The word "dialect" means something different when applied to Chinese than it does for other languages. Chinese "dialects" are mutually unintelligible, as different as, say, Italian and French, which we would call "related languages" rather than "dialects".
All Chinese dialects do, in general, use the same characters in reading and writing. A Cantonese speaker and a Mandarin speaker cannot talk to each other, but either can generally read what the other writes. Even a speaker of Japanese or Korean will recognise many characters. However, there is a complication. Mainland China and Singapore use '''simplified characters''', developed to facilitate a literacy campaign among the peasants some years back. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and many overseas Chinese still use the '''traditional characters'''.
About one fifth of the people in the world speak some form of Chinese as their native language. It is a tonal language that is related to ''Burmese'' and ''Tibetan''. Although Japanese and Korean use Chinese written characters the spoken languages are not related to Chinese. Also the unrelated Vietnamese language has borrowed many words from Chinese.
Travellers headed for Guangdong, Hong Kong or Macau may find Cantonese useful as well as or instead of Mandarin. Those heading for Taiwan or southern Fujian may find the Minnan dialect useful as well.
;b :as in '''b'''all or s'''p'''all ;c :as in ra'''ts''' ;ch :as in '''ch'''ore ;d :as in '''d'''o or s'''t'''ew ;f :as in '''f'''un ;g :as in '''g'''ang ;h :as in '''h'''er ;j :as in '''j'''eer ;k :as in '''k'''ing ;l :as in '''l'''ease ;m :as in '''m'''ow ;n :as in '''n'''o'''n'''e ;ng :as in si'''ng''' ;p :as in '''p'''it ;q :as in '''ch'''eap ;r :as in '''g'''enre or fai'''r''' ;s :as in '''s'''ag ;sh :as in '''sh'''oot ;t :as in '''t'''ongue ;w :as in '''w'''ing, but '''silent''' in ''wu'' ;x :as in '''sh'''eep ;y :as in '''y'''et, but '''silent''' in ''yi'', ''yu'' ;z :as in re'''d z'''ebra ;zh :as in '''j'''ungle
; -ian :as '''-ien''', so _V____ ''Tian'anmen'' is pronounced "T'''ien''''anmen" ; wu- :as '''u-''', so ___S ''wubai'' is pronounced "'''u'''bai" ; yi- :as '''i-''', so ____ ''yige'' is pronounced "'''i'''ge" ; yu- :as '''u-''', so ____ ''Yuyuan'' is pronounced "'''u'''-'''u'''an"
; Hello. : ?_D_B N? h?o. ; How are you? : ?_D?_H N? h?o ma? ; Fine, thank you. : _k_D, _____B H?n h?o, xiexie. ; What is your (first) name? : ?___Y_______H N? jiao shenme mingzi? ; My name is ______ . : ____ _____ _B W? jiao ______ . ; Nice to meet you. : _k_____F__?_B H?n g?oxing renshi n?. ; Please. : ___B Q?ng. ; Thank you. : _____B xiexie. ; You're welcome. : _s_q___B Bu keqi. ; Excuse me. (''getting attention'') : ____ q?ng wen. ; Excuse me. (''begging pardon'') : _________B D?r?o yixia ; ____?____, Mafan n? le. ; I'm sorry. : ___s_N_B Duibuq?. ; Goodbye : _____B Zaijian. ; Goodbye (''informal'') : _`_`_B Bai-bai. (Byebye) ; I can't speak Chinese. : ___s__?_____B W? bu hui shu? hany?. ; Do you speak English? : ?__?_p__?_H N? hui shu? y?ngy? ma? ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : _____L_l__?_p__?_H Zhel? y?u ren hui shu? Y?ngy? ma? ; Help! (in emergencies): _~__! Jiu ming! ; Good morning. : _____B Z?o ?n. ; Good evening. : ?___D_B W?nshang h?o. ; Good night. : ?___B W?n ?n. ; I don't understand. : _____s?_B W? t?ng bu d?ng. ; Where is the toilet? : ______?___H Cesu? zai n?li?
; 0 _Z, __ : ling ; 1 __ (__) : y? ; 2 __ (__) : er ; 3 _O (?) : s?n ; 4 _l (__) : si ; 5 __ (__) : w? ; 6 _Z (__) : liu ; 7 __ (?) : q? ; 8 __ (_J) : b? ; 9 __ (__) : j?u ; 10 _\ (_E): shi ; 11 _\__ : shi-y? ; 12 _\__ : shi-er ; 13 _\_O : shi-s?n ; 14 _\_l : shi-si ; 15 _\__ : shi-w? ; 16 _\_Z : shi-liu ; 17 _\__ : shi-q? ; 18 _\__ : shi-b? ; 19 _\__ : shi-j?u ; 20 ___\ : er-shi ; 21 ___\__ : er-shi-y? ; 22 ___\__ : er-shi-er ; 23 ___\_O : er-shi-s?n ; 30 _O_\ : s?n-shi ; 40 _l_\ : si-shi ; 50 ___\ : w?-shi ; 60 _Z_\ : liu-shi ; 70 ___\ : q?-shi ; 80 ___\ : b?-shi ; 90 ___\ : j?u-shi
For numbers above 100, any "gaps" must be filled in with _Z ''ling'', as eg. ___S__ ''y?b?iy?'' would otherwise be taken as shorthand for "110". A single unit of tens may be written and pronounced either ___\ ''y?shi'' or just _\ ''shi''.
; 100 ___S (____) : y?-b?i ; 101 ___S_Z__ : y?-b?i-ling-y? ; 110 ___S___\ : y?-b?i-y?-shi ; 111 ___S___\__ : y?-b?i-y?-shi-y? ; 200 ___S : er-b?i ; 300 _O_S : s?n-b?i ; 500 ___S : w?-b?i ; 1000 ____ (____): y?-qi?n ; 2000 ____ : er-qi?n
Numbers above 10,000 are grouped by in units of four digits, starting with __ ''wan'' (ten thousand). "One million" in Chinese is thus "hundred tenthousands" (___S__).
; 10,000 ____ : y?-wan ; 10,001 _____Z__ : y?-wan-ling-y? ; 10,002 _____Z__ : y?-wan-ling-er ; 20,000 ____ : er-wan ; 50,000 ____ : w?-wan ; 100,000 _\__ : shi-wan ; 200,0000 ___\__ : er-shi-wan ; 1,000,000 ___S__ : y?-b?i-wan ; 10,000,000 ______ : y?-qi?n-wan ; 100,000,000 ____ : y?yi ; 1,000,000,000,000 ____ : y?zhao ; number _____ (''train, bus, etc.'') : number '''''measure word''''' (lu4 or hao4 etc.) _____ (huo3 che1, gong1 gong4 qi4 chi1, etc. ''Measure words are used in combination with a number to indicate the count of mass nouns. Check out [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/measure_word here] for more details.) ; half : __ ban (''...'') ; less : ____ sh?oy? (''...'') ; more : ____ du?y? (''...'')
; now : ____ xianzai ; later : _____C y?hou ''or'' sh?ohou ; before : ___O, y?qian ; morning : ____, z?oshang ; afternoon : ____, xiaw? ; evening : ; night : ?__, w?nshang
; What time is it? : _______y_H Xianzai j? di?n? ; It is nine in the morning. : ____9_y___B Z?oshang j?u di?n zh?ng. ; Three-thirty PM. : ____3_y__. Xiaw? s?n di?n ban.
; _____ minute(s) : _____ ____ f?nzh?ng ; _____ hour(s) : _____ ____ xi?oshi ; _____ day(s) : _____ _V ti?n ; _____ week(s) : _____ ____ x?ngq? ; _____ month(s) : _____ __ yue ; _____ year(s) : _____ _N nian
; today : ___V j?nti?n ; yesterday : ___V zuoti?n ; tomorrow : ___V mingti?n
; this week : ________ zhege x?ngq? ; last week : ________ shangge x?ngq? ; next week : ________ xiage x?ngq?
Weekdays in Chinese are easy: starting with 1 for Monday, just add the number after ____ x?ngq?.
; Sunday : _____V x?ngq?ti?n ''or'' xing1 qi1 ri4 ''or'' xing1 qi1 qi1 ; Monday : ______ x?ngq?y? ; Tuesday : ______ x?ngq?er ; Wednesday : _____O x?ngq?s?n ; Thursday : _____l x?ngq?si ; Friday : ______ x?ngq?w? ; Saturday : _____Z x?ngq?liu
; January : ____, y? yue ; February : ____, er yue ; March : _O__, s?n yue ; April : _l__, si yue ; May : ____, w? yue ; June : _Z__, liu yue ; July : ____, q? yue ; August : ____, b? yue ; September : ____, ji? yue ; October : _\__, shi yue ; November : _\____, shi y? yue ; December : _\____, shi er yue
''Tips: From January to December, you just need to use this pattern: number (1-12) + yue''
''Tips: se means 'color', therefore, 'hong se' is 'red color'(literally).'' More common for brown and easier to remember is 'coffee color': ??_F k? f?i se
; How do I get to _____ ? : ___________ z?nme qu _____? ; ...the train station? : ...______? ...hu?ch? zhan? ; ...the bus station? : ..._D___`__? ...qich? z?ngzhan? ; ...the airport? : ...___@__? ...f?ij? ch?ng?
; street : _X ji?; _H lu ; Turn left. : _____z_] zu?bi?n zhu?nw?n ; Turn right. : _E___z_] youbi?n zhu?nw?n ; left : ____ zu?bi?n ; right : _E__ youbi?n ; straight ahead : ___O__ w?ngqian z?u ; north : _k b?i ; south : __ nan ; east : __ d?ng ; west : __ x?
; Do you have any rooms available? : ?___L_[__?_H N?men y?u fangji?n ma? ; Does the room come with... : _L___L... Y?u meiy?u... ; ...bedsheets? : ...___d_H ...chuangd?n? ; ...a bathroom? : ..._____H ...yushi? ; ...a telephone? : ..._d_b_H ...dianhua? ; ...a TV? : ..._d___H ...dianshi ? ; I will stay for _____ night(s). : _____Z_Z________B W? d?suan zhu _____ ye. ; Do you have a safe? : ?___L___L_______H N?men y?u meiy?u b?oxi?n xi?ng? ; Can you wake me at _____? : _____V________________B Q?ng mingti?n z?oshang _____ jiaox?ng w?. ; I want to check out. : _______v___B W? xianzai yao z?u.
; Do you serve alcohol? : _L___L_____H (''y?u meiy?u mai ji??'') ; Is there table service? : _L___L_`?_____H (''y?u meiy?u c?nzhu? fuwu?'') ; A beer/two beers, please. : _________t/___t?___B (''q?ng g?i w? yib?i/li?ngb?i piji?'') ; A glass of red/white wine, please. : _________t_g/_________B (''q?ng g?i w? yib?i hong/bai putaoji?'') ; A pint, please. : _________i?_B (''q?ng g?i w? yip?ntu?'') ; A bottle, please. : _________r_B (''q?ng g?i w? yiping'') ; _____ (''hard liquor'') and _____ (''mixer''), please. : ____________a______B (''q?ng g?i w? _____ he _____'') ; whiskey : ___m? (''w?ishiji'') ; vodka : ______ (''futeji?'') ; rum : ___G__ (''lanm?ji?'') ; water : __ (''shu?'') ; club soda : _h____ (''s?d?shu?'') ; tonic water : ______ (''t?ngningshu?'') ; orange juice : _____` (''li?chengzh?'') ; Coke (''soda'') : ____ (''k?le'') ; Do you have any bar snacks? : _L___L?_i_y_S_H (''y?u meiy?u b?tai di?nx?n?'') ; One more, please. : _____________B (''q?ng zai g?i w? yige'') ; Another round, please. : ___________B (''q?ng zailai yilun'') ; When is closing time? : ___y__?_H (''j?di?n d?yang?'') ; Where is the toilet? : __________ (''cesu? zai nali?'')
In most Chinese cities telephone booths don't exist. Instead, small street shops have telephones which can usually be used for national calls and cost around 0.6RMB for a city-call. Look for signs like : ___p_d_b Public Telephone Don't go online in hotels since most common cafes are cheaper. Usually you pay 10RMB in advance for a card. Prices per hour from 1RMB to 4RMB. Those cafes are quite hidden sometimes and you should look for the following Chinese characters: : __? Internet Cafe}}
; Can I make international calls here? : ___________d_b?? (''k?y? d? guoji dianhua ma?'') ; How much is it to America/Australia/Britain/Canada? : __ ____/_S_F/_p__/___\__ _______A? (''dao m?iguo/aozh?u/y?ngguo/ji?nada shi du?sh?o qian?) ; Where can I find an Internet cafe? : _____L__?? (''n?l? y?u w?ng ba?'') ; How much is it per hour? : _____________A? (''y? xi?oshi shi du?sh?o qian?'')
Chinese is the most spoken language of the world, with more speakers than the next two, Hindi and Spanish, combined. However, there are still few learners of Chinese in the Western world and you might get weird looks if you say you want to start learning it. So here is a nice quote from the Hindi Phrasebook (the 4th most spoken, yet seldom learnt language): "Instead of anger of frustration, the student should instead feel a smug superiority of being ahead of everyone else...!"
Advice: The first step is to learn to properly read the romanization with tones! There are still many sites with small Chinese phrase chapters which don't use tones for romanization (pinyin tones). Stay away from those, learning that is useless. A good idea for practicing is to make Chinese friends online since millions of young people in China also look for somebody to practice English with.