Standard Chinese, or Standard Mandarin, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in Mainland China and Taiwan and is one of the four official languages of Singapore. It is based on Mandarin Chinese and should not be confused with other varieties of Chinese.

Common phrases

English Chinese
(Traditional)
Chinese
(Simplified)
Pinyin
Hello 你好 你好 Nǐhǎo
What's your name? 你叫什麼名字? 你叫什么名字? Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
My name is... 我叫... 我叫... Wǒ jiào...
How are you? 你好嗎?/ 你怎麼樣? 你好吗?/ 你怎么样? Nǐ hǎo ma? / Nǐ zěnmeyàng?
I am fine, and you? 我很好,你呢? 我很好,你呢? Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?
Yes 是的 是的 Shì de
No
I don't want it. 不要。 不要。 Bú yào.
Thank you 謝謝 谢谢 Xièxiè
Welcome! / You're welcome! 歡迎您!/ 不用謝! 欢迎您!/ 不用谢! Huānyíng nín! / bú yòng xiè!
When? 什麼時候? 什么时候? Shénme shíhou?
How much (money)? 多少錢? 多少钱? Duōshǎo qián?
How long (distance)? 多長? 多长? Duō cháng?
Can you speak a little more slowly? 您能講得再慢些嗎? 您能讲得再慢些吗? Nín néng jiǎng de zài màn xiē ma?
Good morning! 早上好! (早安! in Taiwan) 早上好! Zǎoshang hǎo! (Zǎo an in Taiwan)
Goodbye! 再見! 再见! Zàijiàn!
How do you get to the airport? 去機場怎麼走? 去机场怎么走? Qù jīchǎng zěnme zǒu?
I want to fly to London on the eighteenth 我想18日坐飛機到倫敦 我想18日坐飞机到伦敦 Wǒ xiǎng shíbā rì zuò fēijī dào Lúndūn
My Chinese isn't so good. 我的中文講得不太好. 我的中文讲得不太好. Wǒ de Zhōngwén jiǎng de bú tài hǎo.
How much will it cost to get to Munich? 到慕尼黑需要多少錢? 到慕尼黑需要多少钱? Dào Mùníhēi xūyào duōshǎo qián?

References

  1. Norman (1988), pp. 251.
  2. Liang (2014), p. 45.
  3. Luo, Chris (22 September 2014). "One-third of Chinese do not speak Putonghua, says Education Ministry". South China Morning Post.
  4. Only 7% of people in China speak proper Putonghua: PRC MOE, Language Log, 2014 Sept. 24
  5. 台灣手語簡介 (Taiwan) Archived 10 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine (2009)
  6. http://www.china-language.gov.cn/ Archived 2015-12-18 at the Wayback Machine (Chinese)
  • Norman, J., Chinese, Cambridge University Press, (Cambridge), 1988.
  • Ramsey, R.S.(1987). The Languages of China. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01468-X
  • San Duanmu (2000) The Phonology of Standard Chinese ISBN 0-19-824120-8

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