How to Say I'm Still Learning Chinese: Explain Your Level and Ask for Help
Learn to say 我还在学中文 and 我的中文不太好, then ask people to speak slowly or repeat. Practical Mandarin for real conversations at an elementary level.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
When your Mandarin is still developing, the most useful skill is not a bigger vocabulary list. It is the ability to describe your level honestly and steer the conversation so you can keep up. Two sentences do most of this work: 我还在学中文 (I am still learning Chinese) and 我的中文不太好 (my Chinese is not very good). The first describes an ongoing process, and it is neutral and confident. The second is a mild, polite disclaimer. You can also ask for practical help with 请说慢一点 (please speak a little more slowly) and 请再说一遍 (please say that again). This lesson gives you five reusable phrases, shows how they fit together in a short exchange, and explains when a disclaimer helps and when it is unnecessary.
By the end, you can…
- describe my current Chinese level with 我还在学中文 and 我的中文不太好.
- politely ask someone to speak more slowly or repeat what they said.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
我还在学中文。
I am still learning Chinese.
wǒ hái zài xué Zhōngwén
A neutral, positive way to describe an ongoing learning process. Use it when someone assumes you understand more than you do.
我的中文不太好。
My Chinese is not very good.
wǒ de Zhōngwén bú tài hǎo
A mild, polite disclaimer. It softens the situation before you ask for help; it is not a strong apology.
请说慢一点。
Please speak a little more slowly.
qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn
A direct but polite request. 一点 softens the request, so it sounds friendly rather than demanding.
请再说一遍。
Please say that again.
qǐng zài shuō yí biàn
Use this when you missed a whole sentence. 再 means 'again', and 一遍 means 'one time'.
这个词是什么意思？
What does this word mean?
zhè ge cí shì shénme yìsi
Ask this when you catch most of a sentence but one word blocks you. Point to the word or repeat it if needed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern 我还在 + verb describes something still in progress: 我还在学中文 (I am still learning Chinese), 我还在上班 (I am still at work). Here 在 marks an ongoing action, and 还 adds 'still'. For your level, 我还在学中文 is better than a flat 我不会中文 (I cannot speak Chinese), because it presents your Chinese as growing rather than absent. You can combine it with a request: 我还在学中文，请说慢一点。 (I am still learning Chinese, please speak a little more slowly.) The disclaimer 我的中文不太好 uses 不太, which means 'not very', and it is softer than 我的中文不好 (my Chinese is bad).
When to use it
Use 我还在学中文 when you want to set expectations before a conversation continues, for example at a shop counter or a language exchange. Use 我的中文不太好 when you need to apologize lightly for a misunderstanding, such as when someone has repeated something twice. Do not apologize for every sentence; if you understood, simply continue. A natural sequence is: 我的中文不太好。请再说一遍。 (My Chinese is not very good. Please say that again.) If the other person switches to English, you can say 我想用中文说 (I want to speak in Chinese) to keep practicing without sounding rude.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好，请问你要买什么？
Hello, may I ask what you would like to buy?nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn nǐ yào mǎi shénme你好，我还在学中文。请说慢一点。
Hello, I am still learning Chinese. Please speak a little more slowly.nǐ hǎo, wǒ hái zài xué Zhōngwén. qǐng shuō màn yìdiǎn好的。你要买什么？
Okay. What would you like to buy?hǎo de. nǐ yào mǎi shénme我的中文不太好。请再说一遍。
My Chinese is not very good. Please say that again.wǒ de Zhōngwén bú tài hǎo. qǐng zài shuō yí biànA little context goes a long way
In mainland China, 中文 and 汉语 are both common for the language; 普通话 specifically means Standard Mandarin. Saying 我的中文不太好 is a modest, cooperative move, not a confession of failure. Many learners overuse it and sound less capable than they are. If you understood the question, answer it directly; save the disclaimer for the moment you actually need help.
One thing to watch for
Saying 我不会说中文 (I cannot speak Chinese) when you mean you are still learning.
Try this instead: Use 我还在学中文 or 我的中文不太好. 我不会说中文 suggests you have no Chinese at all, which is usually not true and can end the conversation. For example: 我还在学中文，请说慢一点。 (I am still learning Chinese, please speak a little more slowly.)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I am still learning Chinese' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
我还在学中文。
This uses 还在 to show an ongoing process. 我正在学中文 is also acceptable and slightly more formal, but 还在 is more common in everyday conversation.
2Someone speaks too fast. Which phrase asks them to speak more slowly?
Show a sample answer
请说慢一点。
请 makes the request polite, and 一点 softens it. 请说慢一点儿 is also fine, especially in northern speech.
3You missed one word in a sentence. What can you ask?
Show a sample answer
这个词是什么意思？
This asks what a specific word means. If you missed the whole sentence instead, 请再说一遍 is the better choice.
Learn 我还在学中文 and 我的中文不太好 as your level-setting pair, then keep 请说慢一点 and 请再说一遍 ready. Describe your learning honestly, ask for help clearly, and do not apologize when you already understood.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Chinese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr