Mike Packevicz

Thanks to the global nature of many Russian businesses today, speaking Russian at work is quickly becoming a primary reason for people to learn Russian. Whether you’re looking for a job in a Russian-speaking country or just need to talk with coworkers there, you'll need to know some key words and phrases to help ease your way.

Making small talk in Chinese is just the same as in English. Touch on familiar topics like jobs, sports, children — just say it in Chinese! Small talk describes the brief conversations that you have with people you don't know well. Small talk is where friendships are made. If you know how to make small talk in Chinese you'll be able to "break the ice" and get to know some of the people you meet during your trip.

When you're traveling in Chinese-speaking locations, you'll find that the words and phrases you use most frequently will be the common Chinese greetings. These words and phrases will quickly become second nature to you because you'll use them day in and day out with everyone you come across. As you'd expect, you should use a polite greeting when you run into someone you know or want to know.

By mastering the basics of conversation in Chinese, you put yourself and the person you're talking to at ease. Everyone should learn essential Chinese conversational words and phrases before traveling to a Chinese -speaking location. These words and expressions are sure to come up in most everyday conversations.

When making plans, appointments, and travel arrangements in Chinese-speaking countries, you need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Chinese. Knowing how to say and understand dates, the days of the week, and the months of the year can help you to avoid confusion. Days of the week Days in Chinese are very simple: Monday through Saturday are days (xīngqi) 1 through 6, while Sunday is either "day of sky" (xīngqitiān) or "day of the sun" (xīngqirì).

In most Chinese-speaking countries, people are more formal than in the United States. They prefer to set appointments for most everything. So, know how to make appointments in Chinese so that you don't waste any time. Whether you want to get together with friends or make an appointment at the embassy, the following words will come in handy.

Thanks to the global nature of many Chinese businesses today, speaking Chinese at work is quickly becoming a primary reason for people to learn Chinese. Whether you’re looking for a job in a Chinese-language location or just need to talk with coworkers there, you'll need to know some key words and phrases to help ease your way.

Learning numbers and counting in Chinese is simplified because the Chinese number system is extremely regular. The entire number system is based on counting the number of tens and then adding the ones. For example, 11 is shíyî, which is 10 (shí) plus 1 (yî); 21 is èrshíyī, which is 2 (èr) times 10 (shí) plus 1 (yî).

Traveling in a Chinese-speaking country can be confusing if you can't read the signs or understand the instructions you're given. Learning a few useful travel-related words and phrases in Chinese before you begin traveling can save you time and reduce your frustration level. General travel vocabulary Here are a few general travel-related terms that everyone should know before making the big trip.