First 50 Mandarin Words You Should Learn Today

Jul 20

Introduction:

Learning Mandarin can feel like standing at the base of a mountain: majestic, exciting, and—let’s be honest—a little intimidating. Between the tones, characters, and unfamiliar sounds, it’s easy to wonder, Where do I even start?

The answer is simple: Start with words that are useful, frequent, and give you a feel for how Mandarin works. Like any language, Mandarin is built one word at a time, and your first 50 words can form the foundation for real conversations, basic understanding, and long-term confidence.

In this blog post, we’ve carefully selected 50 essential Mandarin words that cover greetings, pronouns, numbers, food, daily actions, and question words. Whether you’re preparing for travel, getting ready to take a class, or just want to dip your toe into the language, these words will give you an excellent starting point.

And don’t worry about memorizing them all in one sitting—bookmark this article, come back to it often, and practice a few words at a time. You'll be surprised how quickly things start to click.

Ready to start your Mandarin journey? Let’s begin with your first 50 words.

The First 50 Mandarin Words You Should Learn Today

👋 Basic Greetings & Social Phrases

你好 (nǐ hǎo) – Hello
再见 (zài jiàn) – Goodbye
谢谢 (xiè xie) – Thank you
不客气 (bù kè qì) – You’re welcome
对不起 (duì bù qǐ) – Sorry
没关系 (méi guān xi) – It’s okay / No problem
请 (qǐng) – Please
是 (shì) – Yes / to be
不是 (bù shì) – No / not to be
好 (hǎo) – Good

🙋‍♂️ People & Pronouns

我 (wǒ) – I / me
你 (nǐ) – You
他 (tā) – He / him
她 (tā) – She / her
我们 (wǒ men) – We / us
他们 (tā men) – They / them
老师 (lǎo shī) – Teacher
学生 (xué shēng) – Student
人 (rén) – Person / people
家 (jiā) – Home / family

🔢 Numbers

一 (yī) – One
二 (èr) – Two
三 (sān) – Three
四 (sì) – Four
五 (wǔ) – Five
六 (liù) – Six
七 (qī) – Seven
八 (bā) – Eight
九 (jiǔ) – Nine
十 (shí) – Ten

🍜 Food & Daily Items

水 (shuǐ) – Water
茶 (chá) – Tea
饭 (fàn) – Rice / meal
面 (miàn) – Noodles
菜 (cài) – Dish / vegetable
苹果 (píng guǒ) – Apple
咖啡 (kā fēi) – Coffee
钱 (qián) – Money
电话 (diàn huà) – Phone
书 (shū) – Book

🕓 Verbs & Questions

有 (yǒu) – To have
没有 (méi yǒu) – To not have
喜欢 (xǐ huān) – To like
知道 (zhī dào) – To know
想 (xiǎng) – To want / think
去 (qù) – To go
来 (lái) – To come
什么 (shén me) – What
哪里 (nǎ lǐ) – Where
谁 (shéi) – Who

FAQs

Q: Do I need to learn tones with these words?
A: Yes! Mandarin is a tonal language, and learning the correct tone from the beginning will make it easier to be understood and to avoid confusion (for example, mā 妈 means “mother,” but mà 骂 means “to scold”).

Q: Should I learn Chinese characters or just Pinyin at first?
A: It’s okay to start with Pinyin (the Romanized pronunciation system), but learning the characters—even slowly—helps reinforce meaning and memory. Many of our students begin by focusing on speaking, then gradually add characters.

Q: How often should I review these words?
A: Daily review for just 5–10 minutes can make a big difference. Use flashcards, apps like Anki or Pleco, or even label things in your home with sticky notes.

Q: Will I be able to speak Mandarin after learning just 50 words?
A: Not fluently, but you’ll be able to greet people, ask simple questions, recognize useful words, and build basic sentences. These 50 words are the building blocks for more complex communication.

Q: Can I practice these words in a class?
A: Absolutely! In a structured class, you’ll learn how to combine these words naturally, pronounce them correctly, and use them in real conversations with guidance from an expert teacher.

Learn Mandarin the Right Way with Polyglottist Language Academy

At Polyglottist Language Academy, we believe in starting strong and growing steadily. Our small group Mandarin classes are designed to help you go from zero to confident conversation—with a focus on speaking, listening, and cultural understanding from day one.

Whether you're located in Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Reno, or Portland, we offer online and in-person classes for teens and adults who want to learn Mandarin in a supportive, engaging environment.

👉 Sign up today and take your first steps toward Mandarin fluency with expert guidance.