There are a few basic words you should know if you come to China.
Hello - Ni Hao ("knee how")
Thanks -Xie Xie ("shear shear" but press your tongue against your bottom teeth)
Don't understand - Bu Mingbai ("Bu Ming bye")
How much ? - Duo shou qian ("Do shauw chen")
Too Expensive - Tai gui le ('Thai gwhey le")
Toilet - Ce Suo ("Tz sewer") [otherwise you can say WC but that only works in big cities]
Water - Shui ("Shway")
1 - yi (e)
2 - er (r)
3 - san (sahn)
4 - si (sih)
5 - wu (wu)
6 - liu (lee uh)
7 - qi (chi)
8 - ba (baa)
9 - jiu (jee uh)
10 - shi (sh)
11 - shi yi (sh-e; 11 = tenone)
11 - 19 - (use sh- "number 1-9"; 15 = tenfive)
20 - ershi (r-sh; 20 = twoten)
20,30,40... 90 - (use "number 2-9"-sh ; 50 = fiveten)
21 - ershiyi (r-sh-e 21 = twotenone)
21... 99 (use "number 2-9" - sh - "number 2-9"; 95 = ninetenfive)
100 - yibai (e-bye)
1000 - yiqian (e-chen)
Characters:
Some basic ones:
人 － people／person
火 － fire
大 － big
天 － day／sky
上 － up
下 － bottom
