The short fixed phrases that answer good news, bad luck, praise and surprise.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
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
View
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.
