If you have lived in China for a while, you may have no difficulties to say basic Chinese, like how to introduce yourself, how to say hi, how to say goodbye or how to say thank you. Here are 10 common sentences that Chinese people often-used in daily life. You can see all the sentences are starts with Chinese character “请”.

“请”(qǐng) means “Please”in English. Notice that it is said with falling third tone, that means your voice will lower, and stay low, and then rise slightly in the end. In English please usually comes at the end, but in Chinese, you will find that please usually comes at the beginning of the sentences. Below, I will provide you the pronunciation of the sentences so that you can learn how to use them correctly and understand them better.

sit

1.请坐 (Sit down, please)

If you are a teacher who teaching English in China, you may heard this sentences very often. Chinese students need to stand up and greet with teacher before class starts. You should respond them with sit down, please, or you can say“请坐”to surprised them.

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2.请进 (Please come in)

If you are work in an office and have a room with your own, you may say this sentences often. Somebody knock your door and want to discuss the project with you, then you can say “请进”。

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3.请开门 (Please open the door)

Imagined that you are going to visit your friend, when you arrive his/her house, you can ring the bell and say, hi, this is... please open the door, “请开门”。

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4.请稍等 (Hold on, please)

Imagined that someone asks you for help, but you have something important to do , then you can say“请稍等”. It also means please wait a second, I will help you later.

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5.请安静 (Please keep quite)

It is an useful phrase where you can use it on the train. Someone who sitting next to you speak on the phone loudly, or turn on the phone and watch TV loudly, then you can remind him with a phrase“请安静”。

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6.请排队 (Please queue in line)

Imagined that you are waiting in line to collect or change the train ticket at the station counter, someone is in a hurry and cut in line, then you can say “请排队”.

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7.请多多指教 (Please advice)

It is a common phrase to show your modest. Imagined that you have changed a new job, the first time when you introduce yourself to a new worker, you can say “请多多指教”in the end. It means that I am new here, please advice me to fit the job better.

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8.请帮我一下 (Please help me)

It is a really useful phrase. You can say this sentences to others whenever you need help. Chinese people are always happy to help.

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9.请听我说(Please listen to me)

If you need to explain something important to others, then you can say “请听我说”。

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10.请问.... (Excuse me, May I ask...)

“Where is the reading room?”“Where can I take a taxi?”“What is this?”“What time is it now?”We all have something that we want to know. So if you want to ask someone about the thing you want to know, starts with “请问...”.

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Useful Expressions

1.请问洗手间在哪里?(Excuse me, where is the restroom?)

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2.请问你叫什么名字?(Excuse me, what is your name?)

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3.请问这个多少钱? (Excuse me, how much is it?)

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4.请问去哪里坐出租车?(Excuse me, Where can I take a taxi?)

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5.请问你去哪里吃饭?(Excuse me, Where do you go for lunch? )

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6.请问你有空吗? (Excuse me, are you available now?)

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7.请问你会说英语吗?(Excuse me, can you speak English? )

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8.请问这个用中文怎么说?(Excuse me, how to say it in Chinese? )

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9.请问什么比较好吃? (Excuse me, what the most delicious food in your restaurant)

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10.请问你去几楼?(Excuse me, What floor are you going to?)

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Further reading:
5 Differences between Chinese and English
How to Say Thank You in Chinese
Baggage Rules of China Railway