The short fixed phrases that answer good news, bad luck, praise and surprise.
Spoken Chinese reacts in short fixed phrases, and many of them end in 了, which here marks a strong feeling rather than a finished action: 太好了, 算了. Learn each one whole, as you would “never mind” or “no way”. Some are politer than they look — 哪里哪里 modestly waves away a compliment — and some depend on the voice: 随便 can be an easy-going “anything is fine” or a curt “whatever”.
The words
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Verb (1)
拜托please (I’m asking you); would you mindVerb3
拜托，帮我保密，别告诉别人。Please, keep it a secret — don’t tell anyone.
Adjective (1)
倒霉unlucky; what bad luckAdjective3
真倒霉，我的手机丢了。What bad luck — I’ve lost my phone.
Adverb (2)
随便as you like; whatever; casualAdverb3
你想吃什么？——随便，你决定吧。What would you like to eat? — Anything, you decide.
Said flatly, it can sound like an indifferent “whatever”.
怪不得no wonderAdverb3
他在北京住了十年，怪不得汉语这么好。He lived in Beijing for ten years — no wonder his Chinese is so good.
Exclamation (8)
糟糕oh no!; terribleExclamation3
糟糕，我忘带钥匙了！Oh no, I’ve forgotten my keys!
天啊oh my goodness!Exclamation3
天啊，已经十二点了！Goodness, it’s already twelve o’clock!
哎呀oh dear!; ouch!Exclamation3
哎呀，杯子打破了！Oh dear, the cup’s broken!
哇wowExclamation3
哇，这里的风景太美了！Wow, the scenery here is so beautiful!
唉(a sigh) oh dear; alasExclamation3
唉，又下雨了。Oh dear, it’s raining again.
救命help!Exclamation3
救命！有人掉进水里了！Help! Someone has fallen into the water!
咦eh?; huh? (puzzled surprise)Exclamation3
咦，我的眼镜呢？Huh? Where are my glasses?
嘘shh!Exclamation3
嘘，孩子刚睡着。Shh, the baby has only just fallen asleep.
Phrase (28)
真的吗really?; is that true?Phrase2
你下个月要结婚了？真的吗？You’re getting married next month? Really?
是吗really?; is that so?Phrase2
是吗？我还不知道呢。Really? I didn’t know that.
Milder than 真的吗: polite interest rather than surprise.
太好了great!; wonderful!Phrase2
明天不用上班？太好了！No work tomorrow? Great!
太棒了brilliant!; fantastic!Phrase3
你考了第一名？太棒了！You came top in the exam? Fantastic!
没办法it can’t be helped; there’s nothing to be donePhrase3
火车已经开走了，没办法，只好等下一班。The train has already gone — nothing for it but to wait for the next one.
算了forget it; never mindPhrase3
算了，太贵了，我们不买了。Forget it, it’s too expensive — we won’t buy it.
哪里哪里not at all (a modest reply to praise)Phrase3
你的汉语说得真好！——哪里哪里，还差得远呢。Your Chinese is really good! — Oh, not at all, I’ve still got a long way to go.
Accepting praise with “thank you” is fine too, but this is the traditional modest answer.
等一下hang on; wait a momentPhrase2
等一下，我马上就好。Hang on, I’ll be ready in a moment.
没什么it’s nothing; oh, nothingPhrase2
你刚才想说什么？——没什么。What were you about to say? — Oh, nothing.
不用了no need, thanksPhrase2
我送你回家吧？——不用了，我自己打车。Shall I take you home? — No need, thanks, I’ll get a taxi.
真巧what a coincidence!Phrase3
真巧，我们又在这儿见面了！What a coincidence — we’ve run into each other here again!
好吧all right then (reluctantly)Phrase2
好吧，今天就听你的。All right then, today we’ll do it your way.
Agrees, but less happily than 好的.
怎么了what’s wrong?; what’s the matter?Phrase2
你怎么了？脸色这么不好。What’s wrong? You don’t look well at all.
真是的honestly!; really! (annoyed)Phrase3
真是的，他又迟到了。Honestly, he’s late again.
怎么回事what’s going on?; what happened?Phrase3
电脑突然关了，这是怎么回事？The computer suddenly switched off — what’s going on?
不会吧no way!; surely notPhrase3
不会吧，这件衣服要两千块？Surely not — this top costs two thousand yuan?
真的假的seriously?; are you kidding?Phrase3
他一个人吃了三碗面？真的假的？He ate three bowls of noodles by himself? Seriously?
Casual; between friends.
太过分了that’s going too far!Phrase3
他借了我的车也不说一声，太过分了！He borrowed my car without even saying a word — that’s going too far!
怎么搞的how on earth did that happen?Phrase3
怎么搞的，衣服上全是水？How on earth did your clothes get soaking wet?
Casual, often with a hint of reproach.
烦死了so annoying!; it’s driving me madPhrase3
楼上天天装修，烦死了！The people upstairs are renovating every single day — it’s driving me mad!
After an adjective, 死了 just means “terribly”: 累死了, worn out.
吓死我了you scared me to death!Phrase3
你怎么突然站在我身后？吓死我了！Why are you suddenly standing behind me? You scared me to death!
不好说hard to sayPhrase3
他能来吗？——不好说，他最近很忙。Can he come? — Hard to say, he’s been very busy lately.
对了oh, by the way; oh, rightPhrase2
对了，你上次说的那本书我买到了。Oh, by the way, I managed to get that book you mentioned last time.
别提了don’t ask!; don’t even mention itPhrase3
旅行怎么样？——别提了，每天都下雨。How was the trip? — Don’t ask, it rained every day.
好险that was close!Phrase3
好险，差点儿就没赶上飞机。That was close — I nearly missed the plane.
得了吧oh, come off it!Phrase3
得了吧，你哪儿会做饭？Oh, come off it — since when can you cook?
Casual and teasing; it brushes aside what the other person has just said.
没劲boring; dull (spoken)Phrase3
这个电影太没劲了，我看了一半就走了。The film was so dull that I left halfway through.
Colloquial; literally “no strength”.
那倒是that’s true (I grant you that)Phrase3
坐地铁比打车快。——那倒是。The underground is quicker than a taxi. — That’s true.
This list belongs to Greetings and conversation — six lists and 240 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.
