Learn Mandarin Chinese Greetings and Everyday Phrases 2

Question 1

How do you ask 'What is your name?' in Mandarin?

Accepted Answer

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? (你叫什么名字?)

Answer

'Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?' literally means 'What are you called?' and is the standard way to ask someone's name.

Question 2

What does 'Nǐ chī le ma? (你吃了吗?)' literally translate to, and why is it a common greeting?

Accepted Answer

Have you eaten? — historically showed care for someone's wellbeing

Answer

'Have you eaten?' was a common Mandarin greeting reflecting historical concern for food security; while less common today, it remains culturally significant.

Question 3

How do you say 'I don't understand' in Mandarin?

Accepted Answer

Wǒ tīng bù dǒng (我听不懂)

Answer

'Wǒ tīng bù dǒng' uses the potential complement structure to say 'I listen but cannot understand'.

Question 4

What does 'Qǐng wèn (请问)' mean as a polite phrase?

Accepted Answer

Excuse me, may I ask…?

Answer

'Qǐng wèn (请问)' is a polite opener meaning 'excuse me, may I ask?' used before posing a question to a stranger.

Question 5

How do you say 'I don't speak Chinese well' in Mandarin?

Accepted Answer

Wǒ de Zhōngwén bù tài hǎo (我的中文不太好)

Answer

'Wǒ de Zhōngwén bù tài hǎo' is a modest and natural way to say 'my Chinese is not very good'.

Learn Mandarin Chinese Practice Test

Learn Mandarin Chinese Practice Test

Learn Mandarin Chinese Greetings and Everyday Phrases 2