Survival Mandarin Guide
By Sherilyn Chia
Here it is – your Mandarin Chinese survival guide! Tried and tested by my international friends and our interns here – a list of what you need to know besides the customary ni hao (hello) and xie xie (thank you) to make your life in China a lot easier.
Food Related:
牛肉炒饭 Niu rou chao fan: Beef fried rice (nyo ro chao fahn)
It’s always important to have at least one food that you know is safe! This dish can be made easily in any Chinese restaurant, cheap or posh, and typically doesn’t taste too bad (a lot of oil, salt, beef, rice, greens). This is a great dish to order in a Chinese restaurant that has no pictures or Chinglish on the menu! For a vegetarian option, go for 鸡蛋炒饭ji dan chao fan- egg fried rice.
服务员 Fu wu yuan!: Waiter! (fu-oo yuen!)
Waiter!!! This is used as a holler, in place of the polite “excuse me” with a wave that we use at home. Chinese restaurants are often loud and don’t have the most attentive service, so what the locals do to catch the attention of the staff is to holler for them. It is not perceived as rude or obnoxious behaviour and is accepted as a common thing to do, but it does take a thicker skin than what most of us have, and I still prefer to leave it to my less lady-like friends at dinner to the task of “summoning” service staff.
买单 Mai dan: bill/ check (mai dahn)
This one is pretty straight forward. Just holler at the waiter, and ask for the check.
冰的 Bing de: iced cold (bing duh)
In traditional Chinese medicine, cold drinks and food are not good for your health, so there is a tendency to serve customers drinks that are either hot or at room temperature. I have had my fair share of horrid warm beers and cokes in the summer, and I really wish to spare you the pain.
Getting Around:
哪里 Na li?: Where? (na lee?)
To be used with an address or a map and the pointer when asking for directions.
左拐/右拐 Zuo guai/ You guai: Turn left/ turn right (dzuo gwai/ yo gwai)
To be used when you are giving directions to a taxi driver. You may also need “zhi zou” which means “to go straight”.
Generally Helpful:
这个 Zhe ge: This (juh guh)
Perhaps the most versatile word to learn on this list. Note: to be used together with pointing.
听不懂 Ting bu dong: Don’t understand (Chinese) (ting bu dong)
This is especially important if you look Asian, because a lot of Chinese people will simply assume you are local when they see you and approach you in either Mandarin Chinese, or even more confusing- their local dialect. If they can speak English they may try speaking to you again in English after you say “ting bu dong”, if they don’t and they are older, they tend to stare at you in confusion and amusement for a few seconds. Sales people have also been spotted rattling off in Chinese to people who look absolutely foreign.
不要 Bu yao: Not want/No thank you (bu yao)
Can be used to reject anything, but especially useful when peddlars in Shanghai pester you to buy stalks of roses at the doors of restaurants and bars frequented by foreigners. Also useful when people holding up cards showcasing their imitation Gucci handbags and watches swarm up to you on the street or near metro station exits. Be nice but firm when you say this and walk away- unless you are interested in buying a rose for a special someone that night or a nice cheap Pucci purse.
多少钱 Duo shao qian?: How much? (duo shao chien?)
The prices of the product will usually be presented to you on a calculator, so we shall mercifully skip the lesson in numbers.
So now you are ready to navigate the streets of Shanghai! What phrases in Mandarin have you come to rely on while in China?
Sherilyn Chia
Joe Jack gave me your site info a few months ago. I’ve read it off and on and just watned to offer my compliments on a wonderful site. I enjoy the photos and your thoughtful comments. It’s an interesting glimpse into a foreign culture; one that few ever experience. Nice job! hope to see you sometime soon (more likely Sandwich than China, though!) regards, joe baltz