Chinese Conversation for Beginners- learn basic Chinese conversation

How should a beginner approach a Chinese conversation? Here are something you need to keep in mind. As a beginner, you won't know too much Chinese vocabulary. This will limit the range of topics you can talk about. Well, don’t worry, you can start with something topics which are simple and practical, such as schedules, interests/hobbies, food, or introductions. Below I list some basic Chinese conversation/ dialogue for you to practice.

1. Introduction

-你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shén me mínɡ zi?
What is your name?

-我叫Julia。
wǒ jiào Julia.
My name is Julia.

-你是哪个国家的?
nǐ shì nǎ ɡè ɡuó jiā de?
Which country are you from?

-我来自美国。
wǒ lái zì měi ɡuó.
I come from United States.

-很高兴认识你。
hěn ɡāo xìnɡ rèn shí nǐ.
Nice to meet you.

2. Hobby

-你喜欢做什么？
nǐ xǐ huɑn zuò shén me?
What do you like to do?

-我喜欢看电影。
wǒ xǐ huɑn kàn diàn yǐnɡ.
I like to see movies.

-你喜欢吃什么？
nǐ xǐ huɑn chī shén me？
What do you like to eat?

-我喜欢吃饺子。
wǒ xǐ huɑn chī jiǎo zi.
I like to eat dumplings.

3. Schedule

-你一会打算做什么？
nǐ yí huì dǎ suɑn zuò shén me?
What are you going to do later?

-我准备去上英文课，你呢？
wǒ zhǔn bèi qù shànɡ yīnɡ wén kè, nǐ ne?
I am going to take my English class, how about you?

-我一会和我的朋友一起去喝下午茶。
wǒ yí huì hé wǒ de pénɡ you yì qǐ qù hē xià wǔ chá.
I will drink afternoon tea with my friends.

-好的，祝你玩得愉快。
hǎo de, zhù nǐ wán dé yú kuài.
Ok, have a good time!

4. Order Food

-你好，麻烦点餐。
nǐ hǎo, má fɑn diǎn cān.
Hi, may I order please?

-好的，请问需要点什么？
hǎo de, qǐnɡ wèn xū yào diǎn shén me?
yes, what would you like to order?

-扬州炒饭打包一份。
yánɡ zhōu chǎo fàn dǎ bāo yí fèn.
Yangzhou fried rice, take out.

-好的，一共是25元。
hǎo de, yí ɡònɡ shì 25 yuán.
Ok, 25 yuan in total.

-好，可以刷卡吗？
hǎo， ké yǐ shuā kǎ mɑ？
Ok, can I use credit card?

-可以, 谢谢！
ké yǐ, xiè xiè ！
yes, thanks!

You can't have a deep discussion with this method, but this approach will help you build a foundation for improvement.

The second thing to remember is that there's more than one way to express your ideas. On the one hand, this is good for you as a beginning speaker: you have some flexibility in how to express yourself. On the other hand, this makes things harder for you as a beginning listener, because the people you talk to might use unfamiliar phrasing. Take a daily Chinese course, you can learn more useful Chinese conversation.

Still got questions? Take a free 1-on-1 live Mandarin lesson with our qualified and experienced Chinese teacher now.