Speaking • Social Situations
Learn Speaking Mandarin Chinese: Commands & Instructions in Chinese
Mandarin commands range from single-character imperatives (停！— stop!) to polite 请-prefixed instructions used in professional and service contexts. Understanding the difference between 不要 and 别, and when to use 请, will help you give and understand directions clearly and appropriately.
Direct Commands (Imperative)
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
停！ | tíng! | Stop! |
等一下！ | děng yīxià! | Wait a moment! |
快点！ | kuài diǎn! | Hurry up! / Be quick! |
慢点！ | màn diǎn! | Slow down! |
过来！ | guòlai! | Come here! |
走！ | zǒu! | Go! / Let's go! |
看！ | kàn! | Look! |
听！ | tīng! | Listen! |
Polite Instructions (with 请)
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
请进 | qǐng jìn | Please come in |
请坐 | qǐng zuò | Please sit down |
请等一下 | qǐng děng yīxià | Please wait a moment |
请跟我来 | qǐng gēn wǒ lái | Please follow me |
请安静 | qǐng ānjìng | Please be quiet |
请注意 | qǐng zhùyì | Please pay attention / Please note |
请出示… | qǐng chūshì… | Please show (your ID / ticket, etc.) |
Negative Commands (Don't…)
| 汉字 Chinese | 拼音 Pīnyīn | English |
|---|---|---|
不要… | bú yào… | Don't… (general prohibition) |
别… | bié… | Don't… (casual, shorter form) |
不许… | bù xǔ… | You are not allowed to… (stronger prohibition) |
不要动 | bú yào dòng | Don't move |
别担心 | bié dānxīn | Don't worry |
别说话 | bié shuōhuà | Don't speak / Be quiet |
Usage Notes
Adding 请 (qǐng — please) before any command or instruction immediately makes it polite. 坐 (sit) becomes 请坐 (please sit). 进 (enter) becomes 请进 (please come in). It is the fastest way to soften any directive.
Both mean 'don't', but 别 (bié) is shorter and more colloquial. 不要 is slightly more emphatic and is used in both spoken and written Chinese. In urgent situations, either works; 别 is the more casual everyday choice.
The same imperative phrase can be an urgent order or a gentle nudge depending entirely on tone of voice. 快点 (hurry up) said softly to a child is affectionate. Said sharply to a colleague it is rude. The words are the same; the delivery is what matters.
Chinese allows very compressed commands — single characters like 停！(stop), 走！(go), 看！(look) are grammatically complete sentences. They carry urgency precisely because they are so short. In normal instructions, longer forms are preferred.