要纸巾。

You can use this phrase on its own if you are in a rush. However, adding a 请 (qǐng) at the start makes it "Please give me tissues." If you are at a restaurant, just catch the waiter's eye and say it. You don't need complex grammar here. Just state what you need. It's like a verbal SOS for your hands or face.

Use it at a spicy hotpot restaurant when the sweat starts dripping. Use it at a street food stall when that baozi leaks juice. It is perfect for public restrooms that—fair warning—often don't provide paper. You can also say it to a friend if you see them holding a pack. It is a very practical, everyday request.

Don't use this in a super formal business banquet without adding some polite fluff. Just saying 要纸巾 to a CEO might sound like a demand. Avoid using it if you actually need a heavy-duty towel or a wet wipe. For those, you would need different words. Also, don't shout it across a quiet library; a whisper and a hand gesture work better.

In China, many restaurants don't put napkins on the table for free. You often have to ask for them and might even pay 1 or 2 RMB for a small pack. Carrying your own little pack of tissues is a pro-move. If you ask for 纸巾 and they bring a fancy box, check if there is a price tag! It's a small cultural quirk that surprises many visitors.

You can say 我要纸巾 (wǒ yào zhǐjīn) to be more complete. If you want to be extra polite, say 麻烦给我纸巾 (máfan gěi wǒ zhǐjīn). In the south, people might just say 拿纸 (ná zhǐ) which means "get paper." If you are looking for a wet wipe, ask for 湿纸巾 (shī zhǐjīn). Knowing these variations makes you sound like a local.