Keep a Mandarin Conversation Going

Sample lines

• 可以再说一遍吗？ · Kěyǐ zài shuō yí biàn ma? · Could you say that again? (Use when you need one clean repeat.)
• 可以说得简单一点吗？ · Kěyǐ shuō de jiǎndān yìdiǎn ma? · Could you say it a little more simply? (Use when the wording, not the volume, is the problem.)
• 你是说九点半，对吗？ · Nǐ shì shuō jiǔ diǎn bàn, duì ma? · You mean 9:30, right? (Repeat only the detail that matters.)

Frequently asked questions

Should I memorize all eighteen phrases at once?

No. Start with one hear-again phrase, one clarify-or-switch phrase, one confirmation, and one way to continue. Add alternatives only after that four-phrase kit is retrievable.

Is asking someone to speak louder the same as asking them to speak more simply?

No. A sound problem calls for a repeat or clearer delivery. An unfamiliar-wording problem calls for simpler language, a definition, typing, writing, or pointing.

Are these phrases guaranteed to solve a travel or safety problem?

No. They are language-practice tools. For medical, legal, transportation, or other high-stakes details, use qualified help and verify the live information directly.

What if my grammar is imperfect during a repair?

Choose the shortest phrase that makes the problem clear. The immediate goal is shared understanding; you can refine grammar after the exchange is moving again.

Keep practicing

Practice rescue phrases in a dialogue · Browse all free downloads

The phrases and fictional scenarios were independently authored for language practice; they are not the only natural repair strategies and do not guarantee accurate high-stakes information.

Work through it online

Practice each rescue phrase with its audio, pick the smallest phrase that solves each problem, run the four scenario dialogues, then cut the pocket cards and rehearse your personal four-card kit.

Rescue loop: The three-step rescue loop

Run signal, one specific request, and a confirmation as one calm sequence.

Workbook page 2

Hear it again: Ask for a repeat, slower speech, or one sentence at a time

Ask for exactly the kind of repeat you need instead of freezing.

Workbook page 3

Clarify the meaning: Ask what a word means or for simpler wording

Isolate one blocking word instead of restarting the whole sentence.

Workbook page 4

Switch the channel: Ask the speaker to type, write, or point

Move a hard sentence onto a screen, paper, or a pointing finger.

Workbook page 5

Confirm: Confirm the part you caught

Check one high-value detail with a yes-or-no confirmation and close the loop.

Workbook page 6

Buy time: Buy time and try again

Hold your turn while you plan a shorter, better sentence.

Workbook page 7

Choose the rescue: Choose the smallest useful rescue

Match eight real communication problems to the one phrase that solves each.

Workbook page 8

Use it: café + shop: Run the café and shop rescues

Recover from a fast choice question and one unknown word inside real exchanges.

Workbook page 9

Use it: station + directions: Run the station and directions rescues

Confirm one key detail and switch to a gesture when words run out.

Workbook page 10

Pocket kit: Cut the pocket cards and build your four-card kit

Carry four rehearsed rescue phrases you can point to in a real conversation.

Workbook pages 11–12

Free in your browser. No account needed.

Model audio on this page is synthetic Mandarin — a listening aid, not a pronunciation assessment.