10 Chinese Travel Phrases For Your Journey to The Middle Kingdom

Planning a trip to China and looking for useful Chinese travel phrases? This article provides 10 useful phrases for your upcoming journey to the Middle Kingdom.

If you are new to the Chinese language, we recommend that you first review this interactive pinyin chart and reference it when learning the below Chinese travel phrases.

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10 Useful Chinese Travel Phrases

We suggest selecting the below phrases that you think will be most useful during your travels in China, then memorize! We also invite you to sign up for one-on-one online Chinese lessons via Skype, Zoom or phone with CLI prior to your upcoming journey.

1. 好久不见 | Hǎojǐubújiàn | Long-time no see

A classic example of good Chinglish here. This literally translates to “long time no see.” You can use it when you reunite with your long lost Chinese friends. 

If your travels take you to Guilin, be sure to check out the city's hidden cave restaurants

2. 欢迎光临 | Huānyíng guānglín | Welcome (to a place)

You will hear this phrase a lot! This is the common greeting used by restaurants and shops when a customer enters the establishment.

3. 我是 ... 人 | Wǒ shì ... rén | I am [insert nationality]

This comes in handy when you first introduce yourself. A nice way to do this is to simply say your name and where you are from:

你好！我叫 Ben，我是美国人 (Nǐhǎo! Wǒ jiào Ben, wǒ shì Měiguórén)
Hi! I’m Ben, I’m American.

Here is a list of all the countries in Chinese. Just remember to add 人 (rén) at the end of the country to make it a demonym!

If you really want to ensure that whoever you're introducing yourself to understands your name, you can also check out our lists of Chinese transliterations of common English men's and women's names to discover how to say your name in Chinese.

4. 你会说英语吗？| Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? | Can you speak English?

Although it is always great to try your very best to use Chinese everywhere you go, we all occasionally need a little bit of help. If you are reading this, chances are you are a native English speaker or at the very least have an intermediate level.

You can use this phrase to first ask if someone can speak English. It is a nicer and more polite way to switch to English instead of talking to someone in English right off the bat!

Learning key travel phrases will allow you to interact with locals as you travel through China

5. ...中文怎么说？| ...Zhōngwén zěnme shuō? | How do you say ... in Chinese?

If your Chinese friends speak some English, you can also ask for translations of words and phrases whilst still keeping the conversation going in Chinese. For example:

"Delicious" 中文怎么说？| How do you say "delicious" in Chinese?

怎么说 "I am very happy"? | How do you say "I am happy"?

6. 祝你早日康復 | Zhù ní zǎorì kāngfù | Get well soon

Maybe your friend had a little too much street food the night before and is now not feeling well. You can use this phrase to wish them to get well soon!

Shopping in China is a great opportunity to practice your language skills

7. 这个多少钱? | Zhège duōshǎo qián? | How much is this?

Despite its rapid economic development, the cost of living is still very low in China (especially when compared to Western countries). This means a lot of shopping opportunities, so this will be a very useful Chinese travel phrase to learn!

8. 可以便宜一点吗？| Kěyǐ piányí yīdiǎn ma? | Can you lower the price?

So you know the price — it is now time to test your bargaining skills! One of the great things about Chinese culture is that haggling is normal and almost always part of the shopping experience. If you are exploring the nearby market stalls, you can always ask if the price can be lowered.

9. 可以加你的微信吗? | Kěyǐ jiā nǐ de Wéixìn ma? | Can I add your WeChat?

If you have Chinese friends or have ever spent any time in China, you will have noticed the importance of WeChat. It is one of China’s major digital communication tools and a great way to keep in touch with your Chinese friends.

10. 一路平安 | Yīlù-píng'ān | Bon voyage

Whether you are staying in China for just a few days or even decades, eventually you will part ways with the Middle Kingdom to visit friends and family abroad or just to travel around the continent. You will hear this phrase from Chinese friends and coworkers who want to wish you a safe and pleasant trip.

Traveling in China might seem intimidating at first, but just learning a few basic phrases can really take you far

Need more China travel phrases? Watch the video below for some more ideas for phrases to learn before you start your China travel adventure:

And there you have it! You will be surprised how far these Chinese travel phrases will take you during your journey in China. Don’t worry if you find them difficult at first—persistence is key! With enough patience and practice, you will improve in no time.

Hoping to test out these travel phrases but not sure which part of China you want to visit next? Check out our article on the 10 Best Places to Visit in China and our other travel guides for some ideas. No matter whether you fancy a relaxing beach vacation in Hainan, a walk through Qing Dynasty history in Shenyang, or a canal ride in Suzhou, the Venice of the East, China has a destination for you!

Interested in taking a deeper dive into the Chinese language? We invite you to learn Chinese in China with CLI.

天天学习, 好好向上!