Hello everyone, welcome to today's show.
I hope that when you listen to this episode,
and also learn some useful Chinese.
Today, we're going to talk about
sentences that you will actually use in travel, work,
We don't need overly complex grammar,
or language that's too formal,
just like friends chatting, okay?
A lot of people learn Chinese
because they want to travel to China.
what are the things we say most often?
Of course, they are 'Hello,' 'Thank you,'
'How much is this?' and 'I want this.'
In China, if you walk into a shop,
you can say, 'Hello, I want to buy some water.'
'How much is this bottle of water?'
The clerk will say, 'Three yuan.'
You can reply, 'Okay, thank you.'
Very simple, and very practical.
Sometimes, you might also want to ask where the restroom is.
You can say, 'Excuse me, where is the restroom?'
This is a sentence every traveler needs to learn.
If you want to take the subway or a taxi, it's also very easy.
You can say to the driver:
'Driver, I want to go to the train station.'
Or, 'To the airport, please.'
Remember to add 'please,'
Chinese people really like hearing 'please' and 'thank you,'
these two words are small, but very powerful.
If you go to a restaurant to order, you can say:
'Please give me a cup of tea.'
Or, 'I'd like a bowl of noodles.'
When you finish eating, the server might ask you:
You can smile and say, 'It was delicious, thank you!'
If you find it too spicy, you can also say:
'It's a bit spicy, but I like it.'
Saying it this way is very natural,
and it also makes people feel
you are truly enjoying the meal.
One of the most interesting things about traveling
is chatting with the locals.
Even if your Chinese isn't very good yet,
as long as you dare to speak,
For example, if you see a cute puppy,
The owner will definitely smile and reply, 'Thank you!'
Language is not just a tool for communication,
it is also a bridge that connects hearts.
So, what if you are working in China?
you will hear many common phrases,
and 'Let's have a meeting.'
Every morning when you arrive at the office,
you can say to your colleagues, 'Good morning!'
When having lunch together at noon, you can ask:
'What do you want to eat?'
At work, other very common phrases include:
'Let me help you with this,'
and 'Thank you for your help.'
Sometimes, you might need someone to wait a moment,
you can say, 'Just a moment.'
Or, 'Give me a little more time.'
In the workplace, politeness and cooperation are very important,
so phrases like 'Sorry to trouble you,'
'excuse me,' and 'thank you,'
you can use them more often.
They will make others feel that you are very friendly
I remember during my first internship in China,
the boss would say to us every morning:
'Good morning everyone, keep it up today too!'
At the time, I found this word 'Jiayou' very interesting.
that Chinese people really like to say 'Jiayou,'
not just during competitions,
For example, before a friend's exam,
you can say, 'Jiayou! (Good luck!)'
When a colleague is tired from work, you can also say:
'You are doing great, keep going!'
This is a very warm phrase; hearing it
always makes you feel like someone is supporting you.
we use Chinese for all kinds of things every day.
Waking up in the morning,
you can say, 'The weather is so nice today.'
On the way to work, there might be a traffic jam,
you can say, 'The traffic is so bad today.'
Arriving at the company and seeing colleagues, you can say:
After work, if a friend invites you to eat together,
you can say, 'Sure, let's go together!'
These sentences are very short,
but you can use them every day.
is actually practiced bit by bit like this.
When shopping at a supermarket, you might hear:
You can reply, 'No, thank you.'
Or, 'Yes, please, thank you.'
When you don't quite understand what someone is saying,
you can say, 'Sorry, I don't understand.'
Or, 'Could you say that again?'
These two sentences are very important
because they let others know you are listening carefully,
and allow them to help you by speaking more slowly.
Sometimes you can also add, 'I'm learning Chinese.'
Trust me, they will definitely smile and say:
'Wow, your Chinese is very good!'
At this point, you can smile shyly
and say, 'No, no, I still need to practice more.'
This is also a very natural response.
If you go to a hair salon,
you can say, 'Cut it a bit shorter.'
If you go to the hospital,
you can say, 'I have a headache.'
you can say, 'Teacher, I have a question.'
If you are at home, you can say:
'I'm very tired today, I want to rest.'
These sentences seem simple,
but every single one of them
is the most commonly used in real life.
Sometimes, life is not just about work or studying.
For example, if you want to grab coffee after work,
you can say to a friend, 'Let's go grab some coffee.'
After sitting down, you might talk about today's events.
Your friend says, 'I'm so tired today.'
You can say, 'Me too, it was really too busy today.'
They ask you, 'Do you have time tomorrow?'
You can reply, 'Yes, the afternoon works.'
Just like that, gradually,
you will find Chinese becoming more and more natural.
it's actually very easy to make friends in China.
Many Chinese people, when seeing foreign friends,
If you can speak a little Chinese,
they will think you are especially lovely,
and will want to chat with you.
For example, you can ask, 'Do you like to travel?'
and 'What do you usually like to do?'
They might reply, 'I like watching movies,'
'singing, and eating hot pot.'
You can smile and say, 'I like hot pot too!'
And just like that, you have a common topic.
In social situations, some words are especially useful,
such as 'Really?', 'That's great!'
'Is that so?', and 'That's amazing!'
These are all natural reactions
that make the conversation warmer.
For example, if a friend says, 'I'm going to Japan next month.'
You can say, 'That's great, I'm so envious!'
Or if they say, 'I worked overtime until midnight yesterday.'
You can say, 'Oh my gosh, you've worked so hard.'
This way, your conversation will be more natural,
The best way to learn a language is to use it.
Use a little Chinese every day,
don't be afraid of making mistakes.
When you make a mistake, just smile
and say, 'Ah, I said it wrong.'
Everyone will understand.
Chinese is not a mountain, but a path.
With each step you take, you will see more scenery.
is making your life richer.
Whether you are in China or somewhere else,
as long as you are willing to express yourself in Chinese,
there are some common expressions that are very convenient:
When someone says 'sorry,'
'Sure'—when someone asks you,
'Yeah'—which also means 'okay,'
but it is more colloquial,
for example, 'Shall we go tomorrow?' 'Yeah!'
'Really'—used to express surprise or certainty,
like 'Really?' or 'It's really delicious!'
'Right'—used to show agreement,
like 'Right, right, right, exactly.'
These simple words might seem unremarkable,
but they are very common in daily conversations.
You can also learn some short everyday sentences, like:
'I'm waiting for a friend,'
'I'm cooking,' 'I'm at work,'
and 'I'm learning Chinese.'
These types of sentences are highly practical
is one of the most common ways to express yourself in daily life.
For example, when you are on WeChat,
and a friend asks you, 'What are you doing?'
You can reply, 'I'm eating,'
Answers like these are short and natural.
Speaking of WeChat, Chinese people's lives are inseparable from it.
You can learn some common phrases on WeChat,
such as 'I've arrived,' 'On the way,'
'Coming right now,' 'Have you eaten?'
and 'It's late, sleep early.'
These phrases seem simple,
but if you actually chat with Chinese friends,
you will find that you use them every day.
For example, if a friend sends you a photo of their meal,
you can reply, 'Looks delicious!'
This kind of casual interaction
will make your Chinese more and more natural,
and also make it easier for you to integrate into Chinese culture.
Actually, the most important thing in learning a language is not memorizing vocabulary,
but to feel it and use it.
For example, if you see a sign on the street that says
you can read it in your head.
When you see 'Exit,' 'Entrance,'
or 'Subway Station,' you can also practice silently.
Every time you see, hear, or speak Chinese,
it is a step in building your skills.
When you truly live with Chinese,
you will discover—Chinese is actually not that hard,
it just takes a little patience and a lot of smiles.
Alright, that's all for today's show.
I hope you liked this gentle little conversation,
and I hope these sentences will help you on your next trip,
at work, or in your life.
If among the Chinese you heard today,
there is one sentence you found especially useful,
then say it a few more times.
Thank you for chatting with me,
and we'll see you next time.
Keep it up, keep practicing Chinese! Goodbye~