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Translate NowEnglish to Chinese Translation
Translate English text to Chinese instantly with our free online translator, and learn what makes Chinese unique so you can judge and improve the results.
About the Chinese Language
Chinese - specifically Mandarin - has more native speakers than any other language, with over one billion speakers. It is the official language of China and Taiwan and one of the four official languages of Singapore, and it is written with characters rather than an alphabet.
Two character sets are in use: Simplified Chinese in mainland China and Singapore, and Traditional Chinese in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Our translator supports both - choose "Chinese (Simplified)" or "Chinese (Traditional)" to match your audience. Spoken Mandarin is also tonal: the same syllable spoken with different pitch contours produces entirely different words.
How Chinese Differs from English
Knowing these structural differences helps you write source text that translates well and spot problems in the output:
- Word order: Mandarin uses Subject-Verb-Object order like English, which makes basic sentences map across more directly than in most Asian languages.
- No conjugation: Verbs never change form. Time is shown with words like "yesterday" or aspect markers such as le rather than tense endings.
- Tones: Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral tone. Ma can mean "mother" (mā), "hemp" (má), "horse" (mǎ), or "to scold" (mà) depending on tone.
- Measure words: Counting requires a measure word between the number and noun: "three books" is san ben shu, literally "three [volume] book".
- No plurals or articles: Nouns do not change for number, and there is no "a" or "the"; quantity and definiteness come from context.
Essential English to Chinese Phrases
These everyday phrases are a useful starting point. Use the Listen button on our translator to hear them spoken aloud:
| English | Chinese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | 你好 | Nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢 | Xièxie |
| Yes (it is so) | 是 | Shì |
| No (it is not so) | 不是 | Bú shì |
| How are you? | 你好吗？ | Nǐ hǎo ma? |
| Please | 请 | Qǐng |
| Sorry | 对不起 | Duìbuqǐ |
| What is your name? | 你叫什么名字？ | Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? |
| Water | 水 | Shuǐ |
| Goodbye | 再见 | Zàijiàn |
Common Pitfalls When Translating English to Chinese
- Pick the right script for your reader: Simplified for mainland China and Singapore, Traditional for Taiwan and Hong Kong. They are not interchangeable in formal use.
- Chinese has no single word for yes or no; answers echo the verb of the question, so literal "yes/no" translations can sound unnatural.
- Names are often translated phonetically character-by-character; verify how a person or brand officially writes its Chinese name before publishing.
- Because verbs carry no tense, ambiguous English time references can disappear in translation - state times explicitly ("tomorrow", "last week").
For a broader look at translation errors and how to avoid them, read our guide to 10 common translation mistakes.
How to Translate English to Chinese
- Open the Translate All Words home page
- Select English as the source language and Chinese as the target
- Type or paste your English text and click Translate
- Use the Listen button to hear the Chinese pronunciation, and Copy to save the result
- For anything important, review the output against the tips above or ask a native speaker