The Shenzhen Survival Phrasebook
You don't need fluent Mandarin to live well in Shenzhen. You need about forty phrases, the confidence to show your phone screen, and the wisdom to know which is which. This page is all three.
How to use this page
Don’t memorise it. Bookmark it, and when you need a phrase, show the Chinese text on your screen. Every phrase below is written to work when read silently by a local: full sentences, polite register, no ambiguity. Pinyin is there for when you feel brave.
Serious students should read our learning Chinese guide. Everyone else: the phrases below cover roughly 90% of the situations where a newcomer actually gets stuck, sorted by scenario.
The universal three
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | xièxie |
| I don’t understand Chinese. Could you type it, please? | 我听不懂中文，麻烦您打字好吗？ | wǒ tīng bu dǒng zhōngwén, máfan nín dǎzì hǎo ma? |
That third one is the most useful sentence in this entire guide. Typed Chinese can be translated instantly; spoken Shenzhen-accented Mandarin cannot.
Taxis and Didi
The show-the-driver card. Fill in your own address once and screenshot it:
请送我到这个地址： ［你的地址 / your address in Chinese］ 谢谢！
Please take me to this address, thank you.
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Please take me to this address | 请送我到这个地址 | qǐng sòng wǒ dào zhège dìzhǐ |
| Stop here, please | 请在这里停 | qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíng |
| Please open the boot | 请开一下后备箱 | qǐng kāi yíxià hòubèixiāng |
| I’ve ordered a Didi, the plate number is… | 我叫了滴滴，车牌号是…… | wǒ jiào le dīdī, chēpái hào shì… |
| Airport, Terminal 3 | 机场三号航站楼 | jīchǎng sān hào hángzhànlóu |
Food
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | 两位，谢谢 | liǎng wèi, xièxie |
| The menu, please | 请给我菜单 | qǐng gěi wǒ càidān |
| I’d like this one (point) | 我要这个 | wǒ yào zhège |
| Not spicy, please | 不要辣 | bú yào là |
| A little spicy is fine | 微辣 | wēi là |
| No coriander | 不要香菜 | bú yào xiāngcài |
| I’m vegetarian | 我吃素 | wǒ chī sù |
| The bill, please | 买单 | mǎidān |
| Takeaway / to go | 打包 | dǎbāo |
The allergy card. Edit the bracketed part for your allergy and screenshot:
我对［花生 / peanuts］严重过敏。 如果食物里有一点点，我会有生命危险。 请确认这道菜完全不含［花生］。谢谢！
I am severely allergic to [peanuts]. Even a small amount is life-threatening. Please confirm this dish contains absolutely none.
Common allergens: peanuts 花生 (huāshēng) · nuts 坚果 (jiānguǒ) · shellfish 贝类海鲜 (bèilèi hǎixiān) · eggs 鸡蛋 (jīdàn) · dairy 奶制品 (nǎizhìpǐn) · gluten/wheat 麸质/小麦 (fūzhì/xiǎomài)
Payments and shopping
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it? | 多少钱？ | duōshao qián? |
| Can I pay with WeChat? | 可以用微信支付吗？ | kěyǐ yòng wēixìn zhīfù ma? |
| Can I pay with Alipay? | 可以用支付宝吗？ | kěyǐ yòng zhīfùbǎo ma? |
| Scan my code | 扫我的码 | sǎo wǒ de mǎ |
| I’ll scan yours | 我扫你的 | wǒ sǎo nǐ de |
| Too expensive! | 太贵了！ | tài guì le! |
| Do you have a bigger / smaller one? | 有大一点的吗？／有小一点的吗？ | yǒu dà yìdiǎn de ma? / yǒu xiǎo yìdiǎn de ma? |
| I’m just looking, thanks | 我随便看看，谢谢 | wǒ suíbiàn kànkan, xièxie |
The bureaucracy counter
For PSB registration, banks, and phone shops, the vocabulary is small but non-negotiable. Pair these with the document checklists in Moving to Shenzhen.
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | 护照 | hùzhào |
| Visa | 签证 | qiānzhèng |
| Residence permit | 居留许可 | jūliú xǔkě |
| Police registration form | 境外人员临时住宿登记表 | jìngwài rényuán línshí zhùsù dēngjì biǎo |
| Rental contract | 租房合同 | zūfáng hétong |
| I want to open a bank account | 我想开一个银行账户 | wǒ xiǎng kāi yí gè yínháng zhànghù |
| I want to buy a SIM card | 我想办一张电话卡 | wǒ xiǎng bàn yì zhāng diànhuàkǎ |
| Is there someone who speaks English? | 有会说英语的工作人员吗？ | yǒu huì shuō yīngyǔ de gōngzuò rényuán ma? |
| Which documents do I need? | 我需要哪些材料？ | wǒ xūyào nǎxiē cáiliào? |
| Where should I queue? | 我应该在哪里排队？ | wǒ yīnggāi zài nǎlǐ páiduì? |
Medical
Full context in how to see a doctor and emergency services. The essentials:
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| I need to see a doctor | 我要看医生 | wǒ yào kàn yīshēng |
| Where is registration? | 挂号处在哪里？ | guàhào chù zài nǎlǐ? |
| It hurts here | 这里疼 | zhèlǐ téng |
| I have a fever | 我发烧了 | wǒ fāshāo le |
| I’m allergic to… | 我对……过敏 | wǒ duì… guòmǐn |
| Help! | 救命！ | jiùmìng! |
| Call an ambulance! | 叫救护车！ | jiào jiùhùchē! |
Emergency numbers: 120 ambulance · 110 police · 119 fire · 12345 city hotline (English available).
Numbers, because prices are numbers
| 1 一 yī | 2 二 èr / 两 liǎng | 3 三 sān | 4 四 sì | 5 五 wǔ |
| 6 六 liù | 7 七 qī | 8 八 bā | 9 九 jiǔ | 10 十 shí |
100 is 百 (bǎi), 1,000 is 千 (qiān), and 10,000 is 万 (wàn), which is where foreign brains short-circuit: ¥50,000 is “5 wàn”, not “50 qiān”. When in doubt, ask them to type the number: 请打一下数字 (qǐng dǎ yíxià shùzì).
One local habit worth knowing: “two” of something is 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr). Two beers is 两瓶啤酒 (liǎng píng píjiǔ), a sentence we are confident you will need.
Wallet-sized version
Download the printable phrase cards (PDF): six cut-out cards (address, taxi, allergy, emergency, food, and bureaucracy counter) to keep in your wallet. For the full arrival sequence, join the newsletter and the First Week in Shenzhen checklist arrives with your welcome email.
Need help?
HeyShenzhen Community
Information changes frequently in Shenzhen. While we strive to keep our guides accurate and up-to-date, the latest information is often best found by asking in our community groups.
Join our community to get real-time updates, tips, and suggestions from our members:
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Disclaimer
Processes and information in Shenzhen are in a state of constant change. While we try to keep our guides as up-to-date as possible, it is impossible to ensure full accuracy.
For the latest procedures and real-time support, we strongly encourage you to join our community channels where you can get help with current processes and connect with others navigating similar situations.
Join our community
- Discord – For general discussions and quick questions
- Facebook Group – For community updates and events
- WeChat: Add Jenxi (ID: jayjenxi) for an introduction to the HeyShenzhen groups
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