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Start game, settings, cancel

Day 1 of 15~12 minThe menus in the first minute of any Chinese game
Pinyin help
Tone colours
开始游戏 · 设置 · 确定 · 取消

The first time you switch a game to Chinese, the menus are the wall. They are also the easiest win: a dozen words, the same in every game, and you learn them by clicking.

The first screen

What you see before you have played a second.

开始游戏
kāishǐ yóuxì
start game
开始 start plus 游戏 game. 游戏 is the everyday word for games.
设置
shèzhì
settings
Where you change 语言 yǔyán (language), 音量 yīnliàng (volume) and 画质 huàzhì (graphics).
确定
quèdìng
OK, confirm
The button you press most. Spoken, it means certain: 你确定吗？ are you sure?
取消
qǔxiāo
cancel
Always beside 确定. Real life uses it for orders, bookings and flights.
Why it works

Menus use compact written Chinese, two characters to an idea. Learn the pairs that sit side by side, 确定 and 取消, 开始 and 退出, and you can find your way by position before you can read everything.

More buttons

Four more and you can use nearly any menu.

继续
jìxù
continue
Continue a saved game. Also everyday: 继续说, keep talking.
退出
tuìchū
quit, exit
退出登录 is log out.
保存
bǎocún
save
A game, a file, a photo.
返回
fǎnhuí
back
The back button. Literally return.
Why it works

Notice how many are ordinary verbs. 继续, 保存 and 返回 appear in phone apps and on websites exactly the same way, so the menus of one game teach you the menus of everything.

Button word, spoken word

What is printed on the screen is not always what people say.

OK, sure
On the button
确定
quèdìng
Said out loud
好的
hǎo de
A friend asks if you are ready: say 好的 or 好. Spoken 确定 means certain, as in 我确定, I'm sure.
I'm leaving
On the button
退出
tuìchū
Said out loud
我先下了
wǒ xiān xià le
Leaving friends mid-session, you say I'm getting off first. 下 is short for 下线, going offline.
Let's start
On the button
开始游戏
kāishǐ yóuxì
Said out loud
来一局吧
lái yì jú ba
Let's play a round. 局 counts rounds and matches, and 吧 makes it a suggestion.
Why it works

Menus are written language and voice chat is spoken language. The same idea has a button word and a mouth word, and using the button word out loud sounds like reading the screen.

Simplified or traditional

Games released in mainland China use simplified characters. Those released for Taiwan and Hong Kong use traditional ones, often offered as a separate language called 繁體中文. This course uses simplified, like the rest of the site.

Carry over, from earlier days
你好
nǐ hǎo
hello
谢谢
xièxie
thank you
再见
zàijiàn
goodbye

8 questions. Get 5 right to finish the day.

  1. Which button confirms?

    • 退出 tuìchū
    • 返回 fǎnhuí
    • 取消 qǔxiāo
    • 确定 quèdìng
    Show the answer

    确定 取消 cancels, 返回 goes back, 退出 quits.

  2. 设置 is…

    • save
    • story
    • settings
    • start
    Show the answer

    settings Where the language option lives.

  3. Which button saves your game?

    • 保存 bǎocún
    • 继续 jìxù
    • 退出 tuìchū
    • 返回 fǎnhuí
    Show the answer

    保存 保存, save.

  4. Type the pinyin for 取消.

    Show the answer

    qǔxiāo Third tone, then first.

  5. How do you suggest playing a round?

    • 确定 quèdìng
    • 继续 jìxù
    • 来一局吧 lái yì jú ba
    • 开始游戏 kāishǐ yóuxì
    Show the answer

    来一局吧 The spoken way. 开始游戏 is the button.

  6. 我先下了 means…

    • Let me start
    • I'm first in line
    • I'm getting off first (going offline)
    • I went downstairs
    Show the answer

    I'm getting off first (going offline) 下 is short for 下线, going offline.

  7. 保存 means…

    • sell
    • continue
    • cancel
    • save
    Show the answer

    save A game, a file, a photo.

  8. Type the Chinese or pinyin for game.

    Show the answer

    yóuxì Second tone, then fourth.

More from this course

See all 15 days of Chinese for gamers