In connection to this post about only needing 200 words
Feel free to contact me and help me edit this post! There are definitely things on here that can’t be explained in a straight-forward way. Mandarin can’t be translated so directly compared to other Indo-European languages!
1st tone (high neutral): mā
2nd tone (rising): má
3rd tone (falling rising): mǎ
4th tone (falling): mà
5th tone (neutral): ma
*When there are two 3rd tones together, the first one becomes a 2nd tone.
create (aka “make”) －創造／造（创造) chuàng zào/zào
cause (aka “make”)－讓（让）ràng
say－講（more casual) （讲）jiǎng
know－知道 （only for knowledge)（知道）zhīdào
work (also as a noun) －工作 gōng zuò
understand－懂／明白 dǒng/míng bái
get (meaning “obtain”)－得 dé
meet (meaning to meet someone for the first time)－認識（认识）rèn shi
meet (meaning “meet up with”)－見面（见面）jiàn miàn
My name is… － 我的名字是… wo de míng zi shì
“Nice to meet you.” －（Not said often in Chinese) 我很高興認識你（我很高兴认识你）wǒ hěn gāo xìng rèn shì nǐ
yes－(no direct translation, closest is the word “to be”) 是 shì
please－(no direct translation) 請- qǐng
you’re welcome－不客氣（不客气）bú kè qì
excuse me (to catch someone’s attention)－欸 èi
well (as in “Well, I think that…”)－那 nà
Really?－真的嗎？（真的吗？）zhēn de ma
that (as in “I think that…” or “the woman that…”) (doesn’t exist in Chinese)
before (also as a conjunction)－以前 yǐ qián
after (also as a conjunction)－後來（后来）hòu lái
in－在（like “in a house”, 在家里面) zài
about (approximately）－大概／大約（大约）dà gài/dà yuè
like (meaning “similar to”)－像 xiàng
for (warning, this one has several meanings that you need to take care of)
for (give to) you－給你（给你）gěi nǐ
Know both the adjective and adverb forms of these words.
a lot－很多 hěn duō
a little－很少／一點（一点）hěn shǎo/yī dian
good / well－好／很好 hǎo/hěn hǎo
bad / badly－不好／差 bù hǎo/chā
more (know how to say “more … than”)－比（A）（verb) bǐ
better (often irregular and not just “more good”)－更好 gèng hǎo
right－對（对）duì
wrong－錯（错）cuò
the, a (technically articles) - no definite articles in Chinese
this (also as a noun) 這（这）zhè
that (also as a noun) 那 nà
all－所有 suǒ yǒu
some－一些 yī xiē
no－沒有／無 méi yǒu/wú
easy－容易／簡單（简单）róng yì
hard－難（难）nán
cool (as in “that’s cool”)－酷 kù
beautiful－美麗／漂亮（美丽） měi lì/piào liàng
too (as in “too much”)－太 tài
always－永遠（永远）yǒng yuán
often－常常／時常（时常）cháng cháng/ shí cháng
sometimes－有時（有时）yǒu shí
never－從來／從不（从来／从不）cóng bù
today (also as a noun)－今天 jīn tiān
yesterday－昨天 zuó tiān
tomorrow－明天 míng tiān
almost－快要／快會（快会）kuài yào/kuài huì
Chinese has “measure words”, which is like “a/an” in English.
一个 is used for most objects (people, some objects)
一杯 is used for cups and bottles [of liquid]
everything－所有的東西（所有的东西）suǒ yǒu de dōng xī
something－一些東西（一些东西）yì xiē dōng xī
nothing－沒有（没有）méi yǒu
time (as in “a long time”)－時間（时间）shí jiān
time (as in “I did it 3 times”)－次 cì
mother, father, parent－媽媽／母親，爸爸／父親，父母（妈妈／母亲，爸爸／父亲）mā ma/mǔ qīn, bà ba/fù qīn, fù mǔ
daughter, son, child－女兒，兒子，孩子 nǚ ér, ér zi, hái zi
wife, husband－妻子／老婆／太太，先生／老公／丈夫 qì zi/lǎo pó/tài tai, xiān shēng/lǎo gōng/zhàng fu
girlfriend, boyfriend－女朋友，男朋友 nǚ péng yǒu, nán péng yǒu
house－家／房子／屋子 jiā/fáng zi/wu zi
office－辦公室（办公室）bàn gōng shì
when－什麼時候（什么时候）shén me shí hòu
Know them in the subject (“I”), direct object (“me”), indirect object (“to me”), and possessive (“my”) forms.
you (plural)－你們（你们）nǐ men
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