How to say things in Chinese
130 everyday Mandarin phrases
The everyday Mandarin Chinese phrases you actually reach for - greetings, please and thank you, yes and no, I love you, and the numbers one to ten. Each one comes with the characters, tone-coloured pinyin, a word-by-word breakdown, an example sentence, and a tone tip so you say it the way a native speaker would.
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Greetings & farewells
Courtesy & well-wishes
Everyday basics
Feelings & descriptions
People, family & pets
Food & drink
Travel & places
Numbers
Days & time
Don't just read it — train it
ToneDeck turns these phrases into audio drills with tone-coloured pinyin, an ear-training quiz, and a pronunciation check. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeLearn the tones behind the phrases
First, second, third, fourth, and neutral.
The free tone trainer and the method.
Hear real syllables and name the tone. No sign-up - how good is your ear?
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