BBC offers a very good basic Chinese learning site with videos.
Topics:
Click: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese/real_chinese/
Basic spoken Chinese from Oxford University:
http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/Spoken%20Chinese/SpeakingMandarin.htm
This following websites offer some good Audio Chinese phrases:
http://chinese.travel-way.net/
http://www.standardmandarin.com/chinesephrases
This link has some useful basic phrases got sorted into categories:
http://www.linguanaut.com/english_chinese.htm
Also Wikitravel has a very complete Chinese phrases list, read on
Basics
To be or not to be?
Chinese does not have words for “yes” and “no” as such; instead, questions are typically answered by repeating the verb. Here are common examples:
To be or not to be
是 shì, 不是 bú shì
To have or not have / there is or is not
有 yǒu, 没有 méi yǒu
To be right or wrong
对 duì, 不对 bú duì
Hello.
你好。 Nǐ hǎo.
How are you?
你好吗？ Nǐ hǎo ma? 身体好吗? Shēntǐ hǎo ma?
Fine, thank you.
很好, 谢谢。 Hěn hǎo, xièxie.
May I please ask, what is your name?
请问你叫什么名? Qǐngwèn nǐjiào shěnme míng?
What is your name?
你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
My name is ______ .
我叫 _____ 。 Wǒ jiào ______ .
Nice to meet you.
很高兴认识你。 Hěn gāoxìng rènshì nǐ.
Please.
请。 Qǐng.
Thank you.
谢谢。 Xièxiè.
You’re welcome.
不客气。 Bú kèqi.
Excuse me. (getting attention)
请问 qǐng wèn
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
打扰一下。 Dǎrǎo yixià ; 麻烦您了, Máfán nín le.
Excuse me. (coming through)
对不起 Duìbùqǐ * or * 请让一下 Qǐng ràng yixià
I’m sorry.
对不起。 Duìbùqǐ.
It’s okay. (polite response to “I’m sorry”)
没关系 (méiguānxi).
Goodbye
再见。 Zàijiàn
Goodbye (informal)
拜拜。 Bai-bai (Byebye)
I can’t speak Chinese.
我不会说中文。 Wǒ bú huì shuō zhōngwén.
Do you speak English?
你会说英语吗？ Nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma?
Is there someone here who speaks English?
这里有人会说英语吗？ Zhèlĭ yǒu rén hùi shuō Yīngyǔ ma?
Help! (in emergencies)
救命！ Jiùmìng!
Good morning.
早安。 Zǎo’ān.
Good evening.
晚上好。 Wǎnshàng hǎo.
Good night.
晚安。 Wǎn’ān.
I don’t understand.
我听不懂。 Wǒ tīng bù dǒng.
Where is the toilet?
厕所在哪里？ Cèsuǒ zài nǎli?
Where is the bathroom（polite)?
洗手间在哪里？ Xǐshǒujiān zài nǎli?
Problems
Asking a question in Chinese
There are many ways to ask a question in Chinese. Here are two easy ones for travelers…
Verb/Adj. + bù + Verb/Adj.
Example – hăo bù hăo? – Are you all right? (literally – good not good?)
Exception – yŏu méi yŏu? – Do you have? (literally – have not have?)
Sentence + ma
Example – nĭ shì zhōngguóren ma? – Are you Chinese? (literally – you are chinese + ma)
Leave me alone.
不要打扰我。 (búyào dǎrǎo wǒ)
I don’t want it! (useful for people who come up trying to sell you something)
我不要 (wǒ búyào!)
Don’t touch me!
不要碰我！ (búyào pèng wǒ!)
I’ll call the police.
我要叫警察了。 (wǒ yào jiào jǐngchá le)
Police!
警察！ (jǐngchá!)
Stop! Thief!
住手！小偷！ (zhùshǒu! xiǎotōu!)
I need your help.
我需要你的帮助。 (wǒ xūyào nǐde bāngzhù)
It’s an emergency.
这是紧急情况。 (zhèshì jǐnjí qíngkuàng)
I’m lost.
我迷路了。 (wǒ mílù le)
I lost my bag.
我丟了手提包。 (wǒ diūle shǒutíbāo)
I lost my wallet.
我丟了钱包。 (wǒ diūle qiánbāo)
I’m sick.
我生病了。 (wǒ shēngbìng le)
I’ve been injured.
我受伤了。 (wǒ shòushāng le)
I need a doctor.
我需要医生。 (wǒ xūyào yīshēng)
Can I use your phone?
我可以打个电话吗？ (wǒ kěyǐ dǎ ge diànhuà ma?)
[edit] Going to the doctor
I am sick.
我生病了。 (wǒ shēngbìng le)
Painful.
痛。 (tòng)
Uncomfortable.
不舒服。 (bù shūfú)
Itchy/ticklish.
痒。(yǎng)
Sore (In muscle strains).
酸。(suān)
Fever.
发烧。 (fāshāo)
Cough.
咳嗽。 (késòu)
Sneeze.
打喷嚏 (dǎ pēntì)
Diarrhoea.
泻肚子/拉肚子 (xiè dùzi/lā dùzi)
Running nose.
流鼻涕 (liú bítì)
Phlegm.
痰。 (tán)
Hands/Arms.
手。 (shǒu)
Fingers.
手指。(shǒuzhǐ)
Wrist.
手腕。 (shǒuwàn)
Shoulder.
肩膀。 (jiānbǎng)
Feet.
脚。 (jiǎo)
Toes.
脚指。 (jiǎozhǐ)
Legs.
腿。 (tuǐ)
Nails.
指甲。 (zhǐjiǎ)
Body.
身体。 (shēntǐ)
Eyes.
眼睛。 (yǎnjīng)
Ears.
耳朵。 (ěrduo)
Nose.
鼻子。 (bízi)
Face.
脸。 (liǎn)
Hair.
头发。 (tóufǎ)
Head.
头。 (tóu)
Neck.
颈项/脖子。 (jǐngxiàng/bózi)
Throat.
喉咙。 (hóulóng)
Chest.
胸。 (xiōng)
Abdomen.
肚子。 (dùzi)
Hip/Waist.
腰。 (yāo)
Buttocks.
屁股。 (pìgǔ)
Back.
背。 (bèi)
Continue the article about basic travel words for Chinese, see :
2 Responses to Learn Chinese — basic Chinese phrases list — basic Chinese sentences — survivor’s Chinese words — simple Chinese for traveling in China