Chinese Small Talk: A 14-Day Speaking Plan to Make Friends in Mandarin

By the end you can

• Break the ice and chat about the weather. Open with a question about the place you're both in using 第一次, react with 好冷啊, and ask 冷不冷？ without 吗.
  你是第一次来吗？ · Nǐ shì dì-yī cì lái ma? · Is this your first time here?
• Talk about food you like and your weekend. Say what you can cook with 会, 不会 or 会一点儿, and ask who, when or how about something already done with 的 at the end.
  你跟谁去的？ · Nǐ gēn shéi qù de? · Who did you go with?
• Say where you live and how your days go. Say how far a place is with A 离 B 远 or 近, and say you're a bit tired or busy with 有点儿.
  我住在学校旁边。离这儿远不远？ · Wǒ zhù zài xuéxiào pángbiān. Lí zhèr yuǎn bu yuǎn? · I live next to the school. Is that far from here?
• Chat about a dog in the park and the apps you use. Ask a dog's name and age with 几, then say a verb twice to keep it light: 试试, 看看.
  真可爱！它几岁了？ · Zhēn kě'ài! Tā jǐ suì le? · So cute! How old is he?
• Talk about places you've been and give a compliment. Ask 你去过…吗？ and answer 去过 or 没去过, then praise something a person chose with 真好看 and ask where they got it.
  你的包真好看！ · Nǐ de bāo zhēn hǎokàn! · Your bag looks great!
• Find something in common and swap WeChat. Show a shared hobby with 也 and 我也是！, then decide who scans whom with 还是.
  好啊！我扫你还是你扫我？ · Hǎo a! Wǒ sǎo nǐ háishi nǐ sǎo wǒ? · Sure! Shall I scan you, or will you scan me?
• Make a plan to meet and end a chat warmly. Suggest a time and add 怎么样？, then leave kindly with 我得走了 and a next step.
  我得走了，下次再聊！ · Wǒ děi zǒu le, xià cì zài liáo! · I have to go. Let's talk again next time!

What’s inside

• Day 1: Break the Ice
• Day 2: The Weather
• Day 3: Food You Like
• Day 4: Your Weekend
• Day 5: Where You Live
• Day 6: Work or Study
• Day 7: Pets
• Day 8: Phones and Apps You Use
• Day 9: Places You've Been
• Day 10: Give a Compliment
• Day 11: Find Something in Common
• Day 12: Swap WeChat
• Day 13: Make a Plan to Meet
• Day 14: End a Chat Nicely

How to use this book

One page a day, one exchange in the order people say it: someone asks, you answer, then you ask back. Play the audio, say each line in the pause, then make one new line of your own with the day's pattern.

1. Days 1–4: Openers. Break the ice, chat about the weather, ask about favourite food and ask what someone did at the weekend.
2. Days 5–8: Getting to know someone. Where you live, how busy you are, a dog in the park and the apps you use.
3. Days 9–11: Finding common ground. Places you've been, a compliment, and a shared hobby found with 也.
4. Days 12–14: From a chat to a friendship. Swap WeChat, make a plan to meet for a meal, and end the chat warmly.
5. Every day: Use it the same day. Try the first line on a friend, classmate or colleague who speaks Mandarin, even if it is only one line.

Who it’s for

Adult beginners who want to chat with the Mandarin speakers they meet, in a café, a class, the office or the park, and turn a first conversation into a friendship.

Before you start: Nothing. Every line has characters, pinyin and English, and the free audio reads each one with a pause to say it back. From Day 1 you learn 你呢？, so you always have a question to ask back.

Frequently asked questions

What do the fourteen days cover?

One exchange a day, in the order people say it: someone asks, you answer, then you ask back. You break the ice, chat about the weather, food and your weekend, move on to where you live, pets, apps and places you've been, give a compliment, find a shared hobby with 也, then swap WeChat, plan to meet and end the chat with 我得走了.

Do I need any Chinese to start?

No. Every line has characters, pinyin and English. From Day 1 you learn 你呢？, so you always have a question to ask back.

How should I use each page?

Play the audio, say each line in the pause, then make one new line of your own with the day's pattern. Try the first line the same day on a friend, classmate or colleague who speaks Mandarin, even if it is only one line.

Is there audio?

Yes, free on the book's page on saymei.app: one track for each day, with every Chinese line followed by a pause to say it back out loud.

What if I get stuck in the middle of a chat?

This book gives you the openers and the questions to ask back. The rescue phrases for when you get stuck are in a companion book, Keep a Mandarin Conversation Going.

What about questions on age, pay or marriage?

This book keeps to light topics like food, weekends, pets and places. Personal questions that Chinese speakers often ask, about age, pay and marriage, are in Questions Chinese People Ask You, and How to Answer.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Keep going

Keep a Mandarin Conversation Going · Talk About Your Day: Mandarin Daily Routines Workbook · Hobbies in Chinese: Sports, Free Time and Invitations · Spoken Mandarin Days 15–30: Your Next Two Weeks of Speaking · Browse all 294 workbooks