haircut
Getting a Haircut
Twenty minutes in a chair with someone holding scissors and no shared vocabulary. How to say what you want, how to stop it going too far, and how to decline the membership card without an argument.
Essential phrases
In the order you are likely to need them. Play each one, repeat it, and read the note underneath — knowing when to say a sentence matters as much as saying it correctly.
你好，我想剪头发，需要预约吗？你好，我想剪頭髮，需要預約嗎？
Nǐ (third tone, dipping) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) jiǎn (third tone, dipping) tóufa, (second tone, rising) xūyào (first tone, high and level) yùyuē (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
Hello, I would like a haircut — do I need an appointment?
When to use it
Your opening line at the door. Small neighbourhood barbers take walk-ins; larger salons prefer 预约 (yùyuē) and may put you with whichever stylist is free.
请问，洗剪吹一共多少钱？請問，洗剪吹一共多少錢？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) xǐ (third tone, dipping) jiǎn (third tone, dipping) chuī (first tone, high and level) yígòng (second tone, rising) duōshao (first tone, high and level) qián? (second tone, rising)
Excuse me, how much is a wash, cut and blow-dry altogether?
When to use it
洗剪吹 (xǐ jiǎn chuī) is the standard package and the word to use. Ask for the total, because the price board is usually split by stylist rank and the number you see may not be the one you pay.
我这次不洗头，直接剪可以吗？我這次不洗頭，直接剪可以嗎？
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhè (fourth tone, falling) cì (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) xǐ (third tone, dipping) tóu, (second tone, rising) zhíjiē (second tone, rising) jiǎn (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) ma? (neutral tone)
I will skip the wash this time — can you cut it straight away?
When to use it
Useful when you are in a hurry, because the wash comes with a long head and shoulder massage while you sit upright at a basin, and it can take longer than the cut itself.
我只想修一下，不要剪太短。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) xiū (first tone, high and level) yíxià, (second tone, rising) bú (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) jiǎn (third tone, dipping) tài (fourth tone, falling) duǎn. (third tone, dipping)
I just want a trim — please do not cut it too short.
When to use it
Say it before the scissors move, not after. 修 (xiū) means to tidy or trim rather than to cut properly, and it is the single most useful word in the shop.
两边短一点，上面留长一点。兩邊短一點，上面留長一點。
Liǎng (third tone, dipping) biān (first tone, high and level) duǎn (third tone, dipping) yìdiǎn, (fourth tone, falling) shàngmiàn (fourth tone, falling) liú (second tone, rising) cháng (second tone, rising) yìdiǎn. (fourth tone, falling)
Shorter at the sides, and leave it longer on top.
When to use it
The workhorse sentence. 留 (liú) means to leave or keep a length, and pairing 两边 (the sides) with 上面 (the top) covers most of what needs saying about a short cut.
后面剪到这里就行。後面剪到這裡就行。
Hòumiàn (fourth tone, falling) jiǎn (third tone, dipping) dào (fourth tone, falling) zhèlǐ (fourth tone, falling) jiù (fourth tone, falling) xíng. (second tone, rising)
At the back, cut to about here — that is enough.
When to use it
Touch the place on your neck as you say it. Pointing removes the entire problem of describing lengths, and 就行 (jiù xíng) signals that you are content rather than issuing an instruction.
用剪刀就好，不用推子。
Yòng (fourth tone, falling) jiǎndāo (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) búyòng (second tone, rising) tuīzi. (first tone, high and level)
Scissors are fine — no clippers, please.
When to use it
Worth having ready, because clippers come out quickly on the sides. 推子 (tuīzi) is the clipper; 剪刀 (jiǎndāo) is the scissors.
刘海不要剪，谢谢。瀏海不要剪，謝謝。
Liúhǎi (second tone, rising) bú (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) jiǎn, (third tone, dipping) xièxie. (fourth tone, falling)
Please do not cut the fringe.
When to use it
刘海 (liúhǎi) is the fringe. Saying what you do *not* want is often more effective than describing what you do, because it needs no shared vocabulary of styles.
我想留胡子，只修一下边。我想留鬍子，只修一下邊。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) liú (second tone, rising) húzi, (second tone, rising) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) xiū (first tone, high and level) yíxià (second tone, rising) biān. (first tone, high and level)
I want to keep the beard — just tidy the edges.
When to use it
留胡子 (liú húzi) is to grow or keep a beard. Not every barber will offer to touch it at all, so say what you want done rather than waiting to be asked.
可以看一下照片吗？我想要这样的。可以看一下照片嗎？我想要這樣的。
Kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) yíxià (second tone, rising) zhàopiàn (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone) Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) zhèyàng (fourth tone, falling) de. (neutral tone)
Could you look at a photo? I would like something like this.
When to use it
The most reliable technique in this scenario. Have the photo open before you sit down; a picture settles in two seconds what five minutes of vocabulary will not.
差不多了，谢谢，就这样吧。差不多了，謝謝，就這樣吧。
Chàbuduō (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) xièxie, (fourth tone, falling) jiù (fourth tone, falling) zhèyàng (fourth tone, falling) ba. (neutral tone)
That is about right, thank you — let us leave it there.
When to use it
The stop button, and the sentence most learners wish they had known earlier. It is polite, unambiguous, and does not require you to criticise anything.
不好意思，我不办卡，谢谢。不好意思，我不辦卡，謝謝。
Bù (fourth tone, falling) hǎoyìsi, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) bàn (fourth tone, falling) kǎ, (third tone, dipping) xièxie. (fourth tone, falling)
Sorry, I will not take a membership card, thank you.
When to use it
You will be offered a prepaid card while your hair is still wet. Declining is completely normal; repeat the same sentence with a smile rather than inventing a new excuse each time.
我下次还找你，你叫什么名字？我下次還找你，你叫什麼名字？
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xià (fourth tone, falling) cì (fourth tone, falling) hái (second tone, rising) zhǎo (third tone, dipping) nǐ, (third tone, dipping) nǐ (third tone, dipping) jiào (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) míngzi? (second tone, rising)
I will ask for you again next time — what is your name?
When to use it
Worth saying if the cut went well. Salons are organised around individual stylists, so a name lets you book the same person and skip the whole negotiation next time.
Cultural notes
A haircut in China is a longer and more sociable transaction than most visitors expect. The standard package is — wash, cut, blow-dry — and the wash is not a rinse: you sit upright at a basin, or sometimes lie back, and receive a head, neck and shoulder massage that can last as long as the cut. It is included and it is not an extra you have been talked into. Prices are usually posted by the rank of the stylist rather than by the service, with titles such as , and ascending in price, so the figure on the board is a range and the person who cuts your hair determines where you fall in it. Ask for the total before you sit down. The membership card is the other constant. Salons and barbers run on prepaid , and you will be offered one — at a persuasive discount — during or immediately after the cut, sometimes more than once. It is a normal part of the business and declining is equally normal; the polite formula is simply ，, repeated pleasantly. Tipping is not expected anywhere and can cause confusion. On campus and in the surrounding streets there are usually small independent barbers charging much less than a salon, which are entirely adequate for a trim. Bring a photograph of what you want, however self-conscious it feels: hair vocabulary is specialised, styles do not translate, and a picture removes the risk. Finally, if you have hair that a stylist may not have cut before, it is worth asking directly whether they have experience with it rather than finding out halfway through — is a reasonable and unremarkable question.
These notes describe common practice, not rules. Requirements and procedures differ between cities, institutions and years — confirm anything procedural with the office, clinic or company itself.
Vocabulary
No word list has been attached to this scenario yet. Every phrase above is searchable word by word in the dictionary, and tapping a word inside the tutor role-play adds it to your review queue.
Dictionary →Offline phrase card
Everything else on this page is hidden when you print. What comes out is the card below: Chinese, pinyin and your language, in the order you need them — one page that works with no signal.
HSK Guide · Offline phrase card
Getting a Haircut
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你好，我想剪头发，需要预约吗？你好，我想剪頭髮，需要預約嗎？
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng jiǎn tóufa, xūyào yùyuē ma?
Hello, I would like a haircut — do I need an appointment?
请问，洗剪吹一共多少钱？請問，洗剪吹一共多少錢？
Qǐngwèn, xǐ jiǎn chuī yígòng duōshao qián?
Excuse me, how much is a wash, cut and blow-dry altogether?
我这次不洗头，直接剪可以吗？我這次不洗頭，直接剪可以嗎？
Wǒ zhè cì bù xǐ tóu, zhíjiē jiǎn kěyǐ ma?
I will skip the wash this time — can you cut it straight away?
我只想修一下，不要剪太短。
Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng xiū yíxià, bú yào jiǎn tài duǎn.
I just want a trim — please do not cut it too short.
两边短一点，上面留长一点。兩邊短一點，上面留長一點。
Liǎng biān duǎn yìdiǎn, shàngmiàn liú cháng yìdiǎn.
Shorter at the sides, and leave it longer on top.
后面剪到这里就行。後面剪到這裡就行。
Hòumiàn jiǎn dào zhèlǐ jiù xíng.
At the back, cut to about here — that is enough.
用剪刀就好，不用推子。
Yòng jiǎndāo jiù hǎo, búyòng tuīzi.
Scissors are fine — no clippers, please.
刘海不要剪，谢谢。瀏海不要剪，謝謝。
Liúhǎi bú yào jiǎn, xièxie.
Please do not cut the fringe.
我想留胡子，只修一下边。我想留鬍子，只修一下邊。
Wǒ xiǎng liú húzi, zhǐ xiū yíxià biān.
I want to keep the beard — just tidy the edges.
可以看一下照片吗？我想要这样的。可以看一下照片嗎？我想要這樣的。
Kěyǐ kàn yíxià zhàopiàn ma? Wǒ xiǎng yào zhèyàng de.
Could you look at a photo? I would like something like this.
差不多了，谢谢，就这样吧。差不多了，謝謝，就這樣吧。
Chàbuduō le, xièxie, jiù zhèyàng ba.
That is about right, thank you — let us leave it there.
不好意思，我不办卡，谢谢。不好意思，我不辦卡，謝謝。
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ bú bàn kǎ, xièxie.
Sorry, I will not take a membership card, thank you.
我下次还找你，你叫什么名字？我下次還找你，你叫什麼名字？
Wǒ xià cì hái zhǎo nǐ, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
I will ask for you again next time — what is your name?