Useful Commands in Traditional Chinese are the short, practical phrases you use when life gets busy: ordering food, asking someone to wait, telling a friend to come here, or nudging a scooter rider to move along before the whole sidewalk turns into a tiny parking lot. In Taiwan, these phrases are everywhere, and learning them gives you instant “I can survive real life” energy.
For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.
By the end of this guide, you will understand more than 70 common command-style phrases in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin and real examples. You will also learn when commands sound polite, when they sound too direct, and how to make them softer so you do not accidentally sound like a grumpy traffic cone.
In Mandarin, “command” does not always mean rude. A lot depends on tone, context, and little particles like 請 and 吧. Mandarin can be very bossy, but it can also be very polite. Fancy that.
Quick Basics: How Commands Work
In Traditional Chinese, many commands are just the verb by itself, or a short phrase like 請坐 (qǐng zuò, please sit). English often needs extra helper words, but Mandarin usually keeps things lean. Clean. Efficient. Almost suspiciously efficient.
| Pattern | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verb + object | Simple command | 坐下。 | Zuòxià. | Sit down. |
| 請 + verb | Polite command | 請坐。 | Qǐng zuò. | Please sit. |
| Verb + 吧 | Softer suggestion | 快來吧。 | Kuài lái ba. | Come quickly, okay? |
| 不要 + verb | Do not do something | 不要說話。 | Bú yào shuō huà. | Don’t speak. |
One useful note: 請 (qǐng, please) makes things softer, and 不要 (bú yào, do not) is a very common way to stop an action. If you want a good beginner foundation before this article gets spicy, check the basics at Traditional Chinese Basic Words and Phrases.
Useful Commands In Daily Life
Here are the most useful command phrases first. These are the ones you will actually hear in Taiwan, not dusty textbook commands that only live in a classroom and a sad workbook.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 請坐。 | Qǐng zuò. | Please sit. | 請坐，我去拿水。 | Qǐng zuò, wǒ qù ná shuǐ. | Please sit. I’ll go get water. |
| 等一下。 | Děng yíxià. | Wait a moment. | 等一下，我馬上來。 | Děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng lái. | Wait a moment. I’ll be right there. |
| 請稍等。 | Qǐng shāo děng. | Please wait a moment. | 請稍等，我查一下資料。 | Qǐng shāo děng, wǒ chá yíxià zīliào. | Please wait a moment. I’ll check the information. |
| 過來。 | Guòlái. | Come over here. | 過來一下，好嗎？ | Guòlái yíxià, hǎo ma? | Come over here for a second, okay? |
| 進來。 | Jìnlái. | Come in. | 門開著，請進來。 | Mén kāizhe, qǐng jìnlái. | The door is open, please come in. |
| 出去。 | Chūqù. | Go out. | 請出去等。 | Qǐng chūqù děng. | Please wait outside. |
| 安靜一點。 | Ānjìng yìdiǎn. | Be quieter. | 圖書館裡請安靜一點。 | Túshūguǎn lǐ qǐng ānjìng yìdiǎn. | Please be quieter in the library. |
| 別吵。 | Bié chǎo. | Don’t make noise. | 小孩睡了，別吵。 | Xiǎohái shuì le, bié chǎo. | The child is asleep, so don’t make noise. |
| 看這裡。 | Kàn zhèlǐ. | Look here. | 拍照前先看這裡。 | Pāizhào qián xiān kàn zhèlǐ. | Look here before taking the photo. |
| 跟我來。 | Gēn wǒ lái. | Follow me. | 跟我來，我帶你去捷運站。 | Gēn wǒ lái, wǒ dài nǐ qù jiéyùn zhàn. | Follow me. I’ll take you to the MRT station. |
| 快一點。 | Kuài yìdiǎn. | Hurry up. | 快一點，不然會遲到。 | Kuài yìdiǎn, bùrán huì chídào. | Hurry up, or we’ll be late. |
| 慢一點。 | Màn yìdiǎn. | Slow down. | 開車慢一點。 | Kāichē màn yìdiǎn. | Drive slower. |
| 小心。 | Xiǎoxīn. | Be careful. | 地上滑，小心。 | Dìshàng huá, xiǎoxīn. | The floor is slippery. Be careful. |
| 注意。 | Zhùyì. | Pay attention. | 注意前方施工。 | Zhùyì qiánfāng shīgōng. | Pay attention to construction ahead. |
| 停下。 | Tíngxià. | Stop. | 停下，不要再走了。 | Tíngxià, bú yào zài zǒu le. | Stop. Don’t go any farther. |
Polite Commands You Will Actually Use
In Taiwan, politeness matters a lot. If you want your command to sound natural instead of sharp, use 請, 麻煩, or a soft ending like 吧. These are tiny words, but they do a lot of social heavy lifting.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 請幫我。 | Qǐng bāng wǒ. | Please help me. | 請幫我看看這個。 | Qǐng bāng wǒ kànkan zhège. | Please help me look at this. |
| 麻煩你。 | Máfan nǐ. | Sorry to trouble you / Please | 麻煩你開門。 | Máfan nǐ kāi mén. | Please open the door. |
| 請等一下。 | Qǐng děng yíxià. | Please wait a moment. | 請等一下，我去問。 | Qǐng děng yíxià, wǒ qù wèn. | Please wait a moment. I’ll go ask. |
| 請慢慢來。 | Qǐng mànmàn lái. | Please take your time. | 你不用急，請慢慢來。 | Nǐ bú yòng jí, qǐng mànmàn lái. | You don’t need to rush. Please take your time. |
| 請先坐。 | Qǐng xiān zuò. | Please sit first. | 請先坐，我去準備。 | Qǐng xiān zuò, wǒ qù zhǔnbèi. | Please sit first. I’ll get ready. |
| 請跟我來。 | Qǐng gēn wǒ lái. | Please follow me. | 請跟我來，我帶你去。 | Qǐng gēn wǒ lái, wǒ dài nǐ qù. | Please follow me. I’ll take you there. |
| 請看一下。 | Qǐng kàn yíxià. | Please take a look. | 請看一下這張單子。 | Qǐng kàn yíxià zhè zhāng dānzi. | Please take a look at this form. |
| 請打開。 | Qǐng dǎkāi. | Please open it. | 請打開包包給我看。 | Qǐng dǎkāi bāobāo gěi wǒ kàn. | Please open the bag for me to see. |
| 請關上。 | Qǐng guān shàng. | Please close it. | 請關上窗戶。 | Qǐng guān shàng chuānghù. | Please close the window. |
| 請坐好。 | Qǐng zuò hǎo. | Please sit properly. | 小朋友，請坐好。 | Xiǎopéngyǒu, qǐng zuò hǎo. | Kids, please sit properly. |
Negative Commands: How To Say “Don’t”
Chinese has a very handy negative command form: 不要 (bú yào). It is everywhere. If you learn only one “don’t” phrase, make it this one. Your future self will thank you when you need to stop someone from doing something dramatic, messy, or mildly unsafe.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不要走。 | Bú yào zǒu. | Don’t leave. | 不要走，我還沒說完。 | Bú yào zǒu, wǒ hái méi shuō wán. | Don’t leave. I haven’t finished speaking. |
| 不要哭。 | Bú yào kū. | Don’t cry. | 不要哭，沒事的。 | Bú yào kū, méi shì de. | Don’t cry. It’s okay. |
| 不要怕。 | Bú yào pà. | Don’t be afraid. | 不要怕，我陪你。 | Bú yào pà, wǒ péi nǐ. | Don’t be afraid. I’m with you. |
| 不要說話。 | Bú yào shuō huà. | Don’t talk. | 上課時不要說話。 | Shàngkè shí bú yào shuō huà. | Don’t talk during class. |
| 不要碰。 | Bú yào pèng. | Don’t touch. | 那個很熱，不要碰。 | Nàge hěn rè, bú yào pèng. | That is very hot. Don’t touch it. |
| 不要進去。 | Bú yào jìnqù. | Don’t go in. | 裡面在施工，不要進去。 | Lǐmiàn zài shīgōng, bú yào jìnqù. | There is construction inside. Don’t go in. |
| 不要開。 | Bú yào kāi. | Don’t open it / don’t turn it on | 還沒修好，不要開。 | Hái méi xiū hǎo, bú yào kāi. | It’s not fixed yet. Don’t turn it on. |
| 不要抽菸。 | Bú yào chōuyān. | No smoking / Don’t smoke | 這裡不要抽菸。 | Zhèlǐ bú yào chōuyān. | No smoking here. |
| 不要大聲。 | Bú yào dàshēng. | Don’t be loud. | 半夜不要大聲。 | Bànyè bú yào dàshēng. | Don’t be loud in the middle of the night. |
| 不要急。 | Bú yào jí. | Don’t rush. | 不用急，慢慢來。 | Bú yòng jí, mànmàn lái. | No need to rush. Take your time. |
Home, School, And Work Commands
These phrases help in everyday places. Some are direct, some are friendly, and some sound like the kind of thing a parent, teacher, or overcaffeinated coworker might say. Very normal. Very useful.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 拿來。 | Nálái. | Bring it here. | 把書拿來。 | Bǎ shū nálái. | Bring the book here. |
| 放下。 | Fàngxià. | Put it down. | 先放下你的包包。 | Xiān fàngxià nǐ de bāobāo. | Put your bag down first. |
| 收好。 | Shōuhǎo. | Put away neatly. | 把玩具收好。 | Bǎ wánjù shōuhǎo. | Put the toys away neatly. |
| 寫下來。 | Xiě xiàlái. | Write it down. | 請把地址寫下來。 | Qǐng bǎ dìzhǐ xiě xiàlái. | Please write down the address. |
| 打開書。 | Dǎkāi shū. | Open the book. | 請打開書到第十頁。 | Qǐng dǎkāi shū dào dì shí yè. | Please open the book to page ten. |
| 關燈。 | Guān dēng. | Turn off the lights. | 睡覺前記得關燈。 | Shuìjiào qián jìde guān dēng. | Remember to turn off the lights before sleep. |
| 開燈。 | Kāi dēng. | Turn on the lights. | 太暗了，請開燈。 | Tài àn le, qǐng kāi dēng. | It’s too dark. Please turn on the lights. |
| 坐下。 | Zuòxià. | Sit down. | 請大家坐下。 | Qǐng dàjiā zuòxià. | Please everyone sit down. |
| 起來。 | Qǐlái. | Get up / stand up | 聽到鈴聲就起來。 | Tīngdào língshēng jiù qǐlái. | Get up when you hear the bell. |
| 排隊。 | Páiduì. | Line up | 請排隊購票。 | Qǐng páiduì gòupiào. | Please line up to buy tickets. |
Travel, Street, And Public Sign Commands
These are especially handy in Taiwan because public signs often use short command-style wording. If you want to read signs more easily, also see Signs & Signage in Traditional Chinese.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 請勿停車。 | Qǐng wù tíngchē. | No parking | 這裡請勿停車。 | Zhèlǐ qǐng wù tíngchē. | No parking here. |
| 請勿進入。 | Qǐng wù jìnrù. | Do not enter | 施工區請勿進入。 | Shīgōng qū qǐng wù jìnrù. | Do not enter the construction area. |
| 請勿跨越。 | Qǐng wù kuàyuè. | Do not cross | 紅線區請勿跨越。 | Hóngxiàn qū qǐng wù kuàyuè. | Do not cross the red line area. |
| 靠右。 | Kào yòu. | Keep right | 走樓梯時請靠右。 | Zǒu lóutī shí qǐng kào yòu. | Please keep right when using the stairs. |
| 靠左。 | Kào zuǒ. | Keep left | 通道窄，請靠左。 | Tōngdào zhǎi, qǐng kào zuǒ. | The passage is narrow, please keep left. |
| 減速。 | Jiǎnsù. | Slow down | 前方路口請減速。 | Qiánfāng lùkǒu qǐng jiǎnsù. | Please slow down at the intersection ahead. |
| 請繫安全帶。 | Qǐng xì ānquándài. | Please fasten your seatbelt | 上車後請繫安全帶。 | Shàngchē hòu qǐng xì ānquándài. | Please fasten your seatbelt after getting in the car. |
| 請靠站。 | Qǐng kào zhàn. | Please pull over to the curb / stop at the stop | 公車快到了，請靠站。 | Gōngchē kuài dào le, qǐng kào zhàn. | The bus is almost here, please pull over. |
| 請下車。 | Qǐng xiàchē. | Please get off | 到站了，請下車。 | Dào zhàn le, qǐng xiàchē. | We have arrived. Please get off. |
| 請上車。 | Qǐng shàngchē. | Please get on | 車來了，請上車。 | Chē lái le, qǐng shàngchē. | The vehicle is here. Please get on. |
Taiwan Usage Notes
Traditional Chinese in Taiwan often prefers softer, more courteous commands in public. You may hear 麻煩你, 請, or 不好意思 before a request. That is normal. It is not extra fluff; it is social lubricant. Humanity runs on it.
| Traditional Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Example (Pinyin) | Translation (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 不好意思，請等一下。 | Bù hǎo yìsi, qǐng děng yíxià. | Excuse me, please wait a moment. | 不好意思，請等一下，我來處理。 | Bù hǎo yìsi, qǐng děng yíxià, wǒ lái chǔlǐ. | Excuse me, please wait a moment. I’ll handle it. |
| 麻煩借過一下。 | Máfan jièguò yíxià. | Please let me through. | 借過一下，謝謝。 | Jièguò yíxià, xièxie. | Please let me through, thanks. |
| 請問可以嗎？ | Qǐngwèn kěyǐ ma? | May I ask? / Is it okay? | 請問可以先點餐嗎？ | Qǐngwèn kěyǐ xiān diǎncān ma? | May I ask if we can order first? |
| 可以幫我一下嗎？ | Kěyǐ bāng wǒ yíxià ma? | Can you help me for a moment? | 可以幫我看一下嗎？ | Kěyǐ bāng wǒ kàn yíxià ma? | Can you help me take a look? |
| 先不用。 | Xiān bú yòng. | No need for now. | 這個先不用。 | Zhège xiān bú yòng. | No need for this one for now. |
| 你先忙。 | Nǐ xiān máng. | You first. / Go ahead and keep busy. | 沒關係，你先忙。 | Méi guānxi, nǐ xiān máng. | It’s fine, you keep going. |
Tone And Word Choice Tips
Some command forms are very direct. That is not automatically rude. Still, if you are talking to a stranger, server, coworker, or teacher, soften the phrase a bit. Mandarin is perfectly happy being direct, but people are usually happier when the directness gets a tiny little sweater.
| Direct | Softer | Meaning | Example (ZH) | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 坐。 | 請坐。 | Sit / Please sit | 請坐，不用客氣。 | Qǐng zuò, bú yòng kèqì. | Please sit, no need to be shy. |
| 等一下。 | 請等一下。 | Wait / Please wait | 請等一下，我去拿。 | Qǐng děng yíxià, wǒ qù ná. | Please wait a moment. I’ll go get it. |
| 過來。 | 麻煩過來一下。 | Come here / Please come over | 麻煩過來一下，謝謝。 | Máfan guòlái yíxià, xièxie. | Please come over here, thank you. |
| 不要吵。 | 請安靜一點。 | Don’t be noisy / Please be quieter | 圖書館裡請安靜一點。 | Túshūguǎn lǐ qǐng ānjìng yìdiǎn. | Please be quieter in the library. |
Practice Time
Try these quick drills. No drama, no pressure, just useful repetition. Your brain likes patterns, even if it complains about them first.
Change It To A Softer Command
- 坐下。 → 請坐下。
- 等一下。 → 請等一下。
- 過來。 → 請過來。
- 不要說話。 → 請不要說話。
Fill In The Blank
- 請＿＿＿。 (sit) → 請坐。
- 不要＿＿＿。 (talk) → 不要說話。
- 請＿＿＿我來。 (follow) → 請跟我來。
- ＿＿＿一下。 (wait) → 等一下。
Translate Into Mandarin
- Please wait a moment. → 請等一下。
- Don’t move. → 不要動。
- Come here. → 過來。
- Be careful. → 小心。
If you want a bigger challenge after this, try the Traditional Chinese Vocabulary Test or the Traditional Chinese Placement Test TOCFL. Yes, tests. The thrilling stuff of language learning.
Common Mistakes And Fixes
| Mistake | Fix | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Using only English-style politeness and forgetting 請 | Add 請, 麻煩, or 不好意思 | Taiwanese Mandarin often sounds warmer with a softener. |
| Saying 不要 when you mean a gentle request | Use 請 or 可以…嗎？ | 不要 can sound strong or corrective. |
| Translating “wait a while” as a direct long phrase every time | Use 等一下 or 稍等 | These are short and natural in daily speech. |
| Forgetting that context changes tone | Use softer forms with strangers, direct forms with close friends | Same phrase, different vibe. Mandarin is like that. |
| Overusing literal English word order | Learn common patterns like 請坐, 跟我來, 不要說話 | Formulaic chunks sound more natural. |
Quick Reference Summary
- 請 (qǐng) = please
- 不要 (bú yào) = don’t
- 等一下 (děng yíxià) = wait a moment
- 過來 (guòlái) = come here
- 小心 (xiǎoxīn) = be careful
- 快一點 (kuài yìdiǎn) = hurry up
- 慢一點 (màn yìdiǎn) = slow down
- 坐下 (zuòxià) = sit down
- 跟我來 (gēn wǒ lái) = follow me
- 請勿進入 (qǐng wù jìnrù) = do not enter
For more everyday language around actions and movement, it helps to review Actions & Gestures in Traditional Chinese. Commands make a lot more sense when you already know the verbs hiding underneath them.
And if you want more everyday survival language, keep going with Traditional Chinese Basic Words and Phrases. That page and this one make a very reasonable team.
Yak takeaway: In Traditional Chinese, commands are often short, practical, and easy to soften. Learn 請, 不要, and 等一下 first, and suddenly you can handle a lot more real-life situations without flailing around like a confused umbrella in Taipei wind.
