BASIC PRONUNCIATION
CHINESE LETTER	PRONUCIATION	ENGLISH SOUND
c	ts	ts
x	sh	sh
q	ch	ch
zh	j	j
z	dz	dz
ai	i	rhymes with rye
ao	ow	rhymes with cow
en	ehn	rhymes with when
i	mostly ee; after z, c, and s: zz; after zh, ch, sh, and r: r	rhymes with bee; sounds like pzz; sounds like err
iu	eo	rhymes with Leo
u	oo	rhymes with shoe
un	one	rhymes with fun
an	ahn	rhymes with fawn
e	uh	rhymes with push
eng	ung	rhymes with flung
ian	ien	sounds like zen
iao	eeow	rhymes with yeeow
iong	yawng	rhymes with song
o	aw	rhymes with flaw
ua	wah	rhymes with spa
uan	mostly wahn; after j, q, x, and y: wen	rhymes with fawn; pen
ue	oo-eh	sounds like ooeh
un	win	rhymes with pin
ang	ahng	rhymes with long
ei	ay	rhymes with fillet
ia	ya	rhymes with paw
iang	yahng	rhymes with bong
ie	yeh	rhymes with yeh
in	een	rhymes with spleen
ou	oe	rhymes with flow
uai	ie	rhymes with sigh
uang	wahng	rhymes with gong
ui	ay	rhymes with parfait
uo	aw	rhymes with cha

RANDOM, BUT HELPFUL VOCABULARY
CHINESE WORD	PRONUNCIATION	MEANING
COLORS
huang se	hwahng suh	yellow
hong se	hahng suh	red
hei se	hay suh	black
ka fei se	kah fay suh	brown
fen hong se	fehn hahng suh	pink
lan se	lahn suh	blue
lu se	leeoo suh	green
ju se	joo suh	orange
bai se	bi suh	white
zi se	dzuh suh	purple
NUMBERS
yi	ee	1
er	arr	2
san	sahn	3
si	suh	4
wu	oo	5
liu	leo	6
qi	chi	7
ba	bah	8
jiu	jeeo	9
shi	shur	10
er shi	arr shur	20
san shi	sahn shur	30
si shi	suh shur	40
wu shi	oo shur	50
liu shi	leo suhr	60
qi shi	chee shur	70
ba shi	bah shur	80
jiu shi	jeeo shur	90
yi bai	ee bi	100
yi bai ling yi	ee bi leeng ee	101
yi qian	ee chien	1000
REFRESHMENTS
kele	kuhluh	cola
cha	chah	tea
kafe	kahfay	coffee
shui	shway	water
guozhi	gwahshee	juice
xuebi	shwebby	sprite
PRONOUNS
Wo	wah	I/me
ni	nee	you (singular)
ta	tah	s/he (singular)
women	wahmehn	we
nimen	neemehn	you (plural)
tamen	tahmehn	they/them
RELATIONSHIPS
tongxue	tahngshuh	classmate
laoshi	lowshuh	teacher
pengyou	pungyo	friend
xuesheng	shwayshung	student
wo di baba	wah duh bahbah	my father
wo di mama	wah duh mahmah	my mother
wo di gege	wah duh guhguh	my older brother
wo di didi	wah duh deedee	my younger brother
wo di jiejie	wah duh jayjay	my older sister
wo di meimei	wah duh maymay	my younger sister
wo di yeye	wah duh yehyeh	my paternal grandfather
wo di nainai	wah duh nini	my paternal grandmother
wo di waigong	wah duh wigahng	my maternal grandfather
wo di waipo	wah duh wipo	my maternal grandmother
COUNTRIES AND NATIONALITIES
Meiguo/Meiguoren	Maygwah/Maygwahrehn	America/American
Zhongguo/Zhongguoren	Jahngwah/Jahngwahrehn	China/Chinese
Jianada/Jianadren	Jienahdah/Jienahdahrehn	Canada/Canadian
Riben/Ribenren	Arrbehn/Arrbehnrehn	Japan/Japanese
Faguo/Faguoren	Fahgwah/Fahgwahrehn	France/French
Taiguo/Taiguoren	Tigwah/Tigwahrehn	Thailand/Thai
Yidali/Yidaliren	Eedahlee/Eedaleerehn	Italy/Italian
Deguo/Deguoren	Duhgwah/Duhgwahrehn	Germany/German
Hanguo/Hanguoren	Hahngwah/Hahngwahrehn	South Korea/South Korean
Yingguo/Yingguoren	Yenggwah/Yengwhatrehn	England/English
DIFFERENT REPSONSES FOR WHEN SOMEONE ASKS HOW YOU ARE
Wo hen hao.	Wah hehn how.	I'm very well.
Wo hao.	Wah how.	I'm well.
Wo ma ma hu hu.	Wah mah mah hoo hoo.	I'm okay.
Wo bu hao.	Wah boo hao.	I'm not well.
Wo bu shufu.	Wah boo shoo foo.	I'm uncomfortable.
Wo hen lei.	Wah hehn lay.	I'm tired.
Wo hen mang.	Wah hehn mahng.	I'm busy.
Wo zhen mei.	Wah jehn may.	I'm beautiful.
Wo hao ji le.	Wah how jee luh.	I'm wonderful.
Wo e le.	Wah uh luh.	I'm hungry.
Wo ke le.	Wah kuh luh.	I'm thirsty.
Wo bing le.	Wah beeng luh.	I'm sick.
PROPER TITLES FOR PEOPLE
laoshi	lowshuh	teacher
Xiansheng	shienshung	Sir
Furen/ Taitai	foorehn/ti-ti	Madame
Xiaojie	sheeowjeh	Miss
Nushi	nooshee	Ms.
shifu	sheefoo	Master (to address professionals)
SENTENCE FRAGMENTS OF SOME IMPORTANCE
wo di	wah duh	my
you	yo	to have
mei you	may yo	to not have
shi	shuh	to be
bu shi	boo shuh	to not be
_you mei you_	yo may yo	do you have or don't you have
_you_mah?	_yo_mah?	you have_right?
keneng	kuhnung	maybe
qing	cheeng	please
dui	dooay	correct
bu dui	boo dooay	wrong
shi de	shuh duh	yes
ye	yea	also
he	huh	food
ai	i	love
chi	chuhr	drink
xi huang	shee hwahng	like
GETTING AROUND
_zai nali?	_zi nahlee?	Where is_?
...shudian	shoodien	a bookstore
...shangwu zhongxin	shahngwoo johngsheen	the business center
...kafeting	kahfayteeng	a cafe
...xiao mai bu	sheeow mi boo	a convenience store
...canting	cahnteeng	the dining room
...rukou	rookoh	the entrance
...chukou	chookoh	the exit
...lipin dian	leepehn dien	a gift store
...jianshenfang	jienshuhnfahng	the gym
...dating	dahteeng	the lobby
...baotan	bowtahn	a newsstand
...gongyong dianhua	gahngyahng dienhooah	a public telephone
...dianhua	dienhooah	a telephone
...fanguan	fahngyooehn	a restaurant
...chuzu qiche	choozoo cheechuh	the taxi
...chaguan	chahgwan	the teahouse
...cesuo	suhswah	the toilet
...xishou jian	sheeshow jien	the washroom
SURVIVAL LANGUAGE
Ni hao.	Nee how.	Hello.
Ni hao mah?	Nee how mah?	How are you?
Zai jien!	Zi chien.	Good bye.
Neige bu yaojin.	Nayguh boo yow jehn.	That is not important.
Qing ni shuo man yidian.	Cheeng nee shwah mahn eedien.	Please speak more slowly.
Zhe shi shenme yisi?	Juh shee shuhn muh eesee?	What does this (that) mean?
_yong Zhongwen zenme shuo?	_yahn Jahngwehn zuhnmuh shwah	How do you say _ in Chinese?
Ni shuo shenme?	Nee shwah shuhn muh?	What did you say?
Shenme?	Shuhn muh?	What?
Rang wo xiang yi xiang.	Rahng wah shieng ee shieng.	Let me think.
Wo bu dong.	Wah boo dahng.	I don't understand.
Ni dong ma?	Nee dahng mah?	Do you understand?
Wo hui shuo yidian Zhongwen?	Wah hway shwah eedien jahngwehn	I speak a little Chinese.
Ni ui shuo Yingwen ma?	Nee hway shwah Yehngwehn mah?	Do you speak English?
Xing.	Sheeng.	That's alright.
Mingtian jian.	Meengtien jien.	See you tomorrow.
Ke yi.	kuh yee	Okay.
Mei wenti.	May wuhntee.	No problem.
Bu ji.	Boo jee.	No hurry.
Mafan ni.	Mahfahn nee	May I trouble you?
Deng yixia.	Dung eesheeuh.	Just a second.
Fanbian ma?/Hao ma?	Fahngbien mah?/How mah?	Is it convenient?
Wo hen baoqian.	Wah hen bowchien.	I'm very sorry.
Wan an.	Wahn ahn.	Good night.
Zhaoshange hao.	Zowshahng how.	Good morning.
Suan le.	Swahn luh.	Forget it. Never mind.
Lao jia!	Low cheeuh!	Excuse me! (to get attention)
Bu ke qi.	Boo kuh chee.	Don't be so polite.
Xiexie.	Shay shay.	Thank you.
Mei guanxi.	May gwahnshee.	It's alright.
Wo jiao_	Wah chow_	My name is_
Zen me yang?	Zehn muh yahng?	How's it going?
Bu xie.	Boo shay.	No thanks.
Dui bu qi.	Dooay boo chee.	Sorry.
Duoshao qian?	Dwahshow chien?	How much does it cost?
Wo xiangyou_	Wah shiengyow_	I'd like_
Qing gei wo_	Cheeng gay wah_	Please give me_
Qing gei wo kan_	Cheeng gay wah kahn_	Please show me_
Tai gui le!	Ti gway luh!	Too expensive!
Pianyi dian, hao ma?	Pienee dien how mah?	Can you come down in price?
Wo bu xiangyao.	Wah boo shiengyow.	I don't want it.
Wo mi lu le.	Wah mee loo luh.	I'm lost.
Wi de pengyou zai nali?	Wah duh pungyo zi nahlee?	Where are my friends?
Wo zai zhao_	Wah zi zow_	I'm looking for_
Tamen wang nali qu le?	Tahmen wahng nahlee koo luh?	Which way did they go?
...xiang zuo	shieng zwah	...to the left
...xiang you	shieng yo	...to the right
...xiang qian	shieng chien	...straight ahead