Small Talk in Chinese

Posted on by tiffany

Small Talk · Mandarin Travel Phrases
MANDARIN TRAVEL PHRASES · SCENE 08 BOARDING PASS TO MANDARIN

Small Talk

社交寒暄shèjiāo hánxuān

Greetings, introducing yourself, casual chat, and saying goodbye — the conversational glue that makes every other interaction warmer.

Hello Intro Chat Goodbye
Region
Pinyin
Translation
01

Greetings

Traveler
你好nǐ hǎo！
Hello!
Local
你好nǐ hǎo，很hěn高兴gāoxìng认识rènshi你nǐ。
Hello, nice to meet you.
Traveler
我wǒ也是yě shì。
Me too.
02

Introducing Yourself

Traveler
我叫wǒ jiào____。
My name is ___.
Local
你nǐ从cóng哪里nǎlǐ来lái？
Where are you from?
Traveler
我wǒ从cóng美国Měiguó来lái。
I’m from the US.
Local
你nǐ会huì说shuō中文Zhōngwén吗ma？
Do you speak Chinese?
Traveler
只会zhǐ huì一点点yìdiǎndiǎn。
Just a little bit.
Must-Know 我叫wǒ jiào____My name is ___ — the natural opener for any introduction
Substitution Drill 我wǒ从cóng____来láiSwap in any country or city — this pattern works for anywhere you’re from
03

Small Talk

Local
你nǐ来lái这里zhèlǐ多久了duōjiǔ le？
How long have you been here?
Traveler
我wǒ来lái一个星期yí ge xīngqī了le。
I’ve been here for a week.
Local
你nǐ觉得juéde怎么样zěnmeyàng？
What do you think of it so far?
Traveler
很棒hěn bàng，大家dàjiā都dōu很hěn友善yǒushàn。
It’s great, everyone’s very friendly.
Traveler
可以kěyǐ加jiā微信wēixìn吗ma？
Can we connect on LINE / WeChat?
Local
当然dāngrán，这是zhè shì我的wǒ de账号zhànghào。
Sure, here’s my ID.
Regional Wording 微信wēixìnSame idea, exchanging contact — Taiwan mostly uses LINE, mainland China uses WeChat (微信, wēixìn)
04

Saying Goodbye

Traveler
我wǒ该走了gāi zǒu le。
I should get going.
Local
好hǎo，路上lùshang小心xiǎoxīn。
Okay, take care on your way.
Traveler
谢谢xièxie，再见zàijiàn！
Thanks, bye!
Local
再见zàijiàn，祝zhù你nǐ旅途愉快lǚtú yúkuài！
Bye, have a great trip!
💡

Culture Note

  • Asking personal questions early on — age, salary, marital status — is common and not considered rude in Chinese culture, unlike in many Western cultures. It’s often a sign of genuine interest.
  • Exchanging contact info (LINE in Taiwan, WeChat in mainland China) is a common way to end even a brief, friendly conversation — with a shopkeeper, fellow traveler, or new acquaintance.
  • Compliments are often deflected rather than accepted outright — Taiwan often responds with 沒有啦 (méiyǒu la, “not really”), while mainland China often says 哪兒的話 (nǎr de huà, “what are you talking about”). Both are polite modesty, not fake humility.
  • Hugging or handshaking on first meeting is less common than in the West — a nod, smile, or slight bow is often enough, especially in Taiwan.

Emergency Phrase Card

Screenshot or print to keep on hand

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