3)
你
nee
You
四
suh
Four (4)
五
woo
Five (5)
六
lyo
Six (6)
...and 141 more social phrases in the app.
Sample: What should I do here?
A real social conversation in Mandarin -- both sides of the interaction.
You
在这里我应该做什么
dzai juh-lee waw ying-gai dzwaw shun-muh
What should I do here?
Them
They recommend a place to visit
你去过外滩吗？
nee chew gwaw wai-tahn mah
Have you been to the Bund?
You
还没！好吗
hi may how mah
Not yet! Is it good?
Them
They insist, it's the best spot
最好的！晚上去
dzway-how duh wahn-shahng chew
It's the best! Go in the evening
You
听起来太棒了！还有什么
ting chee lie duh tie bahng luh hi yo shun-muh
Oh, that sounds amazing! What else?
Them
They suggest another activity
你也应该去城隍庙
nee yeh ying-gai chew chung-hwahng myow
You should also go to the City God Temple
11 social conversations available in the app.
FAQ
What happens when they answer back at the social in China?
That's the hard part -- and exactly what TalkThere prepares you for. Each of the 11 social 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 social in China?
Yes. These are the 12+ phrases that actually come up in real social 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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