Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook

Average customer rating:

PINYIN IS BACK IN 6TH ED
I couldn't have survived without it!
I wished I read the reviews first
A sad rewrite of the (formerly) best Chinese language guide
No Pinyin AND language errors!

Mandarin: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Anthony Garnaut , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1741042305

Book Description

There's no need to lose face, forgo the Peking duck or miss the slow boat down the Yangtze. This phrasebook will prove more valuable on the road than a bicycle in Beijing.

Customer Reviews:

PINYIN IS BACK IN 6TH ED.......2007-05-25

Please note that the product sold on this page is the 6th edition September 2006. This edition marks REINTRODUCTION OF PINYIN.
Best phrasebook on the market though not perfect. Issues with format, not really with content.
Front grammar section is useful, but compartmentalized format in relatively newer editions makes it harder to follow. Questionable advice claims no tones are more understandable than bad tones.
Very thorough coverage of situations, including those never encountered (e.g. drugs, expressing interest in indigenous issues). As a 5 years student of Mandarin, I find the phrases accurate if sometimes stilted, but colloquial expressions given are still current.
I only wish the color coded category tabs were more effectively used. It is hard to find phrases quickly, as it is hard to find specific situations within the five categories of tools, practical, social, food, safe travel, and dictionary.
Anyhow, I will take this book along on upcoming trip to Beijing. (Have studied mostly modern literature and newspaper in Chinese, still don't know word for can opener!)

I couldn't have survived without it! .......2006-09-13

I think for the tourist, this phrasebook is invaluable. Honestly, in 2 weeks I wasn't going to learn to write or speak Chinese well enough to hold a conversation. I used this book as a rudimentary way of communicating, by looking up phrases or words, then pointing to the characters. It really helped me in quite a few different situations. Also made a nice conversation piece on a long distance train ride--the staff were looking up words and trying their English! I can see how this would be useless if you are trying to navigate street signs, or learn to speak the language. But for a tourist who will be in and out of the country, I thought it was great!

I wished I read the reviews first.......2006-09-09

So I'm out 7 bucks. I don't plan on learning any pinyin. I would just be satisfied with pronouncing some nouns and basic phrases. The pronunciation system they have in the rough guide seems closer and the food section is much more complete. In LP, they don't seem to be in tune with the culture and many of the phrases are not useful - are you going ask in a chinese restaurant if it is "free of animal produce", "free range", "genetically modified", "gluten free"?

A sad rewrite of the (formerly) best Chinese language guide.......2006-08-29

The abandonment of Pinyin was a devastating mistake. The new edition is useless for learning Chinese or speaking it. I have purchased at least six of the older editions. They will be much sought after now!

No Pinyin AND language errors!.......2006-08-25

I am usually a big fan of Lonely Planet products but this little book really let me down. I've studied Mandarin for a few years. A book like this should be useful in that a traveler should be able to use it quickly and easily. Unfortunately the move away from "pinyin" to LP's own crazy system is irrational. It is neither intuitive nor useful. My other grievance lies with the book's numerous language errors. If a traveler has problems pronouncing something, he or she should be able to point out the sentence to a fluent speaker. With this book though, you could very well be asking the wrong question. Sometimes the Chinese characters, English translations, or the LP symbols do not match up. Lonely Planet needs to make some adjustments with their next edition if it's going to have any success.

Average customer rating:

Great travel companion
4th Edition - please!!
Without pinyin, this book is close to worthless
Useful
Fine for Tourists

Mandarin Phrasebook (Lonely Planet)
Charles Qin , and Justin Rudelson
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0864426526

Book Description

Mandarin is the official language of China, Taiwan and Singapore and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. <ul>

phrases cover everything the traveller in China might need </li>

plenty of cultural information as well as tips on what to do and see </li>

Chinese script and a phonetic transcription is included with every phrase </li>

pronunciation section includes easy-to-understand details on tones so that your Mandarin will be understood </li>

grammar section for those who want to know a little more than just phrases </li>

thumb tabs and index for easy reference </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

Great travel companion.......2005-10-28

This book is a great travel companion if you go to China and speak little mandarin. It saved me on numerous occasion (train station, shopping, restaurant); I like it so much that i bought the Italian and French one for other trips.

I like the topics covered and having the characters, pinyin and english translation side by side is very convenient. I often pointed at a sign or a sentence to get some help. Tourist books vocabulary section are really useless for a weeklong trip.

Quick note: the back cover states: USA 7.95$...

a HAPPY TRAVELER

4th Edition - please!!.......2005-07-28

Yep, the latest edition of Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrase book, (5th) edition, is indeed next to useless for those of us actually trying to learn the language. In their wisdom the publishers decided to drop Pinyin for a phonetic system that no one understands. Word is from LP they have had plenty of 'feedback' on this issue, but are not planning to change anything at the moment. The only alternative is to find the $50 or so for a used 4th edition, or try Berlitz or other competitor.

Without pinyin, this book is close to worthless.......2005-07-12

I have to admit great disappointment when I picked up the latest edition of the Mandarin Phrasebook. I've studied Chinese for about 2 years, but enjoyed the quick, portable convenience of LP's previous phrasebook editions. The removal of pinyin in this one, however, was idiotic. Pinyin is used on a great many things (signs, ads, street names, etc) in China, and can be decently understood by the time one's plane touches down. Only a few letters differ significantly from standard English speech. For me, and anyone else who is used to pinyin, it's a pointless hassle trying to decipher this book's non-standard pronounciation system.

Useful.......2004-10-23

This book has two uses, for people who know nothing about the language it can be used as a way of pointing to the phrases so people can read the characters from the book. I wouldn't rely on the book as a translator for that purpose. It has quite a few basic phrases but the two way dictionary does have many typo's as well as it isn't always two way.

When you have some experience with how to pronounce pin-yin (which will require some immersion in the language either through some formal course, or a chinese friend) you MAY start to be able to use the book to build your vocabulary. As mentioned it is focused on the beijing speak, which a lot of Chinese will understand) However you may not understand them.

If you have never learnt to pronounce Chinese you simply can't just read the pin-yin and have people understand you. Buy a language course to complement this book.

Fine for Tourists.......2004-03-05

This little book includes the basics that you would expect from a pocket phrasebook and also includes a two-way dictionary which may come in handy. This latter feature is an addition to the previous edition and it adds considerably to the heft of the book. It is pretty much what you would expect from a phrasebook with the requisite inclusion of the counting system (with pictures of the hand-signs which is helpful), useful expressions, and help getting around. It also includes both pinyin and simplified Chinese characters which means that if you cannot pronounce the tones correctly (you won't!) you can show it to someone. Be warned, I have met taxi drivers who cannot read Chinese.

A major caveat is that most Chinese do not speak Mandarin but a local dialect. They mention this in the introduction but it could be stronger. Even in the large cities there are some who do not speak Mandarin and although you may be able to make yourself understood, you will not understand them!

There are a few problems with the book, beginning with several typographical errors and exclusions. This seems troublesome when you may be relying on it to get you out of a jam. Secondly, this edition includes a list of profanity with the caveat that if "you hear these words you should be on your way." Users of this book will not know enough Mandarin to recognise what they are hearing and it seems an invitation for assault to consider using them yourself.

Customer Reviews:

Great phrasebook.......2000-02-19

This is an excellent little phrasebook. I'd have to say I like the Rough Guide one a little more, but that is somewhat personal preference.

LP gives you a great grammar introduction and gives practical phrases for a lot of situations. The "vocabulary" section is a poor substitute for a little dictionary and this is my biggest complaint.

The Rough Guide Phrasebook is much better........1999-03-26

I used the Lonely Planet Guide until I found the Rough Guide Phrasebook. I found myself using more Chinese once I started using the Rough Guide because I could find the words I needed more quickly. The Chinese-English section is brief but invaluable.

As EVERYONE knows..........1998-10-16

Anyone who has gotten this far to check the reviews and knows LP for their work, knows that you can't consider travelling in China without the LP China book. It is to those people I speak when I say, I would not return to China without the phrasebook as well. Unlike the rest of SE Asia, having the phrasebook for Mandarin REALLY makes your life easier in mainland China. The 'meals' catagory alone pays for itself. (You can point to something and they can tell you if they have it).

Customer Reviews:

Old and Bad Material!.......2007-05-12

As a Chinese language teacher, this book is the worst of the many Chinese language books that I have. Like any music, some are good and some are bad. The music CD inluded in the book is so bad, all the way through! The whole thing seems to be repackaged and converted to a CD from an old cassette. Do not waste your money.

Lonely Planet Traveltalk Chinese Mandarin (Traveltalk)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Traveltalk Chinese Mandarin (Traveltalk)
Inc. Penton Overseas
Manufacturer: Penton Overseas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Binding: Audio Cassette

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Book Description

In each compact TravelTalk kit: 60-minute audio cassette in both English and the target language provides key words and phrases with accurate native pronunciationHandy fold-out audio guide for quick on-the-spot reference and reinforcementLonely Planet Phrasebook/Dictionary features clear and comprehensive grammar chapters, an extensive, 2-way dictionary, information on local culture plus travel tips

Customer Reviews:

Chinese Cantonese : Travel Talk.......2000-09-13

The book's great, the cassette is crap. So I'll only tell you that what you learn on the cassette is a series of disconnected words or phrases, which will only help you if you have the precise problem with you hotel room as the speakers on the tape - otherwise, you're stuck.

Taalgids - Mandarijn (Lonely Planet Dutch Phrasebooks)

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