You can have a good trip in Shenzhen with little Mandarin, especially if you have a translation app and your hotel’s address in Chinese. A short spoken set still helps: hello, thank you, how much, the bill, “I don’t speak Chinese,” and “where is the metro.” This page is a glossary, with characters and pinyin, not a course. Mandarin is the language we use here; you will also hear Cantonese, especially closer to Hong Kong.
最終確認日 · 初出 · 出典 1 件
重要な事実
| Script | Each line is English · pinyin · Chinese characters |
|---|---|
| Tone | Pinyin marks matter, but a sincere attempt is usually understood in shops and at ticket machines |
| Address | The single most useful “phrase” is a photo of your hotel’s Chinese name and address |
| Cantonese | Widely heard in the region. Mandarin will still carry a visitor in most shops and metro halls |
Everyday courtesy
| English | Pinyin | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | nǐ hǎo | 你好 |
| Thank you | xiè xie | 谢谢 |
| Please | qǐng | 请 |
| Sorry / excuse me | duì bu qǐ | 对不起 |
| I don’t speak Chinese | wǒ bú huì shuō Zhōngwén | 我不会说中文 |
| Do you speak English? | nǐ huì shuō Yīngyǔ ma? | 你会说英语吗？ |
| Yes / no (agree / not so) | shì / bú shì | 是 / 不是 |
| OK, good | hǎo de | 好的 |
Food and the bill
| English | Pinyin | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| The menu, please | qǐng gěi wǒ càidān | 请给我菜单 |
| How much is this? | zhè ge duō shǎo qián? | 这个多少钱？ |
| Too expensive | tài guì le | 太贵了 |
| The bill, please | qǐng jiézhàng | 请结账 |
| I don’t eat meat (vegetarian) | wǒ bù chī ròu | 我不吃肉 |
| Not spicy | bú yào là | 不要辣 |
| A little spicy is fine | wēi là | 微辣 |
| Water | shuǐ | 水 |
| This is delicious | hěn hǎo chī | 很好吃 |
Getting around
| English | Pinyin | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the metro? | dìtiě zài nǎlǐ? | 地铁在哪里？ |
| Please take me to this address | qǐng dài wǒ qù zhè ge dìzhǐ | 请带我去这个地址 |
| Airport | jīchǎng | 机场 |
| Train station | huǒchē zhàn | 火车站 |
| Hotel | jiǔdiàn / bīnguǎn | 酒店 / 宾馆 |
| Toilet / restroom | cèsuǒ / xǐshǒujiān | 厕所 / 洗手间 |
| Left / right | zuǒ / yòu | 左 / 右 |
| I need help | wǒ xūyào bāngzhù | 我需要帮助 |
| Police (110) | jǐngchá | 警察 |
The single most useful thing you can carry is not a sentence: it is a photo of your hotel’s Chinese name and street address, and a pin in a map that works offline. See maps and translation. For a longer first-trip sequence, start at the first-timers pillar.
よくある質問
Will people speak English?
Some will, especially in hotels, at the airport, and in newer malls. Many restaurant and taxi interactions will not. A translation pack and this glossary cover the gap more reliably than hoping.
Is Shenzhen Cantonese-speaking?
Cantonese is widely heard, and Mandarin is the working language of the metro, most chain shops, and many newer residents. Either may appear. The phrases below are Mandarin, which is the safer visitor default.
Should I learn tones before I go?
If you have a week, a few tones help. If you have an evening, learn the lines below and keep a translation app offline.