When you first arrived to China what words/expressions were the most useful?

[kotkoda]

I'll be spending a summer in China, and my Chinese is VERY limited (technically non-existent). If you are a foreigner and didn't know Chinese before you got to China, what were those words/expressions you first found the most useful?

Any advice is appreciated.

[Demonic_Duck]

我不会中文 wǒ bù huì Zhōngwén - I can't speak Chinese

谢谢 xièxie - thankyou

不用了（谢谢） bù yòng le (xièxie) - no thanks

Numbers 1-100 (won't post them here, but easy to find resources online), along with 块钱 kuàiqián which is the most commonly used word for RMB.

（我要）这个 (wǒ yào) zhèige - (I want) this one

这是什么东西？ zhè shì shénme dōngxi? - what is this?

Not sure what else on the spot, although there are plenty of fairly obvious ones such as 你好 nǐ hǎo - hello (also doubles up as "excuse me"). Learning the names of common menu items, goods you'll be likely to buy, etc. is also helpful. As for learning characters, your first priority should be ones you'd expect to find on useful signs (洗手间 for toilet, for instance).

[liuzhou]

一瓶啤酒 - yī píng pí jiǔ - one bottle of beer

两瓶啤酒 - liǎng píng pí jiǔ - two bottles of beer

三瓶啤酒 - sān píng pí jiǔ - three bottles of beer

etc.

开玩笑 - kāi wán xiào - very useful in bargaining sessions in rip off markets. in that context, it basically means "you are taking the piss, aren't you?"

After a few amusing (mis) adventures, I found 男 and 女 more useful than 洗手间. Especially after 八瓶啤酒。

听不懂 - tīng bù dǒng - Don't understand (what you are saying)

看不懂 - kàn bù dǒng - Don't understand (Chinese writing)

I've always found saying in Chinese that you don't speak Chinese to be somewhat silly.

The first characters that I set out to learn were common menu items - I like me dinner!

[AnneV]

.

[Demonic_Duck]

After a few amusing (mis) adventures, I found 男 and 安 more useful than 洗手间. Especailly after 八瓶啤酒。

Do you mean 男 and 女? Fair point, but it won't help you find the toilet in the first place

(Although to be fair you often see 卫生间 instead of 洗手间 as well. If it's on a sign and the last character is 间, chances are it's a toilet).

[liuzhou]

It's a (not a) bag lady!

What?

[liuzhou]

Do you mean 男 and 女?

Yes. Of course 女. Just spotted the typo. Not sure it merited a negative vote. Now corrected

Most of the facilities I come across are clearly labelled as WCs in "English" as well as in Chinese. If not, my nose usually helps me.

But the Chinese is nearly always 厕所 cè suǒ. 卫生间 and 洗手间 I come across very rarely.

That said, when I first arrived in China it was routine for the toilet attendant to enquire if you wanted to urinate or defecate. There was a dual pricing system in place. As I recall, the cost of defecation included a free urination. Buy two, get one free style. So, it was very early on that I learned 小便 - xiǎo biàn and 大便 - dà biàn. Possibly less useful today.

[Demonic_Duck]

The negative vote wasn't from me, not sure why your post got downvoted. Anyway, in Beijing I think I see 卫生间 most often in street signage, and 洗手间 most often in restaurants etc. Also occasionally see 公厕. As for bathroom attendants... I've never come across that phenomenon in Beijing. Possibly we're talking at cross-purposes due to regional differences.

[lunaprey]

Hi!

So when you come to China, you are going to need to speak to Taxi Drivers, buy food, and let other people know you don't understand!

Zhi Zou = Go Straight

zhou bien = left

you bien = right

zhi ge di fang = this place (points at picture)

Wo ge wo de peng you da dianhua. Ta gao su ni! (I'll give my friend a call, he will tell you!)

Da bao = I want it prepared to go

Da kai = I want to eat it here

Di zi = bag (to put your food in)

shao zi = spoon (to eat your rice)

duo shao qian = how much? (money)

wo ting bu dong (i hear , but don't undersatnd)

wo bu hui zhong wen ( i don't speak chinese)

wo bu hui hanzi (i can't read chinese characters)

wo bu ming bai (i don't understand)

and finally, the best phrase for learning new things from people who know english: "zen ma shuo .... (then say english)"

Good luck out there!!

[liuzhou]

As for bathroom attendants... I've never come across that phenomenon in Beijing. Possibly we're talking at cross-purposes due to regional differences.

Not regional differences. Time differences. I did say that it was when I arrived in China. That was around 20 years ago. I first experienced it in Beijing. I also remember it in Shanghai around the same time.

[kotkoda]

Thanks a lot guys . What is male's and lady's toilet (so I can distinguish from each other)?

[冉克瑞]

Male - 男- nán

Female- 女- nǚ

[billhank]

male: 男厕所

female: 女厕所

[mtpastille]

The best strategy is to go out there, stand there like an idiot and gesture your way through the situations. Then, when you come home, ask someone knowledgeable how to ask for more toilet paper/ask for less spicy food/propose to the girl behind the counter or deal whatever situations you encountered during the day. That way, you'll be sure to learn all the stuff that's relevant to you.

[kotkoda]

You are so right mtpastille! (Even though I probably won't propose to the girl behind the counter ).

[liuzhou]

So when you come to China, you are going to need to speak to Taxi Drivers, buy food, and let other people know you don't understand!

Zhi Zou = Go Straight

zhou bien = left

you bien = right

zhi ge di fang = this place (points at picture)

Wo ge wo de peng you da dianhua. Ta gao su ni! (I'll give my friend a call, he will tell you!)

Da bao = I want it prepared to go

Da kai = I want to eat it here

Di zi = bag (to put your food in)

shao zi = spoon (to eat your rice)

duo shao qian = how much? (money)

wo ting bu dong (i hear , but don't undersatnd)

wo bu hui zhong wen ( i don't speak chinese)

wo bu hui hanzi (i can't read chinese characters)

wo bu ming bai (i don't understand)

Rather too many mistakes here for it to be useful. The lack of tones doesn't help either. Here is a corrected version with tones. I've skipped some which have already been listed above.)

直走 zhí zǒu = Go Straight

左边 zuǒ biān = left

右 边 yòu biān = right

这个地方 zhè gè dì fāng = this place (points at picture)

我给我的朋友打电话 他告诉你 wǒ gěi wǒ de péng yǒu dǎ diàn huà tā gào sù

nǐ

(I'll give my friend a call, he will tell you!)

打包 dǎ bāo = I want it prepared to go

袋子 dài zi = bag (to put your food in)

勺子 sháo zi = spoon (to eat your rice) (round here 勺子 is mostly used

for soup spoons and ladles. 匙子 chí zi is more common for regular

spoons.)

多少钱 duō shǎo qián

我不会中文 wǒ bù huì zhōng wén ( i don't speak chinese)

我不会汉字 wǒ bù huì hàn zì (i can't read chinese characters)

我不明白 wǒ bù míng bái (i don't understand)

[Lu]

I have had colleagues who managed for three years on just 你好, 这个 and a business card with their address on it.

Try to learn your address, useful when you take taxis. The zhi zou/you guai/zuo guai mentioned above are also very useful.

Also characters and words like 面, 饭 and a few other food stuff. On my second day in China I first came to the BLCU cantina, I was glad that a few classmates had some idea of what was edible because I was completely overwhelmed, hungry and could not read a thing.

[Joseph Kimbrell]

Haha there's some good stuff here

[Shirley_Chen]

便宜一点：pian2 yi2 yi4 dian3 You can use this phrase when you want to cut the price down

[Ruben von Zwack]

I'm just planning to go to China for the first time too, so I'm a newbie too and I could be totally wrong. But I wonder if the Chinese are anything like the Thai. There I found it makes a big difference when you say little things like "this was delicious" or how beautiful their country/this specific monument/etc. is, in Thai. It's not necessary from a factual point of view, but people would be ecstatic and willing to go through some lengths to help, if you said things like that. But as I said, I have no idea if the Chinese are like that, too, and I'd be curious to know.