Social Interactions: Vocabulary for speaking, helping, and everyday social exchanges

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Pinyin is the standard romanisation used to show Mandarin pronunciation using the Latin alphabet. You’ll often see tone marks on the vowels to show the four tones (plus the neutral tone), for example mā / má / mǎ / mà / ma. “Numbered pinyin” shows the same tones using a number after the syllable instead of tone marks, for example ma1 / ma2 / ma3 / ma4 / ma (sometimes written as ma5 for the neutral tone). Numbered pinyin is handy when you can’t easily type tone marks, while tone-mark pinyin is usually easier to read once you’re used to it.

帮

• Pinyin: bāng
• Numbered pinyin: bang1
• English translation: to help

帮忙

• Pinyin: bāng máng
• Numbered pinyin: bang1 mang2
• English translation: to help, to do a favour

不客气

• Pinyin: bú kè qi
• Numbered pinyin: bu2 ke4 qi5
• English translation: you’re welcome

不用

• Pinyin: bú yòng
• Numbered pinyin: bu2 yong4
• English translation: no need

唱

• Pinyin: chàng
• Numbered pinyin: chang4
• English translation: to sing

打电话

• Pinyin: dǎ diàn huà
• Numbered pinyin: da3 dian4 hua4
• English translation: to make a phone call

对不起

• Pinyin: duì bu qǐ
• Numbered pinyin: dui4 bu5 qi3
• English translation: sorry

干什么

• Pinyin: gàn shén me
• Numbered pinyin: gan4 shen2 me5
• English translation: what to do

告诉

• Pinyin: gào su
• Numbered pinyin: gao4 su5
• English translation: to tell

给

• Pinyin: gěi
• Numbered pinyin: gei3
• English translation: to give

话

• Pinyin: huà
• Numbered pinyin: hua4
• English translation: word, speech

回答

• Pinyin: huí dá
• Numbered pinyin: hui2 da2
• English translation: to answer

见

• Pinyin: jiàn
• Numbered pinyin: jian4
• English translation: to see

见面

• Pinyin: jiàn miàn
• Numbered pinyin: jian4 mian4
• English translation: to meet

叫

• Pinyin: jiào
• Numbered pinyin: jiao4
• English translation: to call, to be called

介绍

• Pinyin: jiè shào
• Numbered pinyin: jie4 shao4
• English translation: to introduce

开玩笑

• Pinyin: kāi wán xiào
• Numbered pinyin: kai1 wan2 xiao4
• English translation: to joke

没关系

• Pinyin: méi guān xi
• Numbered pinyin: mei2 guan1 xi5
• English translation: it’s okay

没什么

• Pinyin: méi shén me
• Numbered pinyin: mei2 shen2 me5
• English translation: it’s nothing

没事儿

• Pinyin: méi shì r
• Numbered pinyin: mei2 shi4 r5
• English translation: it’s nothing, no problem

请

• Pinyin: qǐng
• Numbered pinyin: qing3
• English translation: please, to invite

请进

• Pinyin: qǐng jìn
• Numbered pinyin: qing3 jin4
• English translation: please come in

请问

• Pinyin: qǐng wèn
• Numbered pinyin: qing3 wen4
• English translation: may I ask

请坐

• Pinyin: qǐng zuò
• Numbered pinyin: qing3 zuo4
• English translation: please sit

认识

• Pinyin: rèn shi
• Numbered pinyin: ren4 shi5
• English translation: to know (a person)

说

• Pinyin: shuō
• Numbered pinyin: shuo1
• English translation: to speak, to say

说话

• Pinyin: shuō huà
• Numbered pinyin: shuo1 hua4
• English translation: to speak

送

• Pinyin: sòng
• Numbered pinyin: song4
• English translation: to give (as a gift), to send

听

• Pinyin: tīng
• Numbered pinyin: ting1
• English translation: to listen

听到

• Pinyin: tīng dào
• Numbered pinyin: ting1 dao4
• English translation: to hear

听见

• Pinyin: tīng jiàn
• Numbered pinyin: ting1 jian4
• English translation: to hear

问

• Pinyin: wèn
• Numbered pinyin: wen4
• English translation: to ask

谢谢

• Pinyin: xiè xie
• Numbered pinyin: xie4 xie5
• English translation: thank you

再见

• Pinyin: zài jiàn
• Numbered pinyin: zai4 jian4
• English translation: goodbye

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