Wo de Zhongwen bu tai hao (我的中文不太好): My Chinese is not very good

This phrase uses 我的中文 (wǒ de Zhōngwén) for "my Chinese," 不 (bú) for negation, 太 (tài) for "too," and 好 (hǎo) for "good." It literally means "My Chinese is not too good."

Variations and politeness

我的中文不好

wǒ de Zhōngwén bù hǎo

My Chinese is bad. — More direct and less polite.

我中文说得不好

wǒ Zhōngwén shuō de bù hǎo

I speak Chinese poorly. — Emphasizes speaking ability specifically.

我中文不太行

wǒ Zhōngwén bú tài xíng

My Chinese is not great. — More colloquial.

Mini dialogue

你好，你会说中文吗？

Nǐ hǎo, nǐ huì shuō Zhōngwén ma?

Hi, do you speak Chinese?

我中文不太好。

Wǒ de Zhōngwén bú tài hǎo.

My Chinese is not very good.

没关系，我们可以慢慢来。

Méi guānxi, wǒmen kěyǐ màn man lái.

No problem, we can take it slow.

When to use it

Appropriate

When you want to politely indicate your Chinese level is low.
As an icebreaker when meeting Chinese speakers.
When you want to show humility about your language skills.

Avoid when

When you are actually proficient in Chinese, as it may cause confusion.
When you want to make a strong impression of competence, as it downplays your ability.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'My Chinese is not very good' in Chinese?

You say 'wǒ de Zhōngwén bú tài hǎo' (我的中文不太好).

How do you pronounce 'wǒ de Zhōngwén bú tài hǎo'?

It's pronounced 'wǒ de Zhōngwén bú tài hǎo', with the third tone on wǒ, neutral tone on de, first tone on Zhōng, second tone on wén, second tone on bú, fourth tone on tài, and third tone on hǎo.