It's simple: follow the illustrated prompts and read the English words out loud, and soon you'll be speaking Spanish. This handy, easy-to-read language guide is easy to carry and gives the basic phrases you need while traveling, asking directions, or ordering food at a restaurant. It also includes phrases for medical or legal emergencies, as well as terminology for hotels, airports, and so on. But most of all, it's just plain fun!

Mike Ellis is a web designer and runs the popular website www.slanguage.com. He lives with his family in Philadelphia.

Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook & CD is your handy passport to culturally enriching travels with the most relevant and useful Mandarin phrases and vocabulary for all your travel needs. Order dishes with ease, ask directions and chat to locals - all with your trusted travel companion. With language tools in your back pocket, you can truly get to the heart of wherever you go, so begin your journey now! Get More From Your Trip with Easy-to-Find Phrases for Every Travel Situation! Order with confidence, explain food allergies, and try new foods with the menu decoder Save time and hassles with vital phrases at your fingertips Never get stuck for words with the 3500-word two-way, quick-reference dictionary Be prepared for both common and emergency travel situations with practical phrases and terminology Meet friends with conversation starter phrases Get your message across with easy-to-use pronunciation guides Inside Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook & CD: Full-colour throughout User-friendly layout organised by travel scenario categories Survival phrases inside front cover for at-a-glance on-the-fly cues Covers Basics - time, dates, numbers, amounts, pronunciation, reading tips, grammar rules Practical - travel with kids, disabled travellers, senior travellers, sightseeing, business, banking, post office, internet, phones, repairs, shopping, bargaining, accommodations, directions, border crossing, transport Social - meeting people, interests, feelings, opinions, going out, romance, culture, activities, weather Safe Travel - emergencies, police, doctor, chemist, dentist, symptoms, conditions Food - ordering, at the market, at the bar, dishes, ingredients The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook & CD, a pocket-sized comprehensive language guide, provides on-the-go language assistance. Great for language students and travellers looking to interact with locals and immerse themselves in local culture. About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet is the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet. Check out our Fast Talk Phrasebook mobile app for on-the-go language needs. (Available languages: German, Latin Spanish, European Spanish, French, and Italian.)