Survival Chinese. Boye Lafayette De Mente
shee-an XIANG shee-ahng
Pronunciation Guide No. 4
[These syllables are based on the o (oh) vowel sound.]
| BO bwo/bwough | |||
| CHONG chohng | CHOU choe | CONG tsohng | COU tsoe |
| DONG doong | DOU doe | ||
| FO fwo/fwough | FOU foe | ||
| GONG gohng | GOU go | ||
| HONG hohng | HOU hoe | ||
| KONG kohng | KOU koe | ||
| LONG lohng | LOU low | ||
| MO mwo/mwough | MOU moe | ||
| NONG nohng | |||
| O aw | OU oh | ||
| PO pwaw | |||
| RONG rohng | ROU roe | ||
| SHOU show | SONG sohng | ||
| TONG tohng | TOU toe | ||
| WO woh | |||
| YO yaw | YONG yohng | YOU you | |
| ZHONG johng | ZHOU joe | ZONG zohng | ZOU dzow |
Pronunciation Guide No. 5
[These syllables are based on the u (“oo” as in soon) vowel sound.]
| BU boo | |||
| CHU choo | CHUI chwee/chway | CHUAI chwie | CHUAN chwahn CHUO chwoh |
| CU tsu | CUI tsway/tswee CUN tsoon | CUAN tswahn CUO tswoh | |
| DU doo | DUAN dwahn DUN doon | DUI dway/dwee DUO dwoh | |
| FU foo | |||
| GU goo GUANG gwahng | GUA gwah GUI gway/gwee | GUAI gwie GUN goon | GUAN gwahn GUO gwoh |
| HU hoo HUANG hwahng | HUA hway HUI hway/hwee | HUAI hwie HUN hoon | HUAN hwahn HUO hwoh |
| JU jwee | JUE jway | JUN jwin/joon | JUAN jwen |
| KU koo | KUA kwah KUI kway/kwee | KUAI kwie KUN koon | KUAN kwahn KUO kway |
| LU loo/lwee | LUE lu-eh | LUN loon | LUAN lwahn |
| MU moo | |||
| NU nwee | NUE nu-eh | NUAN nwahn NUO nwoh | |
| PU poo | |||
| QU chwee | QUE chee-eh | QUN chwun | QUAN chwahn |
| RU roo | RUI rway/rwee | RUN roon | RUAN rwahn RUO rwoh |
| SHU shoo SHUANG shwahng | SHUA shwah SHUI shway/shwee | SHUAI shwie SHUN shoon | SHUAN shwahn SHUO shwo |
| SU soo | SUI sway/swee | SUN soon | SUAN swahn SUO swoh |
| TU too | TUI tway | TUN toon | TUAN twahn TUO twoh |
| WU woo | |||
| XU shee | XUE shu-eh | XUN sheen | XU AN shwen |
| YU yuu | YUE yu-eh | YUN ywun | YUAN ywahn |
| ZHU joo ZHUANG jwahng | ZHUA jwah ZHUI jway/jwee | ZHUAI jwie ZHUN joon | ZHUAN jwahn |
| ZU joo | ZUI zway/zwee | ZUN zwun | ZUAN zwahn ZUO zwoh |
PART ONE
Common Expressions & Key Words
GREETINGS
Please keep in mind that the phonetic words that are divided by hyphens [to make the syllables easier to recognize] should be pronounced as single words, in a smooth, even flow.
► Hello (also used in the sense of “How are you?”)
Nín hǎo ! 您好！
(Neen how)
[Nín hǎo (neen how) and the informal nǐ hǎo (nee how) are commonly used as universal greetings (good morning, good afternoon, good evening), but there are also specific words for these expressions.]
► Good morning!
Zǎoshang hǎo! 早上好！
(Zow-shahng how)
► Good afternoon!
Xiàwǔ hǎo! 下午好！
(Shee-ah-woo how)
► Good evening!
Wǎnshàng hǎo! 晚上好！
(Wahn-shahng how)
► Good night!
Wǎn ān! 晚安！
(Wahn ahn)
► See you tomorrow.
Míngtiān jiàn. 明天见。
(Meeng-tee-an jee-an)
► See you later.
Yí huìr jiàn. 一会儿见。
(Ee hway-er jee-an)
► Goodbye.
Zài jiàn. 再见。
(Zigh jee-an)
► Bye-Bye. (spoken)
Bài Bài. 拜拜。
(by by)
► OK.
Xìng. 行。
(Sheeng)
► Please.
Qǐng. 请。
(Cheeng)
► Thank you.
Xièxie. 谢谢。
(She-eh she-eh, sounds like shay-shay)
► Thank you very much.
Duōxiè. 多谢。
(Dwoh-she-eh)
► Thank you for your hospitality.
Duōxiè nǐ de kuǎndài. 多谢你的款待。
(Dwoh-she-eh nee der-kwahn-die)
► Thank you for your kindness.
Duōxiè nǐ de hǎoyì. 多谢你的好意。
(Dwoh-she-eh nee der how-ee)
► You’re welcome.
Bú xiè. 不谢。
(Boo she-eh)
► Don’t mention it.
Bú kèqi, méiyǒu guānxi. 不客气，没有关系。
(Boo ker-chee may-you gwahn-she)
► I’m sorry.
Duìbuqǐ. 对不起。
(Dway-boo-chee)
► That’s all right.
Méi guānxi. 没关系。
(May gwahn-she)
► That’s right.
Duìle. 对了。
(Dway-ler)
► That’s wrong.
Bú duì. 不对。
(Boo dway)
► Very good.
Hên hǎo. 很好。
(Hern how)
► Excellent!
Hǎo jí le! 好极了！
(How jee ler)
► Yes, I agree; correct
Shì (shr) 是; Duì (dway) 对
Yes Yǒu (You) 有
No Bú shì (Boo shr) 不是
► I understand.
Wǒ