How to use these phrases
This list is built for real situations, not textbooks — the things you'll actually say in a restaurant, a taxi, or a shop. Each phrase shows the characters, the pinyin with tone marks, and a plain English translation. Tap the 🔊 button to hear it spoken at a natural speed, and repeat it back a few times before moving on.
Two habits make the difference. First, say it out loud. Chinese is a tonal language, so reading 谢谢 as "xie xie" on the page won't prepare you to say it — the Chinese tones (the marks above the vowels) carry as much meaning as the consonants. Listening to the audio and mimicking it is the fastest way to sound like a person instead of a phrasebook. Second, learn the pattern, not just the phrase. Notice that 在哪里 zài nǎlǐ ("where is…") plugs into anything: 地铁站在哪里 (where is the subway), 洗手间在哪里 (where is the toilet). One pattern unlocks ten phrases.
Some phrases have polite forms worth knowing. 你好 nǐ hǎo is the friendly all-purpose hello, but swap in 您 nín (the respectful "you") and it becomes 您好 — the version you'd use with someone older or a customer. And 谢谢 xièxie can always be answered with 不客气 bú kèqi, the standard "you're welcome."
Aim to learn the Greetings & basics section cold first. Those eight phrases cover a surprising amount of daily life, and the rest will come easier once you have the rhythm of the language.