Chinese phrases for travelers: directions, food, shopping

October 3, 2026 · 6 min read

Even in big Chinese cities, not many people speak English, and signs and menus are often in Chinese only. A couple of dozen phrases cover most situations on a trip: asking the way, ordering food, checking a price and explaining that you didn't understand. You can listen to every phrase below: tap the speaker icon.

Starting a conversation

• 你好nǐhǎoHello.
• 请问qǐngwènExcuse me, could I ask…how you start any question to a stranger
• 谢谢xièxieThank you.
• 对不起duìbuqǐSorry.

Asking for directions in Chinese

Two patterns cover everything: "…在哪儿？" means "where is …?" and "去…怎么走？" means "how do I get to …?". Put in the place you need.

• 请问，洗手间在哪儿？qǐngwèn,xǐshǒujiānzàinǎrExcuse me, where’s the restroom?
• 请问，去地铁站怎么走？qǐngwèn,qùdìtiězhànzěnmezǒuExcuse me, how do I get to the subway station?
• 附近有地铁站吗？fùjìnyǒudìtiězhànmaIs there a subway station nearby?
• 请问，附近有银行吗？qǐngwèn,fùjìnyǒuyínhángmaExcuse me, is there a bank nearby?
• 这里有饭店吗？zhèlǐyǒufàndiànmaIs there a restaurant around here?

Getting around: taxi, subway, tickets

• 你怎么去机场？nǐzěnmeqùjīchǎngHow are you getting to the airport?
• 我坐出租车去医院。wǒzuòchūzūchēqùyīyuànI’m taking a taxi to the hospital.
• 我要两张票wǒyàoliǎngzhāngpiàoTwo tickets, please.

The way you travel comes before the verb, not after it like "by taxi" in English: literally "I ride-taxi go", 坐出租车去. The subway works the same way: 坐地铁去, "go by subway". Swap the hospital for wherever you're going.

Ordering at a café or restaurant

• 请给我看一下菜单qǐnggěiwǒkànyíxiàcàidānCould I see the menu, please?
• 我要这个wǒyàozhègeI’ll have this one.and point at the menu: Chinese people do it too
• 请给我一杯水。qǐnggěiwǒyìbēishuǐA glass of water, please.
• 我不要米饭wǒbúyàomǐfànNo rice for me.
• 这个菜很好吃zhègecàihěnhǎochīThis dish is really good.

More dishes, drinks and the words for spicy and sweet are in the article on food in Chinese.

Shopping: how much is it?

• 这个多少钱？zhègeduōshaoqiánHow much is this?
• 太贵了tàiguìleThat’s too expensive.
• 便宜一点儿吧。piányiyìdiǎnrbaCan you make it a bit cheaper?
• 这儿可以刷卡吗？zhèrkěyǐshuākǎmaCan I pay by card here?

Haggling is normal at markets and small stalls, but not in supermarkets and chain stores. Many places in China expect payment by phone, so it's worth asking about cards before you order. Prices are said in numbers, so the article on Chinese numbers will come in handy.

When you don't understand

• 我听不懂wǒtīngbudǒngI don’t understand (what you’re saying).
• 请再说一遍。qǐngzàishuōyíbiànCould you say that again, please?
• 我不会说中文wǒbúhuìshuōZhōngwénI don’t speak Chinese.
• 你能帮我一下吗？nǐnéngbāngwǒyíxiàmaCould you help me?

Just in case: emergencies

• 我的护照丢了，怎么办？wǒdehùzhàodiūle,zěnmebànI’ve lost my passport. What should I do?
• 请问，去医院怎么走？qǐngwèn,qùyīyuànzěnmezǒuExcuse me, how do I get to the hospital?

How to prepare for your trip

• Learn the phrases by ear. Reading them off a sheet won't work: without tones people won't understand you. Listen to each phrase several times and repeat it out loud.
• Get the hang of pinyin. Then you can read any word in a phrasebook. Every syllable with audio is in the pinyin chart.
• Learn patterns, not whole phrases. "…在哪儿？", "去…怎么走？", "我要…": any word from the HSK 1 word list fits into them.