While we are (still?) getting used to the ‘new normal’ way of life, communicating through the new mediums, that too in a foreign language can be a tad bit intimidating for many of us. To make your life easier, here are some useful phrases which will help you converse like a pro in any video meeting.
Can you see me?
The very first and the most annoying problem we face after joining any video meeting is whether the others can see and hear us properly or not.
Let’s begin with these glaring questions!
你 可以 听 到 吗?
nǐ kěyǐ tīng dào ma?
Can you hear me?
你 可以 看 我的视频 吗?
nǐ kěyǐ kàn wǒ de shìpín ma?
Can you see my video?
You can respond by saying:
我能听到你的声音
Wǒ néng tīng dào nǐ de shēngyīn
Yes, I can hear you!
我能看到你的视频
Wǒ néng kàn dào nǐ de shìpín
Yes, I can see your video!
Bringing Up Problems
If you can’t see or hear the others, go ahead and let them know!
刚才你的声音不太清楚，请再说一遍
gāngcái nǐ de shēngyīn bú tài qīngchu, qǐng zài shuō yībiàn!
I can’t hear your voice clearly right now. Please say that again!
我听不清楚
Wǒ tīng bù qīngchu
I can’t hear you clearly.
我看不清楚
Wǒ kàn bù qīngchu
I can’t see you clearly.
If you still can’t see or hear the others, better to confirm whether they are still present in the meeting or not!
喂，你在吗？
Wéi, nǐ zài ma?
Hello, are you there?
Handling Connectivity Issues and Disturbances
Looks like the other person was probably facing some network issues.
对不起，今天我的网络不太好
Duìbuqǐ, jīntiān wǒ de wǎngluò bú tài hǎo
So sorry, I am facing internet issues today.
好像 我的网络不那么稳定
Hǎoxiàng wǒ de wǎngluò bù nàme wěndìng.
Seems like my internet is not that stable today.
Sometimes, there may be a lot of disturbance with someone’s connection.
Here are three specific reasons you can list, and request them to mute themselves.
你的网络连接有些干扰。
Nǐ de wǎngluò liánjiē yǒuxiē gānrǎo.
There is some disturbance in your connection.
你那边有很多背景噪音。
Nǐ nà biān yǒu hěnduō bèijǐng zàoyīn.
There is a lot of background noise.
你那边有回声。
Nǐ nà biān yǒu huíshēng.
There is an echo from your end.
你可以静音吗？
Nǐ kěyǐ jìngyīn ma?
Could you please mute yourself?
Later, don’t forget to remind the person to unmute and respond to your questions!
Additional Phrases
Here are some additional phrases that don’t neatly fit into a category, but are extremely useful nonetheless!
请打开你的视频
qǐng dǎkāi nǐ de shìpín
Please turn on your video.
请大声一点儿
Qǐng dàshēng yīdiǎnr
Please be a little louder.
请说慢一点儿
Qǐng shuǒ màn yīdiǎnr
Please speak a little slowly.
您能把我设置成主持人吗？
Nǐ néng bǎ wǒ shèzhì chéng zhǔcírén ma?
Can you make me the host?
请分享您的屏幕
Qǐng fēnxiǎng nín de píngmù
Please share your screen！
Try using these phrases to communicate with your friends and colleagues. Before you know it, you’ll be having meaningful conversations in Mandarin Chinese during your video conferences and meetings.
Have any other phrases that you feel you need to use often but don’t quite know how? Leave a comment below and we will add it to the post!