Wuhan - Post Report Question and Answers
How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Wuhan is a large city by world standards, but second-tier by Chinese standards and the international community is very small and shrank further during the pandemic. There are a few establishments explicitly geared toward expats, but beyond that it is rare to find any information in English or anyone outside the consulate or hotels that would speak much English. A lot can be accomplished with body language, but in order to do anything beyond nodding and pointing, it is necessary to know Chinese. Still, people here are friendly and helpful and shopkeepers or other customers will often try to help if you're struggling to be understood. - Jul 2021
I came to Wuhan knowing Chinese, and I use it all the time. Most people don't speak English, though younger people have studied it in school. Anything you can learn to say will help you on a daily basis, though if you don't look Chinese, no one expects you to speak it well. The consulate provides a language tutor for spouses, as do most expat companies There are also classes at the universities around town that some people go take. - Jan 2020
There will always be one person in a larger store who speaks a little English. I've only met one taxi driver who speaks English so addresses must be written in Chinese. It's best to learn as much Chinese as you can. It's slow going but well worth it. - Feb 2008
