Chinese language

“我要去那儿“ [ I want to go here] wo yao qu na er [pinyin]// war y-ow chew nar [phonetic]

“打表啊！” [Run the meter] da biao a! // dar bee-ow ah!

“我要入住“　[I want to check-in] wo yao ru zhu // war yow roo joo

护照　[passport] hu zhao // hoo jow

Numbers:

一，　二，三，四，五，六，七，八，九，十［1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] yi,er,san,si,wu,liu,qi,ba,jiu,shi // yee, ar, sun, ser, woo, lee-o, chee, bar, jee-oh, shir

十一，十二．．．[11, 12…] shi yi, shi er… // shir-yee, shir-ar… (easy! Just add ’10’ with another number to make 11-19)

二十，　二十五．．．三十二．．．　[20, 25, 32…]　er shi, er shi wu, san shi er // ar-shir, ar-shir-woo, sun-shir-ar (easy! Add a number (2-9) plus ’10’ to make the numbers 20-90, then simply add another number at the end for 25, 32 etc.)

一百，两百／二百，　三百．．．　[100, two-hundreds/ 200, 300…] yi bai, liang bai/ er bai, san bai.. // yee-buy, lee-ung buy/ar-buy, sun-buy (For 100-900, choose your number and add ‘100’ (bai/buy) to it. For 200, the word for ‘couple’ may be used, as in “A couple of hundreds”)

一千．．．　［1000…] yi qian// yee chee-an (1000’s follow the same pattern as 100’s)

Shopping:

你好 [hello] ni hao// nee how

老板 [‘Owner’] (call over) lao ban// l-ow ban

这个 [this one] zhe ge// jay ger

多少钱？[how much?] duo shao qian? // dwoar sh-ow chee-an

我只看看 [I’m just looking] wo zhi kan kan // war jer can-can

太贵了[too expensive] tai gui le// tay goo-ay le

便宜一点可以？[Can you do it a little cheaper?] pian yi yi dian ke yi?// pee-an yee yee dee-an ker-yee?

不用 [I don’t want it] bu yong// boo yoong

好的！[Ok!] hao de! // how dur

谢谢 [Thanks] xie xie// share-share

Money:

——块 [bucks] kuai// koo-ay (slang for yuan)

——元 [yuan] yuan// yoo-an

——ＲＭＢ[yuan]

Food:

服务员 [waiter!] (call over) fu wu yuan// foo woo yoo-an

——个，i.e.  一个菜，三个人　[measure word, i.e. 1个 dish 3个 people] _ ge, yi ge cai, san ge ren // _gur, yee gur ts-ay, sun gur ren

米饭 [rice] mi fan// mee fun

热 [hot] re// rur

辣 [Spicy] la// la

一点点 [A little] yi dian dian/ yee dee-an dee-an

冰 [cold/iced] bing// bing

打开[open] da kai// dar k-eye

对 [right/ok] dui// doo-ee

买单[pay the bill/ I want to pay the bill] mai dan// my dan

好吃！[lovely food/good meal] (a compliment) hao chi // how chur

吃饱了[I’m full] (a compliment) chi bao le// cher bow le

包子 [steamed buns] bao zi// bow zer

肉 [meat] rou// row

菜 [vegetables] cai // ts-ay

有/没有 [have/don’t have] you/mei you // yo/ may yo (for example, don’t have ‘meat’ rou/row)

喜欢/不喜欢 [like/ don’t like] xi huan/bu xihuan // shee hoo-one/ boo shee hoo-one (for example, don’t like ‘this’ zhe ge/jay gur)

会/不会 [can/ cannot, able/ not able to] hui / bu hui // hu-ee/ boo hu-ee (for example, I can’t ‘eat’ chi/ chur ‘spicy’ la/la)

再见 [bye!] zai jian// zay jee-an

Bonus Fun-time Chinese:

最近怎么样？[how have you been?] zui jin zenme yang? // zoo-ee jin zer ma young?

吃了吗？[have you eaten?] (How are you?) chi le ma? // chur la ma?

对不起 [sorry] dui bu qi // doo-ee boo chee

不好意思 [pardon me] (if you knock into someone, etc. There is no word for getting people out of your way, just push) bu hao yisi// boo how yee sir

谢谢 [thanks] xie xie// share-share

不用谢 [no need to thank me] bu yong xie // boo yoong share

老外／外国人 [foreigner] lao wai/ wai guo ren // l-ow w-eye/ w-eye gwor ren

美女 [lit. beautiful young girl, Ms.] mei nu// may nyoo

帅哥 [lit. handsome young man, Mr.]  shuai ge// shoo-eye gur

你叫什么名字？[What’s your name?] ni jiao shenme mingzi? // nee jee-ow sherma ming zur?

我叫— [My name is…] wo jiao..//war jee-ow…

你是哪国人？[Where are you from?] ni shi na guo ren? // nee shur na gwor ren?

我是—— 澳大利亚人 [I am…. Australian] wo shi… ao da li ya ren // war shur… ow dar lee ya ren

你的中文很不错 [Your Chinese is great!] (expect this after every ‘ni hao// nee how‘ you say) ni de zhongwen hen bucuo!// nee de joong wern hen boo ts-wor

哪里哪里 [not at all] (modest) na li na li // nar lee nar lee

明白吗？ [Is that clear?] ming bai ma? // ming buy mar?

我不明白[I don’t get it… (your meaning)] wo bu ming bai // war boo ming buy

 我明白 [I understand] wo ming bai/ war ming buy

听懂吗？[Do you understand?] ting dong ma? // ting doong mar?

我听不懂 [I don’t understand] wo ting bu dong // war ting boo doong

我听懂 [I understand] wo ting dong// war ting doong

再说 [say it again] zai shuo// zay shwoar

你会说英语吗？[Do you speak English?] ni hui shuo yingyu ma? // ni hoo-ee shwoar ying yoo mar?

会/不会 [Can/ Cannot] hui/bu hui // hoo-ee/ boo hoo-ee

我不会说汉语 [I can’t speak Chinese] wo bu hui shuo hanyu // war boo hoo-ee shwoar han yoo

我的汉语不好 [My Chinese is not so good] wo de hanyu bu hao // war der han yoo boo how

我怎么去-— [How do I go to…] wo zenme qu.. // war zerma choo….

警察局 [police station] jingcha ju // jingchar joo

银行 [bank] yin hang // yin hung

商场 [shopping centre] shang chang// sharng charng

…路 […road] ..lu// loo

地铁站 [subway station] di tie zhan// dee tee-yeah jan

帮我! [help me] bang wo! // bung war!

请问… [excuse me…] (to ask a question) qing wen… // ching when

你 干嘛儿? [What are you doing?] (also, if you almost get hit by a scooter scream this after them to imply “What  the hell are you playing at?!) ni gan maer ? // nee gan maarrrrrrr ??

他妈! [fuck] (When you actually get hit by a scooter)  ta ma!// tar mar!

下车 [Getting off] (to get people to move aside when you’re getting off a subway) xia che// shar cher

干杯！[Cheers!] gan bei! // gan bay!

可爱的 [Cute] keai de// ker eye der

小心吧！[Careful!] xiao xin ba! // sh-ow shin bar

我爱中国　[I love China] wo ai zhongguo // war eye joong gwoar