\tBe sure to practice your Mandarin Chinese every chance you get. With just a few words and phrases, you can have a simple conversation with a native speaker.<\/p>\n
\tHere are a few useful phrases to explain your level of Mandarin and whether you understand or not. Note that there is a difference between understanding spoken Mandarin (\u542c\u7684\u61c2; t\u012bng dé d\u01d2ng) and written Chinese (\u770b\u7684\u61c2; kàn dé d\u01d2ng) – the difference between understanding the sound (\u542c; t\u012bng) and the sight (\u770b; kàn) of the language.<\/p>\n
\t <\/p>\n
\t0:06
\t\/
\t0:41<\/p>\n
\t HOW TO SAY "CAN YOU" | MANDARIN
\tAudio clips are marked with \u25ba<\/p>\n
\tLEVEL OF CHINESE
\tWhen starting a conversation in Chinese, you may need to explain your level of Mandarin Chinese so that your conversation partner knows what to expect. Here are a few different ways to answer the question: do you speak Chinese?<\/p>\n
\tDo you speak Mandarin?
\t\u25baN\u01d0 huì shu\u014d Zh\u014dngwén ma?
\t(trad) \u4f60\u6703\u8aaa\u4e2d\u6587\u55ce?
\t(simp) \u4f60\u4f1a\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u5417?<\/p>\n
\tI speak Mandarin.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 huì shu\u014d Zh\u014dngwén.
\t(trad) \u6211\u6703\u8aaa\u4e2d\u6587\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u4f1a\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\uff61<\/p>\n
\tI speak a little Mandarin.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 huì shu\u014d y\u012bdi\u01cendi\u01cen Zh\u014dngwén.
\t(trad) \u6211\u6703\u8aaa\u4e00\u9ede\u9ede\u4e2d\u6587\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u4f1a\u8bf4\u4e00\u70b9\u70b9\u4e2d\u6587\uff61<\/p>\n
\tYes, a little.
\t\u25baHuì, y\u012b di\u01cen di\u01cen.
\t(trad) \u6703,\u4e00\u9ede\u9ede\uff61
\t(simp) \u4f1a,\u4e00\u70b9\u70b9\uff61<\/p>\n
\tNot very well.
\t\u25baBú tài h\u01ceo.
\t\u4e0d\u592a\u597d\uff61<\/p>\n
\tMy Mandarin is not good.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 de Zh\u014dngwén bù h\u01ceo.
\t\u6211\u7684\u4e2d\u6587\u4e0d\u597d\uff61<\/p>\n
\tI only know a few words.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 zh\u01d0 zh\u012bdao j\u01d0ge zì.
\t(trad) \u6211\u53ea\u77e5\u9053\u5e7e\u500b\u5b57\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u53ea\u77e5\u9053\u51e0\u4e2a\u5b57\uff61<\/p>\n
\tMy pronunciation is not very good.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 de f\u0101y\u012bn búshì h\u011bnh\u01ceo.\u200b
\t(trad) \u6211\u7684\u767c\u97f3\u4e0d\u662f\u5f88\u597d\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u7684\u53d1\u97f3\u4e0d\u662f\u5f88\u597d\uff61
\tDOES YOUR FRIEND SPEAK MANDARIN?
\tIf you are with another person, you may be to answer for them if they do not speak Chinese.<\/p>\n
\tFor example:<\/p>\n
\tDoes your friend speak Mandarin?
\t\u25baN\u01d0 de péngyou huì shu\u014d Zh\u014dngwén ma?
\t(trad) \u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u6703\u8aaa\u4e2d\u6587\u55ce?
\t(simp) \u4f60\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u4f1a\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u5417?<\/p>\n
\tNo, my friend doesn’t speak Mandarin.
\t\u25baBú huì, w\u01d2 de péngyou bú huì shu\u014d Zh\u014dngwén.\u200b
\t(trad) \u4e0d\u6703, \u6211\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u4e0d\u6703\u8aaa\u4e2d\u6587\uff61
\t(simp) \u4e0d\u4f1a, \u6211\u7684\u670b\u53cb\u4e0d\u4f1a\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\uff61
\tLISTENING AND WRITING COMPREHENSION SKILLS
\tWith these phrases, you can explain your level of Chinese beyond just speaking but also in terms in writing.<\/p>\n
\tDo you understand (spoken) Mandarin?
\t\u25baN\u01d0 t\u012bng dé d\u01d2ng Zh\u014dngwén ma?
\t(trad) \u4f60\u807d\u5f97\u61c2\u4e2d\u6587\u55ce?
\t(simp) \u4f60\u542c\u5f97\u61c2\u4e2d\u6587\u5417?<\/p>\n
\tDo you understand (written) Mandarin?
\t\u25baN\u01d0 kàn dé d\u01d2ng Zh\u014dngwén ma?
\t(trad) \u4f60\u770b\u5f97\u61c2\u4e2d\u6587\u55ce?
\t(simp) \u4f60\u770b\u5f97\u61c2\u4e2d\u6587\u5417?<\/p>\n
\tI can speak Mandarin, but I can’t read it.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 huì shu\u014d Zh\u014dngwén dànshì w\u01d2 kàn bùd\u01d2ng.
\t(trad) \u6211\u6703\u8aaa\u4e2d\u6587\u4f46\u662f\u6211\u770b\u4e0d\u61c2\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u4f1a\u8bf4\u4e2d\u6587\u4f46\u662f\u6211\u770b\u4e0d\u61c2\uff61<\/p>\n
\tI can read Chinese characters, but I can’t write them.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 kàn dé d\u01d2ng Zh\u014dngwén zì dànshì w\u01d2 bú huì xi\u011b.
\t(trad) \u6211\u770b\u5f97\u61c2\u4e2d\u6587\u5b57\u4f46\u662f\u6211\u4e0d\u6703\u5beb\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u770b\u5f97\u61c2\u4e2d\u6587\u5b57\u4f46\u662f\u6211\u4e0d\u4f1a\u5199\uff61
\tDO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
\tYour conversation partner might check in from time to time to make sure you're understanding everything that is being said. If they are speaking too fast or inaudibly, here are some helpful phrases you can ask.<\/p>\n
\tDo you understand me?
\t\u25baN\u01d0 t\u012bng dé d\u01d2ng w\u01d2 shu\u014d shénme ma?
\t(trad) \u4f60\u807d\u5f97\u61c2\u6211\u8aaa\u4ec0\u9ebc\u55ce?
\t(simp) \u4f60\u542c\u5f97\u61c2\u6211\u8bf4\u4ec0\u4e48\u5417?<\/p>\n
\tYes, I can understand you.
\t\u25baShì, w\u01d2 t\u012bng dé d\u01d2ng.
\t(trad) \u662f, \u6211\u807d\u5f97\u61c2\uff61
\t(simp) \u662f, \u6211\u542c\u5f97\u61c2\uff61<\/p>\n
\tI can’t understand you very well.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 t\u012bng bú tài d\u01d2ng n\u01d0 shu\u014d shénme.
\t(trad) \u6211\u807d\u4e0d\u592a\u61c2\u4f60\u8aaa\u4ec0\u9ebc\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u542c\u4e0d\u592a\u61c2\u4f60\u8bf4\u4ec0\u4e48\uff61<\/p>\n
\tPlease speak more slowly.
\t\u25baQ\u01d0ng shu\u014d màn y\u012bdi\u01cen.
\t(trad) \u8acb\u8aaa\u6162\u4e00\u9ede\uff61
\t(simp) \u8bf7\u8bf4\u6162\u4e00\u70b9\uff61<\/p>\n
\tPlease repeat that.
\t\u25baQ\u01d0ng zài shu\u014d y\u012bcì.
\t(trad) \u8acb\u518d\u8aaa\u4e00\u6b21\uff61
\t(simp) \u8bf7\u518d\u8bf4\u4e00\u6b21\uff61<\/p>\n
\tI don’t understand.
\t\u25baW\u01d2 t\u012bng bú d\u01d2ng.
\t(trad) \u6211\u807d\u4e0d\u61c2\uff61
\t(simp) \u6211\u542c\u4e0d\u61c2\uff61
\tASK FOR HELP
\tDon't be shy! The best way to learn new words is to ask.<\/p>\n
\tIf you're trying to convey an idea in a conversation but find that you can't, ask the person you're talking to if they can give it a try. Then, try and bring up that phrase again and again in future conversations; repetition is good practice for memorization.<\/p>\n
\tHow do you say XXX in Mandarin?
\t\u25baXXX Zh\u014dngwén z\u011bnme shu\u014d?
\t(trad) XXX \u4e2d\u6587\u600e\u9ebc\u8aaa?
\t(simp) XXX \u4e2d\u6587\u600e\u4e48\u8bf4?
\t <\/p>\n