Greetings
你好 / Nǐ hǎo
nee HOW
Hello. Sichuanese is a Mandarin dialect, so your standard Mandarin works — but the tones shift and 'sh' softens to 's', which takes a fortnight to tune into.
Social
巴适 / Bāshì
bah-SUH
Sichuanese for 'comfortable, just right, excellent'. The single most Chengdu word there is, and the city's whole self-image in two syllables.
安逸 / Ānyì
ahn-EE
'At ease' — the other word Chengdu uses about itself. Both are compliments and both describe a pace that people from Shanghai find alarming.
Daily life
临时住宿登记 / Línshí zhùsù dēngjì
lin-shr JOO-soo DENG-jee
Temporary residence registration at the police station within 24 hours of moving into a private flat. Requested again at every later immigration step.
居留许可 / Jūliú xǔkě
joo-lyoh SHYOO-kuh
Residence permit — what actually lets you live here. The visa in your passport is only an entry document.
Food
麻辣 / Málà
mah-LAH
'Numbing-spicy' — the Sichuan peppercorn tingle plus chilli heat. Two separate sensations, and only one of them is what other cuisines mean by 'spicy'.
微辣 / Wēi là
way LAH
'Mildly spicy'. In Chengdu this is a relative term calibrated to local tolerance. Ask for 不要辣 (bù yào là), 'no chilli', if you mean it.
火锅 / Huǒguō
hwor-GWOR
Hotpot. In Chengdu it is a butter-and-chilli broth, it is a social institution rather than a meal, and dinner takes three hours.
Culture
盖碗茶 / Gàiwǎn chá
guy-wahn CHAH
Lidded-bowl tea, refilled indefinitely, in the outdoor teahouses that are Chengdu's actual public living room.
Work
发票 / Fāpiào
fah-PYOW
Official tax invoice. Needed for rent if you claim the expatriate housing exemption, and for anything you expense.
Emergency
110 / 120 / 119 / 122
yāo-yāo-líng…
Police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119, traffic accidents 122. Four separate lines rather than one emergency number.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.