Some Chinese words you will hear a hundred times a day without ever needing to say them yourself — the sing-song welcome as you walk into a shop, the checkout question every register asks, the flat "we don't have it" that ends so many requests. You don't need much Mandarin to travel well, but recognizing these fifteen sounds turns a wall of noise into information. Here they are, grouped by where they'll reach you.
At the register
Walk into almost any shop and a bright huanying guanglin (欢迎光临) greets you — "welcome, honored guest," sometimes called out by the whole staff at once. No reply needed; a nod is plenty.
欢迎光临
huanying guanglin
Welcome (shop-entry greeting)
扫码
saoma
Scan the code
微信还是支付宝？
weixin haishi zhifubao?
WeChat or Alipay?
慢走
man zou
Take care (as you leave)
At the counter you'll hear saoma (扫码), "scan the code," and then the question that defines modern Chinese commerce: weixin haishi zhifubao (微信还是支付宝), "WeChat or Alipay?" If you carry cash instead, just hold up the bills — most places still take it, though you may get a surprised look. On your way out, a warm man zou (慢走), literally "walk slowly," sends you off the way we'd say "take care." You don't answer it.
The everyday replies
These four are the small change of conversation. Ni hao (你好) is the standard hello. Mei you (没有) — "don't have" — is the famous one: ask for something out of stock and often the whole answer is a cheerful mei you. Hao de (好的) means "okay, got it," and keyi (可以) means "that works" or "you may." Deng yixia (等一下), "hold on a second," buys everyone a moment. Together they handle a surprising share of daily exchanges.
你好
ni hao
Hello
没有
mei you
Don't have / out of stock
好的
hao de
Okay, got it
可以
keyi
That works / you may
等一下
deng yixia
Hold on a second
Out and about
On the street, three sounds stand out. Aiya (哎呀) is the all-purpose cry of surprise or dismay — the Mandarin "oh no!" Xiaoxin (小心), "careful," warns you about a wet floor, a closing door, or a gap; listen for it in station announcements. And jia you (加油) — literally "add oil" — is the cheer you'll catch at gyms, races, and on TV, meaning "you can do it!" None of them need a response; they're just the soundtrack of a busy street.
哎呀
aiya
Oh no! / oops (surprise)
小心
xiaoxin
Careful!
加油
jia you
You can do it! ("add oil")
What they'll call you
The last group is about people. You'll hear other diners shout fuwuyuan (服务员) across a restaurant to call the server — proof that it's normal and polite, not rude. Vendors may call you shuaige (帅哥) or meinü (美女), "handsome" or "beautiful" — sales warmth, so take the compliment. And you'll almost certainly hear laowai (老外), the informal word for "foreigner"; it's overwhelmingly friendly, and you can read the full story on laowai if you're curious.
服务员
fuwuyuan
Server (what diners call the waiter)
帅哥 / 美女
shuaige / meinü
Handsome / beautiful (friendly address)
老外
laowai
Foreigner (informal)
Most of these are safe to say back. Greet a shopkeeper with ni hao, agree with hao de or keyi, and call the server with a clear fuwuyuan. Only huanying guanglin and man zou stay one-directional — they're staff lines, so you receive them rather than return them.
Keep learning Chinese
Once your ear catches these fifteen, China gets noticeably easier to move through — you'll know when you're being welcomed, asked to pay, or told to watch your step. Turn recognition into speaking with our free essential Chinese phrases, then drill them with audio in the Pretalk app until saying them back feels automatic.
