Top 50 phrases to get by China: Essential communication

🇨🇳 [嗨] is casual, like "hi." Use it with friends, younger people, or relaxed service situations; with strangers, [你好] is the safer default.

🇨🇳 [再见] is standard and polite, but in everyday situations people often also use shorter goodbyes depending on context. It won't sound stiff, so it's a safe default for learners.

💬 [不] is read (bú) before a falling-tone syllable, so [不客气] starts (bú), not (bù). You'll hear the same in [不是] (bú shì).

🇨🇳 [请] does mean "please," but Chinese often uses it less than English does. It sounds natural in requests like [请坐] or [请问], but you do not need to add it to every sentence to sound polite.

🇨🇳 [对不起] is a stronger apology than just bumping into someone or getting past them. For small interruptions, [打扰一下] often fits better.