This very simple phrase list has descriptions for some things to know before attempting them with a person who only speaks Chinese. The phrase in English is presented first. The second line down is a common phonetic pronounciation which will sometimes have a syllable in all caps to show where emphasis is made.
The third line has my own proprietary more explicit phonetic guide. On the fourth line, explanation is given for pronunciation that generally applies in simplified Chinese. It should be in line with my own proprietary phonetic pronunciation system.
This is block learning. I suggest learning one phrase to perfection, then the next phrase along with the earlier phrase(s). By the tenth phrase you are learning 10 phrases to perfection. More than a simple review, it is getting it perfectly.
This is to be followed by learning phrases 11 to 20 while now occasionally reviewing the first ten phrases so they are not easily forgotten.
BLOCK ONE
Ni hao. Ni HAO ma.
NeeHOW. NeeHOWmah.
The all caps syllables are accented syllables. Each sentence is often spoken as one word.
2. My name is Marshall Smyth
Wo jiao Maxxier~Shimisi.
WojeeYOW~MahSHEE~ya(h)(r) ShiMEEsee. Marshall Smyth
WohjeeYOW~MahSHEEyahr~shiMEEsee.
The j is a soft buzzing j sound (similar to a french letter), and Jiao is almost jeeyow, ow as in "now".The x is generally a "sh" sound. The r in MahSHEE~yah(r) is barely pronounced. Letters inside ( ) have changed sounds from the English expectations. The (h) after an a means it is an "ah" sound. Without an added h after an a, the a is pronounced like the a in bat or cat.
Ni hen piaoliang
NEEhen peeyow(l)yeea(h)n(g)
Ni often means you. The l in piaoliang is barely pronounced. iao is generally said as "yow", and is commonly used.
4. Where am I on this map?
Wǒ zài zhè~zhāng dìtú shàng de shénme dìfāng?
Wo ZYE jeh jahng deeTUshahng~day~sheenme~deefahng?
((Say this phrase many times and get it right before going to China. The roads of especially residential areas may well include tiny alleys, and be designed at random. Even locals may get temporarily lost in a neighboring place. Sometimes these can be dangerous places to be alone after dark. Trudat!))
Wo means I or my. Z is spoken as in English, but ZH is spoken exactly like the typical j of English, as in Jenny. This is a relatively long phrase in Chinese, but it is an important one. Learn this one. When saying it some of the words are spoken as one word more than the usual. I'll put a ~ between those words. In Chinese, it sounds to an American English speaker like most parts of a phrase are a single word. I think especially when the earlier word ends with a vowel. In a question, it is mostly only the last word that sounds like a question. Remember this.
5. Right here. (This is the simplest response to where am I on this map.)
Jiu zai zheer
JuuzyeJAA
This phrase is spoken as one word. jaa is said just like the first two letters in January. The J is exactly like the American English J. Zai seems to mean "are" or "am".
6. How much does this cost?
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7. I am an ordinary American.
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8. Where can I get a bus to the main bus terminal in Shanghai?
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9. Where is the police station?
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BLOCK TWO
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12. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
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13. One, two, three, four, five.
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14. Twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred.
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16. My stomach hurts. I am sick.
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17. Where is my Samsung phone?
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A final exam would be oral. Each of these 20 phrases said at random in either and both languages will be answered with that same phrase in the other language.
After getting the first 20 phrases learned until they are in your soul, that is, getting 100% on all 40, (20 X 2) phrases, you may be prepared to take a serious course in Simplified Chinese.