The right words. Right when you need them.

Taxis & directions

请带我去这个地址。

Qǐng dài wǒ qù zhège dìzhǐ.

Please take me to this address.

Show this with your hotel address in Chinese underneath. Drivers rarely read Latin script.

Taxis & directions

请打表。

Qǐng dǎ biǎo.

Please use the meter.

Only needed for street taxis at airports and stations. DiDi is already metered.

Taxis & directions

请打开后备箱，我有行李。

Qǐng dǎkāi hòubèixiāng, wǒ yǒu xíngli.

Could you open the boot for my luggage?

Taxis & directions

请在这里停车。

Qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíngchē.

Please stop here.

When payment fails

我的支付宝绑定的是境外银行卡，请扫我的付款码。

Wǒ de Zhīfùbǎo bǎngdìng de shì jìngwài yínhángkǎ, qǐng sǎo wǒ de fùkuǎnmǎ.

My Alipay is linked to a foreign card. Please scan my code instead.

Fixes the most common failure: the merchant's QR won't take your card, but your own payment code will.

When payment fails

可以付现金吗？我没有零钱。

Kěyǐ fù xiànjīn ma? Wǒ méiyǒu língqián.

Can I pay cash? I don't have change.

By law cash must be accepted, but many small vendors genuinely have no change.

When payment fails

支付失败了，我换一张卡试试。

Zhīfù shībài le, wǒ huàn yī zhāng kǎ shìshi.

The payment failed. Let me try another card.

Ordering food

怎么点菜？有英文菜单吗？

Zěnme diǎncài? Yǒu Yīngwén càidān ma?

How do I order? Is there an English menu?

Many restaurants only order by QR code at the table, in Chinese.

Ordering food

请做成不辣的，不要辣椒，不要花椒。

Qǐng zuò chéng bù là de, bùyào làjiāo, bùyào huājiāo.

Not spicy at all, please. No chilli, no Sichuan pepper.

'Mild' in Sichuan and Hunan is not mild. Name both chilli and Sichuan pepper.

Ordering food

有什么推荐的？来一个你们的招牌菜。

Yǒu shénme tuījiàn de? Lái yīge nǐmen de zhāopáicài.

What do you recommend? I'll have your signature dish.

The single best phrase in this list. It almost always produces a better meal than the menu.

Ordering food

买单，谢谢。

Mǎidān, xièxie.

The bill, please.

Dietary needs

我吃素。不要肉、不要鱼、不要肉汤、不要猪油。请只用植物油炒菜。谢谢！

Wǒ chī sù. Bùyào ròu, bùyào yú, bùyào ròutāng, bùyào zhūyóu. Qǐng zhǐ yòng zhíwùyóu chǎocài.

I am vegetarian. No meat, no fish, no meat stock, no lard. Vegetables cooked in vegetable oil only.

Saying only '我吃素' often still gets pork stock or lard. This spells it out.

Dietary needs

我是纯素食者。不吃肉、鱼、蛋、牛奶、黄油，也不要肉汤。只要蔬菜、豆制品、米饭、面条。

Wǒ shì chúnsùshízhě. Bù chī ròu, yú, dàn, niúnǎi, huángyóu, yě bùyào ròutāng.

I eat no animal products at all: no meat, fish, egg, milk, butter, or meat stock.

Dietary needs

我只吃清真食品。不吃猪肉、不要猪油、做菜不要加酒。

Wǒ zhǐ chī qīngzhēn shípǐn. Bù chī zhūròu, bùyào zhūyóu, zuòcài bùyào jiā jiǔ.

I eat halal food only. No pork, no lard, no alcohol in cooking.

Look for 清真 (qīngzhēn) signage — Lanzhou noodle shops are halal and everywhere.

Dietary needs

我不吃猪肉，也不要猪油和猪肉汤。

Wǒ bù chī zhūròu, yě bùyào zhūyóu hé zhūròutāng.

I don't eat pork, including lard and pork stock.

Dietary needs

严重过敏！我不能吃花生和任何坚果，少量也会致命。请不要用花生油。谢谢！

Yánzhòng guòmǐn! Wǒ bùnéng chī huāshēng hé rènhé jiānguǒ, shǎoliàng yě huì zhìmìng. Qǐng bùyào yòng huāshēngyóu.

SEVERE ALLERGY: I cannot eat peanuts or any nuts. Even a small amount could kill me. No peanut oil.

Peanut oil is a default cooking oil in much of China. Lead with the severity.

Dietary needs

我不能吃小麦和麸质。不要面条、面包、饺子、酱油。米饭可以。谢谢！

Wǒ bùnéng chī xiǎomài hé fūzhì. Bùyào miàntiáo, miànbāo, jiǎozi, jiàngyóu. Mǐfàn kěyǐ.

I cannot eat wheat or gluten. No noodles, no bread, no dumplings, no soy sauce. Rice is fine.

Soy sauce contains wheat and is in nearly everything. This is genuinely hard in China.

Dietary needs

严重过敏！不能吃贝类、虾、蟹，也不要蚝油和海鲜酱。

Yánzhòng guòmǐn! Bùnéng chī bèilèi, xiā, xiè, yě bùyào háoyóu hé hǎixiānjiàng.

SEVERE ALLERGY: no shellfish, prawns, crab, or shellfish sauce.

Oyster sauce (蚝油) is a staple stir-fry seasoning — name it explicitly.

Hotels

你们酒店可以接待外国人吗？我持护照，不是中国身份证。

Nǐmen jiǔdiàn kěyǐ jiēdài wàiguórén ma? Wǒ chí hùzhào, bùshì Zhōngguó shēnfènzhèng.

Can this hotel register foreign guests? I have a passport, not a Chinese ID.

Ask this before you pay. Some properties cannot legally take foreign guests and will turn you away at check-in.

Hotels

退房后可以寄存行李吗？

Tuìfáng hòu kěyǐ jìcún xíngli ma?

Can I leave my luggage here after checking out?

Pharmacy & doctor

我需要治这个的药，可以帮我吗？

Wǒ xūyào zhì zhège de yào, kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma?

I need medicine for this. Can you help?

Pharmacies (药房) are everywhere and staff are helpful. Point to the symptom.

Pharmacy & doctor

我肚子疼，拉肚子。

Wǒ dùzi téng, lā dùzi.

I have an upset stomach and diarrhoea.

Pharmacy & doctor

我需要去有国际部的医院，请带我去。

Wǒ xūyào qù yǒu guójìbù de yīyuàn, qǐng dài wǒ qù.

I need a hospital with an international department. Please take me there.

Emergencies

救命！请报警。

Jiùmìng! Qǐng bàojǐng.

Help! Please call the police.

Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119. These work without a SIM.

Emergencies

我迷路了。这是哪里？可以在地图上指给我看吗？

Wǒ mílù le. Zhè shì nǎlǐ? Kěyǐ zài dìtú shàng zhǐ gěi wǒ kàn ma?

I'm lost. Where am I? Can you show me on the map?

Emergencies

我的护照丢了，我需要联系我的大使馆。

Wǒ de hùzhào diū le, wǒ xūyào liánxì wǒ de dàshǐguǎn.

I lost my passport. I need to contact my embassy.

Get a police report first — the embassy will ask for it before issuing an emergency document.

Emergencies

对不起，我不会说中文。可以打字吗？我用翻译软件看。

Duìbùqǐ, wǒ bùhuì shuō Zhōngwén. Kěyǐ dǎzì ma? Wǒ yòng fānyì ruǎnjiàn kàn.

I'm sorry, I don't speak Chinese. Could you type it so I can translate?

Typed Chinese is far easier to translate than speech. This phrase unlocks almost any conversation.