REALLY Helpful Chinese Phrases

I've now been studying Chinese for over a year and a half.  My classmates and I have recently ramped up our lessons to twice a week, and I am beginning to feel like I am making some progress. Just yesterday I composed the sentence, "Being at school for 10 hours is too long" (I inadvertently made a tongue twister- Shi xiao shi zai xue xiao tai jiu le.). I've also learned to say such valuable things as Na hao ba. Which is like sarcastically saying, "Fine, then."

But, in terms of most useful Chinese phrases, I think you really only need five.  So here is my contribution to our list obsessed world.

Andrea's Top Seven Useful Chinese Phrases 

(The Ones You Really Need to Learn).

1.  Bu Yao (boo yow)

I would like to say you should begin by learning hello, please or thank you.  But if I'm honest, this is more important. It means, "Don't want." And you'll use it all the time.

Sales woman is trying to aggressively sell you something: Bu yao.
Waiter offers you snake wine, Bu yao.
Guy is smoking in the elevator, Bu yao.
A group of migrant workers is taking your picture because they have never seen a foreigner in the flesh: Bu yao.
Scantily clad woman whispers "Massage?": Bu yao.

See? So helpful.

3. Hao (how)

This means, "Good." But is so much more helpful than just that!  You have already learned bu which is a negating word. So... Bu+hao?  Bu hao.  "No good or not good."

Something tastes good: hao
Something tastes bad: bu hao
You like something:  hao
You don't like something: bu hao

Here is where it gets awesome- Hao bu hao? "Is this good?" Literally, "Good, not good?"

You want to know if the DVD you are buying from a folding table in the middle of an alley is of good quality: Hao bu hao?
Is this street food of indeterminate origin tasty? Hao bu hao?

Knowing hao is very hao.

4.  Xie xie (shea, shea)

Finally, a pleasantry. Thank you.

Chinese has a please, but it is rarely used.  For a good midwestern girl, it was hard for me to deal with the fact that I couldn't say pleases.  I had to say things like "Want this." Instead of "Please can I have this."

So, this midwesterner goes crazy with her xie xies.  I xie xie everyone with a smile. I think most locals think I'm pretty weird.

5. Zhe ge (jzhu guh)

This means this.  When you say it correctly, it sounds like a Jay-Z reference, "Jigga"

This comes in most handy when trying to get food.  Many Chinese restaurants have picture menus.  So when in doubt, you can point to a picture and say zhe ge.  Since you have already learned want--yao-- you can easily say what you would like to order.  Yao zhe ge- "I want this."  Add the bu, and you can now say, "I don't want this."

"Want this" sounds a bit rough, but trust me, it's totally respectful.  You can follow it with a xie xie, but it is not really needed.

6.  Ting bu dong (Ting boo dong)

Literally, "Hear, don't understand."

Basically, this is like saying.  "I hear you.  You do not need to speak louder.  You do not need to speak slower.  What you are saying, I do not understand it.  Please stop trying to make me understand."

7.  Duo shao qian (Dwo shaow chi-en)

(For advanced students only!)
"How much does this cost?" This is extremely helpful because if you ask in Chinese, it is highly likely you will get a better price.  The downside is, they will reply in Chinese. In order to use this phrase, you have to know your numbers.

Just for fun...

Ma ma hu hu (ma ma hoo hoo)

Literally, "Horse horse, tiger tiger." Figuratively, "So, so."

In studying Chinese, I have come to enjoy its simplicity. I picture it like chunks of words.  Nouns, verbs, adjectives, time points, and time durations.  These chunks are moved around to make wonderful new sentences that you never knew you could say.  In one lesson my teacher asked me to write the sentence, "The Malaysian airplane is missing."  And, without too much hesitation, I wrote that sentence.  Amazing.

So, after your first "lesson" in useful Chinese, give it a go.

Translate this conversation-

Andrea: Zhe ge bu hao. Bu yao... Zhe ge hao bu hao?
Street food vendor: Hao. Yao bu yao?
Andrea: Yao zhe ge, xie xie. 
Street food vender: Hao bu hao?
Andrea: Zhe ge ma ma hu hu. Xie xie. 
Street vendor:  Dui bu qi.  Ni chi gou rou. Sha mei guo ren! (laughs forebodingly)
Andrea: Ting bu dong!

Did you do it!  Hen hao xue sheng!

PS- For people who actually speak or study Chinese, I realize I am writing without tone marks... sorry. Deal with it.