Lee Pui Har

Hasni bin Hassan

Juliawati binti Mohd Yunus

GENERAL STUDIES
SURVIVAL MANDARIN FOR DUMMIES

Lee Pui Har

Hasni bin Hassan
Juliawati binti Mohd Yunus

2021
Publish by,

POLITEKNIK METrO KUANTAN

No. A-5 Jalan Tun Ismail 2,
Sri Dagangan II,
25000 Kuantan
Pahang Darul Makmur
Tel: 09-565 9000
Fax: 09-517 3259
Url: www.pmku.edu.my

© ISBN: 978-967-19962-5-6

First Edition 2021

All right reserved. No part of this book may be used or

reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission from Politeknik METrO Kuantan.

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia

 PREFACE
This book is specially designed as an extra
enrichment reading material to supplement the
co-curricular Mandarin language club class.
Some widely used Mandarin language learning
materials were carefully selected and infused into
this one book based on the conversation
situations you may encounter during travelling
abroad. Thus, if you are a backpacker, a travel
enthusiast or even a member from the tourism
and hospitality service workforce, you will find
this book helpful as it was carefully crafted in
the simplest and most ‘dummies’ friendly way to
meet the needs of a forigen language learner who
are at the beginner level.
The Author.
CONTENT
Chapter 1: Basic Mandarin
The History of Chinese Writing System 1-5
The Chinese Phonetics (Hàn yǔ pīn yīn) 6-11
Self Introduction 12-15

Chapter 2: Situational Communication

At the Airport & Public Transportation 16-24
Accommodation 25-33
Shopping 34-41
At the Restaurant 42-51
CHAPTER 1
BASIC MANDARIN
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

The Chinese writing system is very unique as it is

one of the few languages in the world that uses
logogram as characters or words. In addition, The
Chinese writing system is the oldest language in the
world that are still in use continuously since the ancient
times. Thus, the writing system is so old that it was
adapted and adopted into many other languages in the
world especially in Asia. You can see trace of Chinese
Characters in Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean
language.

So, how many words are there in Chinese? There

are approximately 10 000 Chinese alphabets in the
dictionary, However, you will only use a small part of
them in your daily life. The most commonly used
characters would ranged between 3 000 up to 4 000
words.

The Chinese characters were changed into a much

more simplified form after World War 2, making it into a
much easier to recognise and write by the use when
the stroke of the characters were reduced.
Nonetheless, some part of the world still decided to
remain using the Traditional Chinese characters
(China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau), where the rest of
the world (Malaysia, Singapore and Japan) had
embraced the new set of SImplified Chinese
characters.
1
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Most of the Chinese Characters originated from

pictogram (象形字 xiàng xíng zì) that illustrate an object
or ideogram (指事字 zhǐ shì zì), that the meaning is
stated iconically.

象形字 指事字
xiàng xíng zì zhǐ shì zì
Mountain
Above
River

Below
Fire

Field
Three
Ox

Fish
Concave

House
Convex

2
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

The traditional Chinese characters have change through

time, turning from a more pictorial characters into a more
formal block of words. Under different ruling of dynasty, the
scholars gradually developing and improving the writing
system and characters to make it easier for people to write
and learn.

The following samples shows how the word of sun,

mountain, and elephant had come into form of the
character/words that we are using right now during different
periods of time.

Elephant 3
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Currently you can find two sets of writing characters that

are still in use around the world: Traditional Chinese and
Simplified Chinese. So, what are the differences between
these two sets of Chinese characters?

Both sets of characters are in fact Chinese words that

uses the same grammar rules, meaning of words,
vocabulary, sound system and sentence structures. What put
them apart is the way we write the characters.

Simplified Chinese is just like its name, uses characters

that looks similar to its traditional counterparts or version, but
with less strokes. Let’s have a look at the following examples
for the comparison of words that share the same sound and
same meaning but in different form of characters.

Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese

4
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

1. Do you still remember which country is using

which Chinese system? Fill in the blanks with
the Country’s name.

Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese

2. How many words or characters that are use in a

daily basis?

3. What is 象形字 (xiàng xíng zì)?

Shanghai
Remark:
You can find the answers in Page 1-4
5
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Have you ever wonder how a person know how

to pronounce a Chinese character since it is made
from block of strokes that uses logogram. They do not
have a spelling system like the English language so,
how you do actually know recognised the sound of
the words?

In order to ensure the standard pronunciation for

the Chinese language, a set of Chinese phonetics
that known as 汉语拼音 (Hàn yǔ pīn yīn) are used to
help the users to identify the sound of the
characters. The sound for the Chinese characters
are transcribe into Latin alphabets or roman letters
so that it can be used for the purpose of learning
Chinese, transcribing names into Chinese as well as
served as an input method when you are typing
Chinese characters into an electrical devices. The
chinese phonetics sound system were first invented
in 1950s and was widely used in China since 1958.

Without further ado, let’s dive right into the

phonetics. The chinese phonetics are divided into 3
parts, namely the initial/consonants, the vowels, and
the tone symbols.

6
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Initials, 声母 (Shēng mǔ), are the consonants

before the finals/vowels and when you add both
consonants and vowels together, it will form a
complete syllable or word. The following are some
of the consonants or initials for Mandarin.

How do you read the sound?

Example: b the same sound as in bay

b [bay] p [pay] m [mom] f [fun]

d [day] t [top] n [nay] l [lay] g [guy]
k [kill] h [high]
j [ji] q [chi] x [shi]
z [dz] c[che] s [sun] r [rer]
zh[dhz] ch [chez] sh [shiz]
y [yi] w [wu]

Remark:
Please visit the following link to hear the sound of
each initial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpQaZX39-Gk Shanghai

7
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Finals, 韵母 (yùn mǔ), are vowels in the Chinese

phonetics. It is the part of the Chinese characters
sound’s other than the initials and tones. It used to
be called rhyme. It is usually followed after an
initial. There are four types of vowels namely,
Single vowel, double vowels, front nasal vowels.,
and back nasal vowels.

• 单韵母 (single Vowel)　

a [ah]　o [or]　e [er]　i [ee]　u [uh] ü [yuei]
• 复韵母 (Double Vowels) 　
ai [ai]　ei [ey]　ui [wei]　ao[aw]　ou [ow]　
iu [you] ie [yeh]　üe [uyeh]　er[err]
• 前鼻韵母(Front Nasal Vowels) 　
An[un]　en[earn]　in[yin]　un[uwen]
• 后鼻韵母(Back Nasal Vowels)
ang[ah-ng]　eng[er-ng]　ing[ee-ng]　ong[or-ng]

Remark:
Please visit the following link to hear the sound of each final.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMNc9cTrQ0M

8
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Tone refers to the change in the tone of a

language. In modern Chinese phonetics, tone
refers to the level of sound inherent in Chinese
syllables that can distinguish the meaning. The
scale in music is also determined by the tone or
pitch, which can be simulated by the scale, and
learning tones can also improve your own musical
sense. General speaking, Mandarin consist of four
tones: yīn píng (阴平), yáng píng (阳平), shàng
shēng (上声) , qù shēng (去声). The tone of the
character is displayed by the following symbols
and you can find these symbols markers above the
vowels of the Chinese phonetics (pīn yīn).

阴平 阳平 上声 去声
- / ∨ ﹨
Example：
mā má mǎ mà
Remark:
Please visit the following link to hear the sound of each tone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYAFn5DQ3vw

9
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Basically, a simple Chinese character will have at

least one set of phonetics. The formation of most
of the phonetics uses the following formula:

Initial + vowel(s) + tone

For example: the word ‘he’ 他,

the phonetic formation is as follow:

t + a + - = tā

Hangzhou

10
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Now, let’s give it a try and see whether you could

pronounce the following phonetics correctly.

发声练习(Pronunciation Practice)

1. wŏ
2. nĭ
3. xué
4. nín
5. hăo
6. zǎo
7. xué
8. wǔ
9. yuàn
10. xīong

Shanghai

11
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

The first skills that you ought to master when

learning a language is how to introduce yourself.
Self introduction is called 自我介绍 (zì wǒ jiè
shào) in Mandarin. Generally speaking, you will
talk about your name, age, origin, occupation and
hobby when introducing yourself. Here’s a sample
short self-introduction that you can use.

大家好。dà jiā hǎo (Hi, everyone)

我叫___。wǒ jiào__ (My name is ___.)
今年___岁。jīn nián ___ suì (I’m __ years old.)
我来自马来西亚。wǒ lái zì mǎ lái xī yà (I’m from
Malaysia.)
我是__人。wǒ shì __rén (I’m a __.) [race]
我是一名____徒。wǒ shì yī míng __ tú (I am a
___.)[religion]
我是一名学生。wǒ shì yī míng xué shēng (I’m a
student)
我喜欢___。wǒ xǐ huān. (I like __.)
我不喜欢___。wǒ bù xǐ huān. (I dislike __.)
很高心认识你。hěn gāo xīn rèn shí nǐ (Nice
meeting you)

12
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Here are some useful vocabulary that you may find

useful when planning your script for your
self-introdution.

• 马来人 mǎ lái rén (Malay) • 露营 lù yíng (camping)

• 回教徒 huí jiào tú (Muslim) • 跳舞 tiào wǔ (dancing)
• 十九 shí jiǔ (19) • 野餐 yě cān (picnic)
• 二十 èr shí (20) • 看戏 kàn xì (watch movie)
• 二十一 èr shí yī (21) • 运动 yùn dòng (exercise)
• 二十二 èr shí èr (22) • 爬山 pá shān (hiking)
• 看书 kàn shū (reading) • 唱歌 chàng gē (singing)
• 购物 gòu wù (shopping) • 画画 huà huà (drawing)
• 旅游 lǚ yóu (travelling)
• 烹饪 pēng rèn (cooking)
• 骑脚踏车 qí jiǎo tà chē (cycling)
• 拍视频 pāi shì pín (record video)
• 小动物 xiǎo dòng wù (small animals)
• 听音乐 tīng yīn yuè (listen to music)
• 玩游戏 wán yóu xì (play game)
• 水上活动 shuǐ shàng huó dòng (water sports)
• 极限运动 jí xiàn yùn dòng (extreme sports)
• 喝下午茶 hē xià wǔ chá (have afternoon tea)
• 交朋友 jiāo péng yǒu (make friends)
Suzhou

13
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

You can refer to the following sample dialogue for

the situation where you are prompt with questions
about yourself instead of being ask to do a
self-introduction.

14
 Chapter 1: Mandarin

Write a sample script for your very own

self-introduction. It’s ok if you cannot write the the
Chinese characters, but you can always write down
your script in Chinese Phonetics Hàn yǔ pīn yīn to help
you to remember the script. As long as you could
converse in Mandarin, mission accomplished!!!

Fusan Fusan

Remark:
You can use the sample sentences and vocabulary list in Page
12-13 to help you.
15
CHAPTER 2
SITUATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

The first place that you visit when you are on a

vacation is always the airport. Sometime, a city
might have 2 airports in a city. For example,
Shanghai has 2 airports: Hongqiao International
Airport, 虹桥国际机场 and Putong International
Airport 浦东国际机场. The distance between both
airports is very far and therefore, you have to be
careful when buying a connection flight or making
ground transportation arrangements prior your
arrival. Most airports are built far away from the city
and you’ll need to taking the public transportation is
the most common choice for travellers to travel from
airport to the city center.

Shanghai

16
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Public transportation is called 交通工具 jiāo tōng

gōng jù in Mandarin.The are four types of public
transportations in an airport in China.

交通工具 jiāo tōng gōng jù

磁悬浮火车
德士 巴士 / 公交 地铁
cí xuán fú huǒ
dé shì bā shì / gōng jiāo dì tiě
chē
Taxi Bus Metro
Maglev Train

17
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Once you have landed in the airport you might need

to navigate yourself to some important locations.
Here is how you you do it.

Situation 1: Directions

Noun 在那里？

Noun zài nà lǐ ?
Where is Noun?

Guangzhou
Useful Vocab 生字
Toilet 洗手间 xǐ shǒu jiān
Baggage Claim Area 行李领取处 xíng lǐ lǐng qǔ chū
Subway Station 地铁站 dì tiě zhàn
Bus Station 公车站 gōng chē zhàn

Guangzhou
18
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

在direction 。

zài direction 。
Over direction.

Guangzhou

Useful Vocab 生字
那里 nà lǐ there
这里 zhè lǐ here
对面 duì miàn opposite
左边 zuǒ biān left side
右边 yòu biān right side

Guangzhou
19
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

哪里买 Noun 。
发问
nǎ lǐ mǎi Noun.
Asking Where to buy Noun. Guangzhou

Answering
Shenzhen

回答
你可以在 floor number 层的售票处买。

nǐ kě yǐ zài floor number céng de shòu piào chù

mǎi.

You can buy it at the ticket office on floor number

Useful Vocab 生字
floor.
Ticket 票 piào
LG Floor 地下低层 dì xià dī céng
Ground Floor 低层 dī céng

20
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Quantity 张去 destination 的票。

Quantity zhāng qù destination de piào.
Quantity piece(s) ticket to destination.

多少钱？
duō shǎo qián?
How much?

Useful Vocab 生字
Shanghai

0 零 líng 6 六 liù 100 百 bǎi

1 一 yī 7 七 qī 1 000 千 qiān
2 二 èr 8 八 bā 10 000 万 wàn
3 三 sān 9 九 jiǔ Number 号 hào
4 四 sì 10 十 shí Unit 个 gè
5 五 wǔ

21
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

The currency used in China is called rén mín bì

人民币 . Here are some of the sample notes and
coins currently used in China.

一元 yī yuán 二十元 Èr shí yuán

1 dolar 20 dolar

五元 wǔ yuán 五十元 wǔ shí yuán

5 dolar 50 dolar

五角 wǔ jiǎo
5 cent

十元 shí yuán 一百元 yī bǎi yuán

10 dolar 100 dolar

一角 yī jiǎo
1 cent
22
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

这地铁去 Destination 吗？
地
zhè dì tiě qù Destination ma?
铁
Does this subway go to Destination?
线
号

Hangzhou

Possible Answers:

去的。
qù de
Shanghai
Yes.

不去。请乘搭一号线。
bù qù. qǐng chéng dā yī hào xiàn.
No. Please take Line 1.

23
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

You might heard the following phases

when using a transportation card.

您卡的资金不足。
nín kǎ de zī jīn bù zú.
Your card have insufficient funds.

师傅,请开门。
shī fù qǐng kāi mén
Please open the door, Sir.

请充值____元。
Qǐng chōng zhí ____ yuán
Please top up ___ yuan Suzhou

Guangzhou
24
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

There are many types of accommodations available

in the market and they could be divided into 4
common groups. Each group of accommodations
has its own authentic features and the price of hotel
varies depending on the services provided based on
different types of travellers.

Types of Accommodation
住宿种类
Zhù sù zhǒng lèi

HOTEL GUESTHOUSE YOUTH HOSTEL

•大酒店, dà jiŭ diàn •客栈, kè zhàn •青年旅舍
•宾馆, bīn guăn •qīng nián lǚ shè
•饭店, fàn diàn INN
•旅馆, lǚ guăn HOMESTAY
民宿, mín sù

25
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Can I check-in now?

现在登记入住可以吗？
Xiàn zài dēng jì rù zhù kě yǐ ma?

Can I check-out late?

可以延迟退房吗？
kě yǐ yán chí tuì fáng ma?

Possible Answers:

Not Can
不 可以
bù kě yǐ

Guangzhou
26
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Can I store luggage here?

one 这里可以寄放行李吗？
zhè lǐ kě yǐ jì fàng xíng lǐ ma?

Do I need to pay?
two 我需要付款吗？
Wǒ xū yào fù kuǎn ma?

Is it free?
three 免费吗?
miǎn fèi ma?

Suzhou
27
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

What time is breakfast?

早餐是几点?
zǎo cān shì jǐ diǎn?

6am to 10am.
Shanghai
早上六点到十点。
zǎo shang liù diǎn dào shí diǎn.

Useful Vocab 生字
Check-out
退房
tuì fáng
Lunch
午餐
Wǔ cān
Dinner
晚餐
Wǎn cān

Guangzhou
28
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Please give me a wakeup call at 7am.

请在早上七点给我打早安电话。
qǐng zài zǎo shang qī diǎn gěi wǒ dǎ
zǎo ān diàn huà

Fusan

1. How do you say in Mandarin, “Please give me a

wakeup call at 10am?”
2. How do you say in Mandarin, “What time is
lunch?”
3. How do you say in Mandarin, “Can i check-in
late?”

Remark:
You can refer to the Numbers vocabulary list in Page 21 to help
you to tell times.
29
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

服务员 你好！中华大饭店。我是_____,请问有什么能帮助您的
吗？
Nǐ hǎo! Zhōng huá dà fàn diàn. Wǒ shì_____, qǐng wèn
yǒu shé me néng bang zhù nǐn de ma?
(Hello there! China World Hotel. I am _____, can I help
you?

客人 你好。我要登记入住。
Nǐ hǎo. Wǒ yào dēng jì rù zhù.
(Hello there. I want to check in.)

服务员 请问您有预定吗？
Qǐng wèn nín yǒu yù dìng ma?
(Do you have a reservation?)

客人 有的。我助理为我预定了。这是我的护照和文件。
Yǒu de. Wǒ zhù lǐ wèi wǒ yù ding le. Zhè shì wǒ de hù
zhào hé wén jiàn.
(Yes. My assistant made a reservation for me. This is my
passport and documents.)

服务员 好的,请稍等。
Hǎo de, qǐng shāo děng.
(Good. Please wait a moment.)

服务员 _____先生/小姐， 您定了两晚一间单人房，对吗？

_____Xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, nín ding le liǎng wǎn yī jiàn
dān rén fáng, duì ma?
(Mr/Ms____, you have booked a single room for two
nights, right?)

30
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

客人 对的。请问你们房间有包早餐吗？
Duì de. Qǐng wèn nǐ men fang jiān yǒu bāo zǎo cān ma?
(Correct. Does your room include breakfast?)

服务员 您定的房间是没有包括早餐的。请问要为您加上两天的早餐
吗？
Nín dìng de fang jiān shì méi yǒu bāo kuò zǎo cān de. Qǐng
wèn yào wèi nín jiā shàng liǎng tiān de zǎo cān ma?
(The room you booked did not include breakfast. Would you
like to add breakfast for two days?)

客人 好的。请问总共多少钱？
Hǎo de. Qǐng wèn zǒng gòng duō shǎo qián?
(Ok. How much is the total amount?)

服务员 一共六百八十元。您是要付现金还是刷卡？
Yī gòng liù bǎi bā shí yuán. Nín shì yào fù xiàn jīn hái shì
shuā kǎ?
(A total of six hundred and eighty yuan. Do you want to pay
by cash or by credit card?)

客人 我要刷卡。这是我的信用卡。
Wǒ yào shuā kǎ. Zhè shì wǒ de xìn yòng kǎ.
(I want to swipe my card. This is my credit card.)

服务员 好的, 先生/小姐，请稍等。

Hǎo de xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, qǐng shāo děng.
(Good. Sir/madam, please wait a moment.)
服务员 _____先生/小姐，您的房间在八楼，房号是八一八。这是您的
早餐卷和房卡。
_____ Xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, nín de fang jiān zài bā lóu, fáng
hào shì bā yī bā. Zhè shì nín de zǎo cān juǎn hé fáng kǎ.
(Mr/Ms____, your room is on the eighth floor, and the room
number is 818. This is your breakfast coupon and room
card.)
31
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

客人 谢谢。你们饭店有游泳池和健身房吗？我想要运动一下。
Xiè xiè. Nǐ men fàn diàn yǒu yóu yǒng chí hé jiàn shēn
fáng ma? Wǒ xiǎng yào yùn dòng yī xià.
(Thank you. Does your hotel have a swimming pool and
gym? I want to exercise.)

服务员 有的。都在十一楼。
Yǒu de. Dōu zài shí yī lóu.
(Yes. They are all on the eleventh floor.)

客人 你们几点开始供应早餐？餐厅在几楼？
Nǐ men jǐ diǎn kāi shǐ gong yìng zǎo cān? Cān tīng zài jǐ
lóu?
(What time do you start serving breakfast? What floor is
the restaurant on?)

服务员 早餐在七点开始到十点。餐厅在六楼。
Zǎo cān zài qī diǎn kāi shǐ dào shí diǎn. Cān tīng zài liù
lóu.
(Breakfast starts from seven to ten. The restaurant is on
the sixth floor.)

客人 你明天可以七点给我安排个早安电话吗？
Nǐ míng tiān kě yǐ qī diǎn gěi wǒ ān pái gè zǎo ān diàn huà
ma?
(Can you arrange a morning call for me at seven
tomorrow?)

服务员 没问题_____先生/小姐。还有什么我能帮到您吗？
Méi wèn tí_____xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě. Hái yǒu shé me wǒ
néng bāng dào nín ma?
(No problem, Mr./Ms. _____. Is there anything else I can
help you with?

32
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

客人 电梯在哪里？
Diàn tī zài nǎ lǐ?
(Where is the elevator?)

服务员 这边左拐。
Zhè biān zuǒ guǎi.
(Turn left here.)

客人 谢谢。
Xiè xiè
(Thank you.)

Shanghai

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Shopping is the great experience we all of us enjoy

especially when we are travel to a foreign country.
Nevertheless, knowing how to express yourself and
to be able to understand the seller is utmost
important to ensure the best shopping experience.
Here are some dialogue that might be useful to you.

Welcome. How can I help you?

欢迎光临。有什么能帮到您的吗？
huān yíng guāng lín. yǒu shé me néng bāng
dào nín de ma?

Do you have ______?

你们有卖______吗？
nǐ men yǒu mài______ma? Shanghai

Souvenir 伴手礼 bàn shǒu lǐ

Fridge magnet 冰箱贴 bīng xiāng tiē
Fan 扇子 shàn zi
Tea set 茶具 chá jù
Traditional clothes 传统衣服 chuán tǒng yī fú
Key Chain 钥匙圈 yào shi quān
Electrical appliances 电器 diàn qì
clothes 衣服 yī fú
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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Do you have ___ size?

请问有____码吗？
qǐng wèn yǒu____mǎ ma?

Do you have ____ colour?

你有____色吗？
nǐ yǒu____sè ma?
Guangzhou

Possible Answers:
Yes, there is. No, there is not.
有的。 没有。
Yǒu de Méi yǒu

Useful Vocab 生字
Red 红 Hóng Green 绿 Lǜ
Blue 蓝 Lán White 白 Bái
Yellow 黄 huáng Purple 紫 Zǐ
Black 黑 Hēi

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Can I try this on?

我可以试穿吗？
Wǒ kě yǐ shì chuān ma?

Where is the fitting room?

试衣间在哪里？
Shì yī jiān zài nǎlǐ?

Shanghai

36
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

How much is it?

多少钱？
duō shǎo qián?

It’s too expensive! Can the price be cheaper?

太贵了！可以便宜一点吗？
tài guì le! kě yǐ pián yí yī diǎn ma?

Is there a discount for buying ______?

买______个有折扣吗？
mǎi______gè yǒu zhé kòu ma?

Useful Phrase

Is there any free gift?

有赠品吗？
yǒu zèng pǐn ma?

Shanghai

37
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

How much is the total?

总共多少钱？
zǒng gòng duō shǎo qián?

Can I use a credit card?

可以刷卡吗？
kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma?
Guangzhou

Sorry, we only accept cash/ewallet.

抱歉，我们只接受现金 / 电子钱包。
bào qiàn, wǒ men zhǐ jiē shòu xiàn jīn / diàn zǐ
qián bāo.

Useful Phrase
I don't want to buy it.
我不买了。
Wǒ bù mǎi le.

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

服务员 欢迎光临！有什么能帮到您的吗？
Huān yíng guāng lín! Yǒu shén me néng bāng dào nín de ma?
(Welcome. How may I assist you?)

客人 我想买一些伴手礼带回国。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī xiē bàn shǒu lǐ dài huí guó.
(I want to buy some souvenirs to take home.)

服务员 好的先生/小姐，这边请。
Hǎo de xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, zhè biān qǐng.
(Certainly sir/madam. This way please.)

服务员 这里都是我们店的名气商品。
Zhè lǐ dōu shì wǒ men diàn de míng qì shāng pǐn.
(Here are the famous products of our shop.)

客人 你们有卖冰箱贴吗？有地标那种。
Nǐ men yǒu mài bīng xiāng tiē ma? Yǒu dì biāo nà zhǒng.
(Do you sell fridge magnet? Those with landmarks on it.)

服务员 有的。在篮子的这些都是些比较有特色的冰箱贴。
Yǒu de. Zài lán zi de zhè xiē dōu shì xiē bǐ jiào yǒu tè sè de
bīng xiāng tiē.
(Yes. These in the basket are some unique fridge magnets.)
客人 一个需要多少钱？假如我买五个有折扣吗？
Yī gè xū yào duō shǎo qián? Jiǎ rú wǒ mǎi wǔ gè yǒu zhé
kòu ma?
(How much does one cost? Is there discount if i buy five?)

服务员 一个十元。买五个送一个，没折扣。
Yī gè shí yuán. Mǎi wǔ gè sòng yī gè, mò zhé kòu.
(One is ten yuan. Buy five and get one free, no discount.)

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

客人 好的，我要这几个。你们有卖华人的传统服饰吗？
Hǎo de, wǒ yào zhè jǐ gè. Nǐ men yǒu mài huá rén de chuán tǒng
fú shì ma?
(Okay, I want these. Do you sell traditional Chinese costumes?)

服务员 我们有卖汉服。这些吊在墙上的都是新品。吊在这架子上的都
有七折。
Wǒ men yǒu mài hàn fú. Zhè xiē diào zài qiáng shàng de dōu shì
xīn pǐn. Diào zài zhè jià zi shàng de dōu yǒu qī zhé.
(We do sell Han fu. These hanging on the wall are new products.
30% off for those hanging on this shelf.)

客人 我喜欢这件衣服的款式。这款有红色吗？
Wǒ xǐ huān zhè jiàn yī fú de kuǎn shì. Zhè kuǎn yǒu hóng sè ma?
(I like the style of this dress. Is it available in red?)

服务员 红色卖完了。只有蓝色。
Hóng sè mài wán liǎo. Zhǐ yǒu lán sè.
(The red is sold out. Only blue.)

客人 好吧！可以试穿吗？
Hǎo ba! Kě yǐ shì chuān ma?
(Ok! Can I try it on?)

服务员 可以的。更衣间在这里。
Kě yǐ de. Gēng yī jiān zài zhè lǐ.
(Sure. The dressing room is here.)

客人 这衣服太小了。有大一码的吗？
Zhè yī fú tài xiǎo le. Yǒu dà yī mǎ de ma?
(This dress is too small. Do you have one size bigger?)

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

服务员 有的，这件是L码的。您需要试穿吗？
Yǒu de, zhè jiàn shì L mǎ de. Nín xū yào shì chuān ma?
(Yes, this one is in L size. Do you need to try it on?

客人 不必了。给我结账吧。
Bù bì le. Gěi wǒ jié zhàng ba.
(No need. Please process to payment for me.)

服务员 好的。这边请。
Hǎo de. Zhè biān qǐng.
(Ok. this way please.)

服务员 先生/小姐，一共三百五十元。
Xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, yī gòng sān bǎi wǔ shí yuán.
(Mr./Miss, it's three hundred and fifty yuan in total.)

客人 我可以刷卡吗？
Wǒ kě yǐ shuā kǎ ma?
(Can I swipe my card?)

服务员 可以的。
Kě yǐ de.
(sure)

服务员 这是您的卡和收条。欢迎您再次光临，再见。
Zhè shì nín de kǎ hé shōu tiáo. Huān yíng nín zài cì guāng lín, zài
jiàn.
(This is your card and receipt. You are welcome to visit again,
goodbye.)

客人 谢谢。
Xiè xiè
(Thank you.)

41
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Chinese dining etiquette or table manner (餐桌礼仪

cān zhuō lǐ yí) is very important and crucial aspect in
the Chinese dining culture. One is expected to
observe good dining etiquette at a Chinese dining
table to showcase one’s good upbringing and
self-cultivation, especially there is an elderly joining
the meal. Whether you are a host or a guest, good
table manners can leave great impression and
should be followed by all. Here are some of the
common dining etiquette for your attention:

Don’t talk when there is food on the mouth.

Don’t cross the chopsticks on the table.

Don’t insert chopsticks in the bowl with rice.

Don’t point someone with chopsticks or play with

Mini Lobster Noodle
chopsticks.

Don’t make much noise when eating or drinking soup.

Only start eating when the elderly has pick up

his/her chopstick.
Use the Sharing ladle//chopstick when picking up
food from the center of the table.

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

There are some special eating utensils that you will

only find on a Chinese dining table. Here are some
of them and their names in Mandarin.

● Bowl 碗 wǎn
● Chopstick 筷子 kuài zi
● Soup Spoon 汤匙 tāng chí
● Fork 叉 chā
● Cup 杯子 bēi zi Dimsam

● Plate 盘子 pán zi
● Sharing Chopstick 共筷 gòng kuài
● Soup Ladle 汤勺 tāng sháo
● Soy Sauce Plate 酱油碟 jiàng yóu dié

Chinese Table Setting

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

请给我 ____ 份 ________.

qǐng gěi wǒ ____ fèn ________.
Please give me quantity of noun.

Sautee Steam Buns

你们的食物是清真的吗？
nǐ men de shí wù shì qīng zhēn de ma?
Is your food halal?

Dim Sam
Useful Vocab 生字
Pilaf 手抓饭 shòu zhuā fàn
Kebab 烤肉串 Kǎo ròu chuàn
Wonton noodles 馄饨面 hún tún miàn
Peking duck 北京烤鸭 běi jīng kǎo yā
Kebab Pita 肉夹馍 ròu jiā mó
Char Kueh 油条 yóu tiáo
Dim Sam 点心 diǎn xīn
Hot Pot 火锅 huǒ guō
beef noodles 牛肉面 niú ròu miàn
Fried rice 炒饭 chǎo fàn
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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Is this spicy/salty/sweet?
这个会辣/咸/甜吗？
zhè ge huì là /xián/ tián ma?

Possible Answers:

No.
不会
Braised Duck Rice
bù huì

Slightly Spicy
微辣 / 有一点辣
wēi là / yǒu yī diǎn là

It will be very Spicy

会很辣
huì hěn là

Fish Head Noodle

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Is there anything that is not spicy?

有不辣的吗？
yǒu bù là de ma?

I can’t eat pork and drink alcohol!

我不可以吃猪肉和喝酒!
wǒ bù kě yǐ chī zhū ròu hé hē jiǔ!

Please do not put in meat or alcohol.

请不要放入肉类或酒精。
qǐng bù yào fàng rù ròu lèi huò jiǔ jīng.

Useful Vocab 生字
Spicy 辣 là
Salty 咸 xián
Sweet 甜 tián
Seafood 海鲜 hǎi xiān
Beans 豆类 dòu lèi
Nuts 坚果类 jiān guǒ lèi
Chinese Wrap
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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

Would you like it hot or cold?

您要冷的还是热的？
nín yào lěng de hái shì rè de?

Possible Answers:

Hot, please.
给我热的。
gěi wǒ rè de.

Cold, please.
给我冷的。
gěi wǒ lěng de

Mini Pau & Wanton Noodle

Shanghai
47
 Chapter 2: Mandarin

服务员 欢迎光临！请问您几位？
Huān yíng guān lín! Qǐng wèn nín jǐ wèi?
(Welcome. How many person?)

客人 一位。
Yī wèi.
(one person.)

服务员 好的先生/小姐，这边请。
Hǎo de xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, zhè biān qǐng.
(Certainly sir/madam. This way please.)

服务员 请问您吃点什么？
Qǐng wèn nín chī diǎn shén me?
(What would you like to eat?)

客人 你们餐厅是清真的吗？我是穆斯林，不能吃猪肉和喝酒。
Nǐ men cān tīng shì qīng zhēn de ma? Wǒ shì mù sī lín, bù
néng chī zhū ròu hé hē jiǔ.
(Is your restaurant halal? I am a Muslim and cannot eat
pork or drink alcohol.)

服务员 先生/小姐您放心，我们是清真的餐厅。
Xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě nín fang xīn, wǒ men shì qīng zhēn
de cān tīng.
(Don’t worry Sir/Madam, we are a halal restaurant.)

客人 很好。有菜单吗？
Hěn hǎo. Yǒu cài dān ma?
(Excellent. Do you have a menu?)

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

服务员 这是菜单。
Zhè shì cài dān.
(This is the menu.)

客人 我不吃辣，你有什么介绍吗？
Wǒ bù chī là, nǐ yǒu shén me jiè shào ma?
(I don’t eat spicy food, do you have any recommendation?)

服务员 我们店里的招牌菜有北京烤鸭饭，姜葱牛肉饭，还有桥头面
线。
Wǒ men diàn lǐ de zhāo pái cài yǒu běi jīng kǎo yā fàn,
jiāng cōng niú ròu fàn, hái yǒu qiáo tóu miàn xiàn.
(The signature dishes in our shop are Beijing roast duck
rice, ginger and onion beef rice, and Qiao tou noodles.)

客人 给我一份北京烤鸭饭。
Gěi wǒ yī fèn běi jīng kǎo yā fàn.
(Give me a Beijing roast duck rice.)

服务员 好的。您要点汤吗？
Hǎo de. Nín yào diǎn tāng ma?
(Ok. Would you like some soup?)

客人 要，来份莲藕汤。
Yào, lái fèn lián' ǒu tāng.
(Yes, a lotus root soup.)

服务员 您要喝什么饮料？
Nín yào hē shén me yǐn liào?
(What drink would you like to drink?)

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

客人 给我一杯冷的菊花茶。
Gěi wǒ yī bēi lěng de jú huā chá
(Give me a cold cup of chrysanthemum tea.)

服务员 好的。您还需要点什么吗？
Hǎo de. Nín hái xū yào diǎn shén me ma?
(Ok. Do you need anything else?)

客人 对的。请给我汤匙和叉子，我不会用筷子。
Duì de. Qǐng gěi wǒ tang chí hé chā zi, wǒ bù huì yòng
kuài zi.
(Correct. Please give me a spoon and fork, I don't know
how to use chopsticks.)

服务员 好的。请稍等。
Hǎo de. Qǐng shāo děng.
(OK. Please wait.)

服务员 先生/小姐，这是您的食物和饮料。
Xiān sheng / xiǎo jiě, zhè shì nín de shí wù hé yǐn liào.
(Sir/Madam, here are the food and drinks.)

客人 谢谢。
Xiè xiè
(Thank you.)

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 Chapter 2: Mandarin

客人 服务员，结账。
Fú wù yuán, jié zhàng
(Waiter, bill please.)

服务员 好的。一共五十三元。
Hǎo de. Yī gòng wǔ shí sān yuán.
(Ok. A total of fifty-three yuan.)

客人 这是六十元。不用找零。
Zhè shì liù shí yuán. Bù yòng zhǎo líng.
(This is sixty yuan. Keep the change.)

服务员 谢谢您。欢迎再次光临，再见。
Xiè xiè nín. Huān yíng zài cì guāng lín, zài jiàn.
(Thank you. Welcome to our shop again, goodbye.)

Cantonese Breakfast

51
https://studycli.org/chinese-characters/types-of-chinese-characte
rs/

https://www.google.com.my/maps?hl=en

https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/international-affairs/
year-of-china/language-and-cultural-resources/introduction-chine
se-characters/introduction-chinese-characters

https://www.easymandarin.cn/online-chinese-lessons/chinese-ph
onetics/