Want to upgrade your small talk from “textbook” to native? Here are 4 phrases Chinese people actually use every day:
好样的 (hǎo yàng de) – “Well done!” (friendly + genuine praise)
看起来 (kàn qǐlái) – “Looks like / Seems” (soft, empathetic observation)
真不错 (zhēn bù …
1. yǒu yī diǎn 有一点 (a little bit)
This phrase is often used to soften descriptions or express a mild degree of something, especially with emotions or situations. It can carry different feelings depending on intonation and context.
Example:
Wǒ yǒu yī diǎn lèi.
我有一点累。…
🎙 Tired of saying “漂亮” for everything?
We get it—“漂亮” is useful, but let’s be honest, using it for sunsets, dogs, cakes and TV shows? It gets old fast.
In this episode of eChineseLearningPod, Eric and Ruby explore five better, more natural ways to …
🎙 Tired of just saying “加油”？
Let’s level up your encouragement game—in Chinese! Sure, “加油！” is classic, but it’s not the only way to cheer someone on.
In this uplifting episode of eChineseLearningPod, Eric and Ruby unpack 6 go-to Chinese phrases that native speakers …
🎙️ Magpie Bridge & Milky Way: China’s Most Romantic Night Move over, Valentine’s Day—China’s Qixi Festival is a 2,000-year-old love story that takes romance to the stars… literally.
In this episode, we dive into:
🌌 The legend of two star-crossed lovers separated by …
Tài xìng yùn le!
太幸运了！
So lucky!
Zhēn xìng yùn!
真幸运！
Such good luck!
Yùn qì bào péng!
运气爆棚！
Luck explosion!
Tiān xuǎn zhī zǐ!
天选之子！
Chosen by heaven!
Zǒu gǒu shǐ yùn le!
走狗屎运了！
Hitting the jackpot!
Yùn …
When you’re completely fed up – emotionally DONE.
Wǒ shòu gòu le.
我受够了。
I’m so done.
Wǒ shòu gòu le zhè fèn gōng zuò!
我受够了这份工作！
I’m so done with this job!
For when someone’s excuses just drive you nuts…
Fán …
Zhè yào zěn me chī?
这药怎么吃？
How do I take this medicine?
Yī tiān chī jǐ cì?
一天吃几次？
How many times per day?
Měi cì chī jǐ piàn?
每次吃几片？
How many pills each time?
Fàn qián chī hái shì fàn hòu …
Wǒ bù shū fú.
我不舒服。
I’m not feeling well.
Wǒ tóu téng.
我头疼。
I have a headache.
Wǒ fā shāo le.
我发烧了。
I have a fever.
Wǒ dù zi téng.
我肚子疼。
I have a stomachache.
Hóu lóng tòng
喉咙痛
Sore …
Wǒ xiǎng jiǎn tóu fà.
我想剪头发。
I’d like a haircut.
Wǒ xiǎng jiǎn duǎn yī diǎn.
我想剪短一点。
I want it a bit shorter.
Xiū jiǎn yī xià liú hǎi.
修剪一下刘海。
Trim the bangs a little.
Xiū jiǎn fà wěi.
修剪发尾。
Trim …
Let’s be honest: watching Chinese dramas without subtitles can feel like trying to run a marathon with your shoelaces tied together. But what if you could start understanding the most repeated, emotionally loaded phrases—without needing to pause every 10 seconds?
Whether you’re obsessed with historical …
我真的不行了 (Wǒ zhēn de bù xíng le)
Literal: I really can’t go on.
Tone: Exhausted but sincere.
累死我了 (Lèi sǐ wǒ le)
Literal: I’m tired to death.
Tone: Exaggerated but casual.
我扛不住了 (Wǒ káng bù zhù le)
Literal: I can’t hold on anymore.
Tone: Colloquial …
zǎo shang hǎo
早上好
Good morning!
Chī zǎo cān le ma?
吃早餐了吗？
Have you eaten breakfast?
Zhōng wǔ hǎo
中午好
Good noon (around midday)
xià wǔ hǎo
下午好
Good afternoon!
Chī wǔ fàn le ma?
吃午饭了吗？
Have you eaten lunch?
…
Cè suǒ
厕所
Qǐng wèn, cè suǒ zài nǎ lǐ?
请问，厕所在哪里？
Excuse me, where is the bathroom?
Cè suǒ zài nǎ biān?
厕所在哪边？
Which way is the bathroom?
Zhè lǐ yǒu cè suǒ ma?
这里有厕所吗？
Is there a bathroom here?
…
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào…
你好，我叫…
Hi, my name is…
Hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ.
很高兴认识你。
Nice to meet you.
Nǐ shì cóng nǎ lǐ lái de?
你是从哪里来的？
Where are you from?
Nǐ píng shí xǐ huān zuò shén me?
你平时喜欢做什么？…
Nǐ zuì jìn zěn me yàng?
你最近怎么样？
How have you been lately?
Tiān qì zhēn hǎo!
天气真好！
The weather is great!
Nǐ shì zuò shén me gōng zuò de?
你是做什么工作的？
What do you do for work?
Nǐ xǐ huān zhè lǐ ma?…
Wǒ kě yǐ shì yī xià ma?
我可以试一下吗？
Can I try it on?
Dāng rán kě yǐ，nǐ xiǎng shì nǎ yī jiàn?
当然可以，你想试哪一件？
Of course! Which one would you like to try?
Wǒ xiǎng shì shì zhè ge.
我想试试这个。
I want …
Wǒ chī bǎo le.
我吃饱了。
I’m full.
Tài bǎo le, wǒ bù yào le.
太饱了，我不要了。
I’m too full, I don’t want any more.
Hǎo bǎo a!
好饱啊！
So full!
Bǎo dào dǎ gé le.
饱到打嗝了。
So full I’m burping.
Bǎo …
Qǐng wèn, yǒu Wi-Fi ma?
请问，有Wi-Fi吗？
Excuse me, do you have Wi-Fi?
Yǒu de, xū yào mì mǎ.
有的，需要密码。
Yes, but you’ll need the password.
Nà mì mǎ shì shén me?
那密码是什么？
What’s the password?
Shì “coffee123”, quán xiǎo xiě.
是“coffee123”，全小写。
It’s …
It means:
“That’s actually impressive.”
“Okay, you’ve got skills.”
“There’s something special here.”
It’s a low-key way to show admiration without going over the top — kind of like saying “not bad” in English, but with a wink of real respect.
Example:
Nǐ kàn tā …
