Chinese Useful Commands: 50+ Everyday Mandarin Phrases With Pinyin And Real Examples
Useful commands in Chinese = 命令句 (mìnglìngjù), but nobody walking around Beijing says, “Ah yes, a lovely imperative sentence.” They just say things like 坐下 (zuò xià) “sit down,” 等一下 (děng yí xià) “wait a second,” or 别说话 (bié shuōhuà) “don’t talk.”
This guide gives you practical simplified Chinese commands you can actually use at home, at work, in class, while traveling, and when life gets mildly chaotic. Every phrase comes with pinyin, an English meaning, and a real sentence so you are not stuck memorizing lonely little words with zero survival value.
In Mandarin, commands can be very short. You can use a bare verb like 看 (kàn) “look,” soften it with 请 (qǐng) “please,” or make it negative with 别 (bié) “don’t.” Tiny word, huge difference. Without 请 (qǐng), you can sound efficient. With too much bare-verb energy, you can also sound like a drill sergeant who missed breakfast.
The safest beginner pattern is simple: 请 + verb. So 请坐 (qǐng zuò) means “please sit,” and 请等一下 (qǐng děng yí xià) means “please wait a moment.” Clean, useful, and socially less risky.
Quick Rule Before You Start
- 请 (qǐng) = please
- 别 (bié) = don’t
- 一下 (yí xià) = a little / a moment, often softens the command
- 先 (xiān) = first
- 慢一点 (màn yì diǎn) = more slowly
So 开门 (kāi mén) is “open the door,” 请开门 (qǐng kāi mén) is “please open the door,” and 别开门 (bié kāi mén) is “don’t open the door.” Same door. Very different vibes.
Visual Cards: 8 Commands You Will Use All The Time
请坐 (qǐng zuò)
Meaning: Please sit.
Example: 请坐这边。 (qǐng zuò zhè biān.) — Please sit over here.
等一下 (děng yí xià)
Meaning: Wait a second.
Example: 等一下，我马上来。 (děng yí xià, wǒ mǎshàng lái.) — Wait a second, I’ll be right there.
看这里 (kàn zhè lǐ)
Meaning: Look here.
Example: 看这里，不要看手机。 (kàn zhè lǐ, bú yào kàn shǒujī.) — Look here, don’t look at your phone.
别着急 (bié zháojí)
Meaning: Don’t rush / Don’t worry.
Example: 别着急，我们还有时间。 (bié zháojí, wǒmen hái yǒu shíjiān.) — Don’t rush, we still have time.
慢一点 (màn yì diǎn)
Meaning: Slower, please.
Example: 请说慢一点。 (qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn.) — Please speak more slowly.
再说一遍 (zài shuō yí biàn)
Meaning: Say it again.
Example: 请再说一遍。 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.) — Please say it again.
跟我来 (gēn wǒ lái)
Meaning: Follow me.
Example: 跟我来，我带你去前台。 (gēn wǒ lái, wǒ dài nǐ qù qiántái.) — Follow me, I’ll take you to the front desk.
别动 (bié dòng)
Meaning: Don’t move.
Example: 别动，我给你拍照。 (bié dòng, wǒ gěi nǐ pāizhào.) — Don’t move, I’m taking your photo.
Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences
- 请进 (qǐng jìn) — Please come in.
请进，门没锁。 (qǐng jìn, mén méi suǒ.) — Please come in, the door isn’t locked. - 请坐 (qǐng zuò) — Please sit.
请坐，我去拿菜单。 (qǐng zuò, wǒ qù ná càidān.) — Please sit, I’ll get the menu. - 等一下 (děng yí xià) — Wait a second.
等一下，我在找钥匙。 (děng yí xià, wǒ zài zhǎo yàoshi.) — Wait a second, I’m looking for the keys. - 听我说 (tīng wǒ shuō) — Listen to me.
先听我说，然后再决定。 (xiān tīng wǒ shuō, ránhòu zài juédìng.) — Listen to me first, then decide. - 看这里 (kàn zhè lǐ) — Look here.
看这里，这一行写错了。 (kàn zhè lǐ, zhè yì háng xiě cuò le.) — Look here, this line is wrong. - 慢一点 (màn yì diǎn) — More slowly.
请开慢一点。 (qǐng kāi màn yì diǎn.) — Please drive more slowly. - 再说一遍 (zài shuō yí biàn) — Say it again.
你刚才说什么？请再说一遍。 (nǐ gāngcái shuō shénme? qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.) — What did you just say? Please say it again. - 别担心 (bié dānxīn) — Don’t worry.
别担心，我会帮你。 (bié dānxīn, wǒ huì bāng nǐ.) — Don’t worry, I’ll help you. - 跟我来 (gēn wǒ lái) — Follow me.
跟我来，教室在二楼。 (gēn wǒ lái, jiàoshì zài èr lóu.) — Follow me, the classroom is on the second floor. - 别说话 (bié shuōhuà) — Don’t talk.
现在开会，别说话。 (xiànzài kāihuì, bié shuōhuà.) — We’re in a meeting now, don’t talk. - 先等等 (xiān děng děng) — Wait first / Hold on a moment.
先等等，我还没准备好。 (xiān děng děng, wǒ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo.) — Hold on, I’m not ready yet. - 试试看 (shì shi kàn) — Give it a try.
这个字很难，你试试看。 (zhè ge zì hěn nán, nǐ shì shi kàn.) — This character is hard; give it a try.
A Tiny But Powerful Pattern
Want your command to sound softer? Add 请 (qǐng) or 一下 (yí xià).
- 坐下 (zuò xià) — Sit down.
- 请坐下 (qǐng zuò xià) — Please sit down.
- 看一下 (kàn yí xià) — Take a quick look.
- 等一下 (děng yí xià) — Wait a moment.
Want it negative? Use 别 (bié): 别动 (bié dòng) “don’t move,” 别着急 (bié zháojí) “don’t rush,” 别忘了 (bié wàng le) “don’t forget.” Small grammar, big social survival.
Commands For Home And Daily Life
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 起床 | qǐ chuáng | Get up | 快起床，要迟到了。 | kuài qǐ chuáng, yào chídào le. | Get up quickly, you’ll be late. |
| 坐下 | zuò xià | Sit down | 先坐下休息一下。 | xiān zuò xià xiūxi yí xià. | Sit down and rest first. |
| 站起来 | zhàn qǐ lái | Stand up | 请站起来回答问题。 | qǐng zhàn qǐ lái huídá wèntí. | Please stand up and answer the question. |
| 开门 | kāi mén | Open the door | 请开门，我拿着东西。 | qǐng kāi mén, wǒ názhe dōngxi. | Please open the door, I’m carrying things. |
| 关门 | guān mén | Close the door | 出去的时候关门。 | chūqù de shíhou guān mén. | Close the door when you go out. |
| 开灯 | kāi dēng | Turn on the light | 房间太暗了，开灯吧。 | fángjiān tài àn le, kāi dēng ba. | The room is too dark, turn on the light. |
| 关灯 | guān dēng | Turn off the light | 睡觉前别忘了关灯。 | shuìjiào qián bié wàng le guān dēng. | Don’t forget to turn off the light before sleeping. |
| 快点 | kuài diǎn | Hurry up | 快点，公交车要来了。 | kuài diǎn, gōngjiāochē yào lái le. | Hurry up, the bus is coming. |
| 慢点 | màn diǎn | Slow down | 路很滑，走慢点。 | lù hěn huá, zǒu màn diǎn. | The road is slippery, walk more slowly. |
| 小心点 | xiǎoxīn diǎn | Be careful | 楼梯很窄，小心点。 | lóutī hěn zhǎi, xiǎoxīn diǎn. | The stairs are narrow, be careful. |
Commands For Conversation And Learning
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 听 | tīng | Listen | 先听，再回答。 | xiān tīng, zài huídá. | Listen first, then answer. |
| 听我说 | tīng wǒ shuō | Listen to me | 听我说，这个方法更简单。 | tīng wǒ shuō, zhè ge fāngfǎ gèng jiǎndān. | Listen to me, this method is simpler. |
| 看 | kàn | Look | 看黑板。 | kàn hēibǎn. | Look at the blackboard. |
| 看这里 | kàn zhè lǐ | Look here | 看这里，这个字读第四声。 | kàn zhè lǐ, zhè ge zì dú dì sì shēng. | Look here, this character is pronounced with the fourth tone. |
| 说 | shuō | Speak / Say | 大声说。 | dàshēng shuō. | Speak loudly. |
| 说慢一点 | shuō màn yì diǎn | Speak more slowly | 请说慢一点，我是初学者。 | qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn, wǒ shì chūxuézhě. | Please speak more slowly, I’m a beginner. |
| 再说一遍 | zài shuō yí biàn | Say it again | 最后一句请再说一遍。 | zuìhòu yí jù qǐng zài shuō yí biàn. | Please say the last sentence again. |
| 重复一遍 | chóngfù yí biàn | Repeat once | 老师，请重复一遍。 | lǎoshī, qǐng chóngfù yí biàn. | Teacher, please repeat that once. |
| 写下来 | xiě xià lái | Write it down | 把这个地址写下来。 | bǎ zhè ge dìzhǐ xiě xià lái. | Write down this address. |
| 记住 | jì zhù | Remember | 记住这个发音。 | jì zhù zhè ge fāyīn. | Remember this pronunciation. |
Commands For Work, School, And Getting Things Done
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 开始 | kāishǐ | Start | 大家准备好，我们开始。 | dàjiā zhǔnbèi hǎo, wǒmen kāishǐ. | Everyone get ready, we’re starting. |
| 继续 | jìxù | Continue | 别停，继续。 | bié tíng, jìxù. | Don’t stop, continue. |
| 停 | tíng | Stop | 先停一下，我有问题。 | xiān tíng yí xià, wǒ yǒu wèntí. | Stop for a moment, I have a question. |
| 等一下 | děng yí xià | Wait a second | 等一下，我还没发完邮件。 | děng yí xià, wǒ hái méi fā wán yóujiàn. | Wait a second, I haven’t finished sending the email. |
| 先做这个 | xiān zuò zhè ge | Do this first | 先做这个，别的以后再说。 | xiān zuò zhè ge, bié de yǐhòu zài shuō. | Do this first; we’ll talk about the rest later. |
| 发给我 | fā gěi wǒ | Send it to me | 做好以后发给我。 | zuò hǎo yǐhòu fā gěi wǒ. | Send it to me after you finish it. |
| 打开 | dǎkāi | Open | 请打开文件。 | qǐng dǎkāi wénjiàn. | Please open the document. |
| 关闭 | guānbì | Close | 下班前关闭电脑。 | xiàbān qián guānbì diànnǎo. | Close the computer before leaving work. |
| 检查一下 | jiǎnchá yí xià | Check it | 请检查一下数字对不对。 | qǐng jiǎnchá yí xià shùzì duì bu duì. | Please check whether the numbers are correct. |
| 确认一下 | quèrèn yí xià | Confirm it | 你先确认一下时间。 | nǐ xiān quèrèn yí xià shíjiān. | Confirm the time first. |
Commands For Travel, Shops, And Public Places
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 请进 | qǐng jìn | Please come in | 请进，里面有空位。 | qǐng jìn, lǐmiàn yǒu kòngwèi. | Please come in, there are empty seats inside. |
| 排队 | pái duì | Line up / Queue | 请在这边排队。 | qǐng zài zhè biān pái duì. | Please line up over here. |
| 刷卡 | shuā kǎ | Swipe the card / Tap card | 上车以后先刷卡。 | shàng chē yǐhòu xiān shuā kǎ. | After getting on, tap your card first. |
| 扫码 | sǎo mǎ | Scan the code | 请先扫码点餐。 | qǐng xiān sǎo mǎ diǎn cān. | Please scan the code first to order. |
| 跟我来 | gēn wǒ lái | Follow me | 跟我来，洗手间在后面。 | gēn wǒ lái, xǐshǒujiān zài hòumiàn. | Follow me, the restroom is in the back. |
| 往前走 | wǎng qián zǒu | Go forward | 往前走两百米就到了。 | wǎng qián zǒu liǎng bǎi mǐ jiù dào le. | Go forward 200 meters and you’ll arrive. |
| 左转 | zuǒ zhuǎn | Turn left | 到路口左转。 | dào lùkǒu zuǒ zhuǎn. | Turn left at the intersection. |
| 右转 | yòu zhuǎn | Turn right | 前面红绿灯右转。 | qiánmiàn hónglǜdēng yòu zhuǎn. | Turn right at the traffic light ahead. |
| 上车 | shàng chē | Get in / Board | 快上车，车要开了。 | kuài shàng chē, chē yào kāi le. | Get on quickly, the vehicle is about to leave. |
| 下车 | xià chē | Get off | 下一站下车。 | xià yí zhàn xià chē. | Get off at the next stop. |
Commands For Safety, Boundaries, And Emergencies
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 别动 | bié dòng | Don’t move | 别动，我帮你处理伤口。 | bié dòng, wǒ bāng nǐ chǔlǐ shāngkǒu. | Don’t move, I’ll help treat the wound. |
| 别碰 | bié pèng | Don’t touch | 别碰，这个很烫。 | bié pèng, zhè ge hěn tàng. | Don’t touch it, it’s hot. |
| 别跑 | bié pǎo | Don’t run | 地上有水，别跑。 | dìshàng yǒu shuǐ, bié pǎo. | There’s water on the floor, don’t run. |
| 别着急 | bié zháojí | Don’t rush | 别着急，慢慢说。 | bié zháojí, màn man shuō. | Don’t rush, speak slowly. |
| 别担心 | bié dānxīn | Don’t worry | 别担心，医生马上来。 | bié dānxīn, yīshēng mǎshàng lái. | Don’t worry, the doctor will come soon. |
| 别忘了 | bié wàng le | Don’t forget | 别忘了带护照。 | bié wàng le dài hùzhào. | Don’t forget to bring your passport. |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | Watch out / Be careful | 小心，后面有车。 | xiǎoxīn, hòumiàn yǒu chē. | Watch out, there’s a car behind you. |
| 安静一点 | ānjìng yì diǎn | Be quieter | 请安静一点，孩子睡着了。 | qǐng ānjìng yì diǎn, háizi shuìzháo le. | Please be a little quieter, the child is asleep. |
| 离远一点 | lí yuǎn yì diǎn | Stay farther away | 请离远一点，这里危险。 | qǐng lí yuǎn yì diǎn, zhè lǐ wēixiǎn. | Please stay farther away, it’s dangerous here. |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | Make a call | 快打电话叫救护车。 | kuài dǎ diànhuà jiào jiùhùchē. | Quick, call an ambulance. |
Bonus Commands For Phones, Apps, And Modern Life
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 登录 | dēnglù | Log in | 先登录账号。 | xiān dēnglù zhànghào. | Log in to your account first. |
| 退出 | tuìchū | Log out / Exit | 用完以后记得退出。 | yòng wán yǐhòu jìde tuìchū. | Remember to log out after using it. |
| 保存 | bǎocún | Save | 改完以后先保存。 | gǎi wán yǐhòu xiān bǎocún. | Save it first after editing. |
| 删除 | shānchú | Delete | 不要删除这个文件。 | bú yào shānchú zhè ge wénjiàn. | Don’t delete this file. |
| 发送 | fāsòng | Send | 确认以后再发送。 | quèrèn yǐhòu zài fāsòng. | Send it after confirming. |
| 下载 | xiàzài | Download | 请先下载这个软件。 | qǐng xiān xiàzài zhè ge ruǎnjiàn. | Please download this software first. |
| 上传 | shàngchuán | Upload | 把照片上传到群里。 | bǎ zhàopiàn shàngchuán dào qún lǐ. | Upload the photos to the group. |
| 扫码 | sǎo mǎ | Scan the code | 先扫码，再付款。 | xiān sǎo mǎ, zài fùkuǎn. | Scan the code first, then pay. |
| 打开定位 | dǎkāi dìngwèi | Turn on location | 请打开定位，我找不到你。 | qǐng dǎkāi dìngwèi, wǒ zhǎo bú dào nǐ. | Please turn on location, I can’t find you. |
| 关掉声音 | guān diào shēngyīn | Mute / Turn off sound | 开会前请关掉声音。 | kāihuì qián qǐng guān diào shēngyīn. | Please mute it before the meeting. |
Quick Variants Table: Plain, Polite, And Negative
| Style | Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain | 坐下 | zuò xià | Sit down |
| Polite | 请坐下 | qǐng zuò xià | Please sit down |
| Negative | 别坐这里 | bié zuò zhè lǐ | Don’t sit here |
| Plain | 等一下 | děng yí xià | Wait a second |
| Polite | 请等一下 | qǐng děng yí xià | Please wait a second |
| Negative | 别等了 | bié děng le | Don’t wait anymore |
| Plain | 看 | kàn | Look |
| Polite | 请看一下 | qǐng kàn yí xià | Please take a look |
| Negative | 别看了 | bié kàn le | Stop looking / Don’t look anymore |
| Plain | 说慢一点 | shuō màn yì diǎn | Speak more slowly |
| Polite | 请说慢一点 | qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn | Please speak more slowly |
| Negative | 别说太快 | bié shuō tài kuài | Don’t speak too fast |
Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes
- Using only bare verbs with everyone: 开门 (kāi mén) is fine in some situations, but 请开门 (qǐng kāi mén) is safer with strangers, coworkers, staff, and basically people you do not want to offend before lunch.
- Forgetting 别 (bié) for negative commands: “Don’t touch” is 别碰 (bié pèng), not 不碰 (bú pèng) in this command pattern.
- Skipping 一下 (yí xià): 看一下 (kàn yí xià) and 等一下 (děng yí xià) sound softer and more natural than blunt one-word commands in many daily situations.
- Confusing 快点 (kuài diǎn) with rude shouting: It can be fine with friends or family, but with strangers it can sound sharp. Try 请快一点 (qǐng kuài yì diǎn) or 麻烦快一点 (máfan kuài yì diǎn) if needed.
Quick Reference Summary
Polite Command Formula
请 (qǐng) + verb
请坐 (qǐng zuò) — Please sit
请等一下 (qǐng děng yí xià) — Please wait a moment
Negative Command Formula
别 (bié) + verb
别动 (bié dòng) — Don’t move
别忘了 (bié wàng le) — Don’t forget
Softening Trick
verb + 一下 (yí xià)
看一下 (kàn yí xià) — Take a quick look
等一下 (děng yí xià) — Wait a moment
The Final Yak Box
If you learn just ten commands first, make them these: 请坐 (qǐng zuò), 请进 (qǐng jìn), 等一下 (děng yí xià), 看这里 (kàn zhè lǐ), 听我说 (tīng wǒ shuō), 再说一遍 (zài shuō yí biàn), 慢一点 (màn yì diǎn), 跟我来 (gēn wǒ lái), 别担心 (bié dānxīn), and 别忘了 (bié wàng le). That set alone covers a weirdly large amount of real life.
Do not try to memorize all 50+ in one sitting unless chaos is your study plan. Pick a situation, steal five phrases from it, and use them out loud. Mandarin commands are short, punchy, and useful fast. That is the good news. The slightly annoying news is that now you have no excuse not to use them.
