Copyright

HarperCollins Publishers

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Third Edition 2017

© HarperCollins Publishers 2007, 2010, 2017

Source ISBN: 9780008135904

Ebook Edition © March 2017 ISBN: 9780008230081

Version: 2017-01-27

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

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Editor

Holly Tarbet

Contributors

Julie Kleeman

Lin Luan

Ling Song Chase

For the Publisher

Gerry Breslin

Janice McNeillie

Using your phrasebook

Whether you’re on holiday or on business, your Collins Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary is designed to help you locate the exact phrase you need, when you need it. You’ll also gain the confidence to go beyond what is in the book, as you can adapt the phrases by using the dictionary section to substitute your own words.

The Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary includes:

• Over 60 topics arranged thematically, so that you can easily find an expression to suit the situation

• Pinyin pronunciation which accompanies each word and phrase, to make sure you are understood when speaking aloud

• Tips to safeguard against any cultural faux pas, providing the essential dos and don’ts of local customs or etiquette

• A basic grammar section which will help you to build on your phrases

• FACE TO FACE dialogue sections to give you a flavour of what to expect from a real conversation

• YOU MAY HEAR sections for common announcements and messages, so that you don’t miss important information when out and about

• A dictionary with over 1,000 words and their translations, to ensure you’ll never be stuck for something to say

• A short chapter of LIFELINE phrases for quick reference. These basic words and phrases will be essential to your time abroad

Before you jet off, it’s worth spending time looking through the topics to see what is covered and becoming familiar with pronunciation.

Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Using your phrasebook

Pronouncing Mandarin

Top ten tips

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

Key phrases

Celebrations

Making friends

Work

Weather

Getting around

Asking the way

Bus and coach

Metro

Train

Taxi

Boat and ferry

Air travel

Customs control

Driving

Road signs

Staying somewhere

Hotel (booking)

Hotel desk

Camping

Self-catering

Shopping

Shopping phrases

Shops

Supermarket

Food (fruit and veg)

Clothes

Clothes (articles)

Bookshop/music shop

Antique shop

Maps and guides

Post office

Technology

Leisure

Sightseeing and tourist office

Entertainment

Nightlife

Leisure/interests

Music

Theatre/opera

Sport

Walking

Communications

Telephone and mobile

Text messaging

E-mail

Internet

Practicalities

Money

Paying

Luggage

Repairs

Laundry

Complaints

Problems

Emergencies

Health

Pharmacy

Doctor

Dentist

Eating out

Eating places

At a tea house

In a restaurant

Dietary requirements

Spirits and liqueurs

Menu reader

Reference

Measurements and quantities

Numbers

Days and months

Time

Time phrases

Public holidays

Signs and notices

Pronouncing place names

Grammar

Dictionary

English – Mandarin

A – C

D – F

G – I

J – L

M – O

P – R

S – U

V – Z

LIFELINE words and phrases

About the Publisher

Pronouncing Mandarin

It is not easy for foreigners to pronounce Mandarin Chinese, so in this phrasebook we have used standard Latin phonetic sounds to keep it simple. Mandarin is not written using an alphabet, but by various strokes (such as , ). Written Chinese is based on these ‘characters’ rather than words. The standard Mandarin Chinese pronunciation system (called ‘pinyin’) is based on consonants and vowels which look just like English words. By converting a pinyin character (each representing the sound of the Chinese character) into the standard Latin phonetic sound, English/European language speakers will be able to pronounce pinyin easily.

The system of conversion is as follows:

Consonants
Pinyin | Phonetic sound | Converting example
b, d, f, g, j, l, m, n, p, s, t, w, y | pronounced the same as in English | băo→bao(宝, treasure)
c | similar to ts in boots | cí→tsi(词, word/s)
h | similar to ch in Scottish loch | hē→he(喝, to drink)
q | similar to ch in chip | qīng→ching(清, clear)
r | similar to r in red | rén→ren(人, person/people)
x | similar to sh in she | xī→she(西, west)
z | like ds in kids | zāi→dsai(灾, disaster)
zh | like j in joke | zhōng→jong(中, middle)

Vowels
Pinyin | Phonetic sound | Converting example
a | like a in Zara | mā→ma(妈, mum)
e | like e in her without the sound of r | hē→he(喝, to drink)
i | like ee in bee | mĭ→mi(米, rice)
o | like the sound of war | wŏ→war(我, I/me)
u | like oo in spoon | lù→loo(路, road)
ü | like the sound of letter u , followed by ee in bee | ǜ→chu-ee(去, to go)
ai | like the sound of I | ài→l(爱, love)
ei | like the sound of letter a | mĕi→may(美, beautiful)
ao | like ou in ouch | lăo→lou(老, old)

Intonation

There are five tones used when pronouncing Mandarin; to make it easier for you to remember them, we have placed the diacritics on top of the vowel in each pinyin to indicate the flat tone (—), the rising tone (´), the musical long tone (˘), the strong tone (`), whilst no diacritic means a quiet tone.

In order to make it easier for you to understand these tones, the following examples are supplied. These will give you some idea of how to pronounce the four basic tones in Mandarin:

Mandarin pinyin | English sounds
mā | pronounced like ‘ma’ in the first syllable of ‘marmalade’
má | pronounced like ‘ma’ in ‘mass’ but with a slightly rising tone
mă | pronounced like ‘mar’ in ‘marquee’ but holding this sound for slightly longer
mà | pronounced like ‘mar’ in the first syllable of ‘marmalade’

Top ten tips

1 Chinese people show great respect for the wisdom and experience of their elders. The senior people present will usually initiate the greetings, and you should greet the oldest, most senior person before any others.

2 Do not stick your chopsticks into a bowl of rice. It reminds Chinese people of the incense sticks they burn when they bury their dead.

3 Avoid sharing a pear with loved ones. The word for pear-sharing sounds the same as the term for to separate (fēn-lí), and can hint at a break-up or a lifelong separation.

4 Business cards should be held in both hands when they are being offered or received. When receiving another person’s card, you should take the time to look at it attentively before putting it away.

5 Be aware of the Chinese fear of losing face. For example, do not call a restaurant manager a fú-wù;-yuán (waiter/waitress), or anything else below their true status.

6 It is rude to refuse any consumable item being offered to you (including cigarettes). If you do not accept a cigarette you have to come up with a good reason to avoid offending anyone!

7 Tipping is still not expected in most restaurants and hotels, however attitudes towards tipping are changing.

8 Most Chinese women continue using their maiden names even after marriage, but they may indicate their marital status by using 太太 (tài-tai) or 夫人 (fū-rén) with their husband’s name.

9 In a formal situation you should always exchange business cards and shake hands with the most important person first and then work down, to avoid anyone losing face.

10 Whistling and pointing with the index finger are taboo gestures in China.

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

It is very important to use the appropriate form of greeting in China. As with other cultures, the way that you greet somebody will depend on whether you know them or if they are a stranger. The most common greeting which can be used at any time, to anyone, is 你好(nǐ hǎo).

The form 您好(nín hǎo) is more formal and should be used when you want to show particular respect.

Please | 请qĭng
Thanks(very much) | (多)谢(duō)-xiè
You’re welcome! | 不客气!bù kè-qì!
Yes | 是shì
No | 不是bù-shì
Yes, please | 好, 谢谢hăo, xiè-xie
No, thanks | 不, 谢谢bù, xiè-xie
OK! | 好！hăo!
Sir/Mr… | …先生…xiān-sheng
Madam/Ms… | …女士…nǚ-shì
Mrs… | …太太…tài-tai
Miss… | …小姐…xiăo-jiĕ
Hello | 你好nĭ-hăo
Hi! | 嗨！hēi!
Hello! (usually on the phone) | 喂！wèi!
Goodbye | 再见zài-jiàn
See you later | 一会儿见yī-huìr jiàn
Bye! | 再会！zài-huì!
See you at seven | 7点见qī-diǎn jiàn
See you on Monday! | 星期一见！ xīng-qī-yī jiàn!
Good morning! | 早上好！ zǎo-shang hǎo!
Morning! | 早！zǎo!
Good evening/Goodnight | 晚安wăn ān
See you tomorrow | 明天见míng-tiān jiàn
Excuse me!/Sorry! | 对不起！ duì-bù-qĭ!
Excuse me! (to get past in a crowd) | 请让一让！qĭng ràng-yī-ràng!
How are you? | 你好吗?nĭ hăo ma?
How have you been? | 最近身体怎么样?zuì-jìn shēn-tǐ zěn-me-yàng?
Fine, thanks | 很好, 谢谢hěn hǎo, xiè-xie
Great! | 棒极了！ bàng jí le!
So-so | 一般yī-bān
And you? | 你呢?nĭ ne?
Long time no see! | 好久不见！hǎo-jiǔ bù jiàn!
How are you doing? | 最近还好吗? zuì-jìn hái hǎo ma?
I don’t understand | 我不明白wŏ bù míng-bai
I don’t speak Mandarin | 我不会说普通话wŏ bù huì shuō pǔ-tōng-huà

Key phrases

Do you have a room? | 你们有客房吗?nĭ-men yǒu kè-fáng ma?
Do you have milk? | 你们有牛奶吗?nĭ-men yǒu niú-năi ma?
I’d like… | 我想…wŏ xiăng…
We’d like… | 我们想…wŏ-men xiăng…
I’d like an ice cream | 我想买一个冰淇淋wŏ xiăng măi yī-gè bīng-qí-lín
We’d like to go home | 我们想回家wŏ-men xiăng huí-jiā
Another/ Some more… | 另外的/更多的lìng-wài-de/gèng-duō-de…
How much is it?/How much does it cost? | 多少钱?duō-shăo qián?
large | 大dà
small | 小xiăo
with/without | 有/没有yǒu/méi-yǒu
Where is…?/ Where are…? | …在哪儿?…zāi năr?
the nearest | 离这儿最近的lí zhèr zuì-jìn-de
How do I get…? | 我怎么去…?wŏ zĕn-me qù…?
to the museum | 去博物馆qù bó-wù-guăn
to the station | 去车站qù chē-zhàn
to Shanghai | 去上海qù shàng-hăi
There is…/ There are… | 有…yŏu…
There isn’t…/ There aren’t any… | 没有…méi-yŏu…
When? | 什么时候?shén-me shí-hou?
At what time…? | 什么时间…?shén-me shí-jiān…?
today | 今天jīn-tiān
tomorrow | 明天míng-tiān
Can I…? | 我能…吗?wŏ néng … ma?
smoke | 抽烟chōu-yān
taste it | 尝尝它cháng-chang tā
How does this work? | 如何使用?rú-hé shĭ-yòng?
What does this mean? | 这是什么意思?zhè-shì shén-me yì-sī?

Celebrations

l’d like to wish you… | 我祝愿您…wŏ zhù-yuàn nín …
Happy Birthday! | 生日快乐！ shēng-rì kuài-lè!
Happy Anniversary! | 纪念日快乐！ jì-niàn-rì kuài-lè!
Merry Christmas! | 圣诞快乐！shèng-dàn kuài-lè!
Happy New Year! | 新年快乐!xīn-nián kuài-lè!
Happy Easter! | 复活节快乐！fù-huó-jié kuài-lè!
Have a good trip! | 一路顺风！yī-lù-shùn-fēng!

Making friends

Chinese family names are placed first, followed by the given name. For instance, in the name ‘Zhao Li,’ ‘Zhao’ is the family name, ‘Li’ the given name. Family names usually consist of one character, whereas given names can have either one or two characters.

Chinese people call their close friends and family members by their given names.

For example, ‘Ma Wenli’ may be addressed by close friends as ‘Wenli.’

FACE TO FACE

你叫什么名字?nĭ jiào shén-me míng-zi?What’s your name?

我叫…wŏ jiào…My name is…

你是哪里人?nĭ shì nă-li rén?Where are you from?

我是英国人, 我来自伦敦wŏ shì yīng-guó-rén, wŏ lái zì lún-dūnI am English, from London

很高兴认识你！hĕn gāo-xìng rèn-shi nĭ!Pleased to meet you!

How old are you? | 你多大了?nĭ duō-dà le?
I’m … years old | 我 … 岁了wŏ … suì le
England/English | 英格兰/英格兰的yīng-gé-lán/yīng-gé-lán de
Scotland/Scottish | 苏格兰/苏格兰的sū-gé-lán/sū-gé-lán de
Wales/Welsh | 威尔士/威尔士的wēi-ěr-shì/wēi-ěr-shì de
Ireland/Irish | 爱尔兰/爱尔兰的ài-ěr-lán/ài-ěr-lán de
USA/American | 美国/美国的měi-guó/měi-guó de
Australia/Australian | 澳大利亚/澳大利亚的ào-dà-lì-yà/ào-dà-lì-yà de
Where do you live? | 你住在哪儿?nĭ zhù-zài năr?
Where do you live? (plural) | 你们住在哪儿?nĭ-men zhù-zài năr?
I live in London | 我住在伦敦wŏ zhù-zài lún-dūn
We live in Glasgow | 我们住在格拉斯哥wŏ-men zhù-zài gé- lā-sī-gē
I’m at school | 我在上学wŏ zài shàng-xué
I work | 我在工作wŏ zài gōng-zuò
I’m retired | 我退休了wŏ tuì-xiū le
I’m… | 我…wŏ…
single | 单身dān-shēn
married | 结婚了jié-hūn le
divorced | 离婚了lí-hūn le
I have… | 我有…wŏ yŏu…
a boyfriend | 一位男朋友yī-wèi nán-péng-you
a girlfriend | 一位女朋友yī-wèi nǚ-péng-you
a partner | 一位伴侣yī-wèi bàn-lǚ
I have…children | 我有 … 孩子wŏ yŏu … hái-zi
I have no children | 我没有孩子wŏ méi-yŏu hái-zi
Let me introduce you to my friends | 让我把你介绍给我的朋友们ràng wǒ bǎ nǐ jiè-shào gěi wǒ de péng-you-men
I’d like you to meet my husband | 我想让你认识一下我 的丈夫wǒ xiǎng ràng nǐ rèn-shi yī-xià wǒ de zhàng-fu
This is Janet | 这是珍妮特zhè shì Zhēn-ní-tè
I’m here… | 我在这里…wŏ zà zhè-lĭ...
on holiday | 度假dù-jià
on business | 公务gōng-wù
for the weekend | 过周末guò zhōu-mò

Work

In formal situations you should address Chinese people by their family name or full name and the appropriate courtesy title. Unlike English, professional, social, and family titles always follow the name.

Mr Liu | 刘先生 | Liú xiān-sheng
Mr Li Nan | 李楠先生 | Lǐ Nán xiān-sheng
Mrs Liu | 刘夫人 | Liú fū-rén
Miss Liu | 刘小姐 | Liú xiǎo-jiě
Ms Liu | 刘女士 | Liú nǔ-shì
Dr Ma | 马医生 | Mǎ yī-shēng
Professor Xu | 徐教授 | Xú jiào-shòu

What do you do? | 你干什么工作?nĭ gàn shén-me gōng-zuò?
Do you like your job? | 你喜欢你的工作吗?nĭ xĭ-huan nĭ de gōng-zuò ma?
I’m… | 我是…wŏ shì…
a doctor | 一名医生yī míng yī-shēng
a manager | 一名经理yī míng jīng-lĭ
I work from home | 我在家里工作wŏ zài jīa-lĭ gōng-zuò
I’m self-employed | 我是自谋职业者wŏ shì zì-móu-zhí-yè-zhĕ

Weather

天气预报tiān-qì yù-bào | weather forecast
多变的气候duō biàn de qì-hòu | changeable weather

fine | 好hăo
bad | 坏huài
cloudy | 多云duō-yún
It’s sunny | 天晴tiān-qíng
It’s raining | 下雨xià-yǔ
It’s snowing | 下雪xià-xuě
It’s windy | 刮风guā-fēng
What a lovely day! | 天气真好！tiān-qì zhēn hăo!
What awful weather! | 天气真糟糕！tiān-qì zhēn zāo-gāo!
What will the weather be like tomorrow? | 明天天气会怎么样呢?míng-tiān tiān-qì huì zén-me-yàng ne?
Do you think it’s going to rain? | 你认为天会下雨吗?nĭ rèn-wéi tiān huì xià-yǔ ma?
It’s very hot/cold today | 今天很热/冷jīn-tiān hĕn rè/lĕng
Do you think there will be a storm? | 你认为会刮风暴吗?nĭ rèn-wéi huì guā-fēng-bào ma?
Do you think it will snow? | 你认为会下雪吗?nĭ rèn-wéi huì xià-xuě ma?
Will it be foggy? | 会有雾吗?huì yŏu-wù ma?
What is the temperature? | 气温是多少?qì-wēn shì duō-shăo?

Getting around

Asking the way

If you want to attract the attention of someone you do not know – for example, in the street – you say 请问 (qǐng-wèn).

对面的 duì-miàn-de | opposite
旁边的 páng-biān-de | next to
邻近 lín-jìn | near to
红绿灯 hóng-lǜ-dēng | traffic lights
十字路口 shí-zì-lù-kŏu | crossroads
(路)边 (lù)-biān | corner (of road)

FACE TO FACE

请问, 我怎么去车站?qĭng-wèn, wŏ zĕn-me qù chē-zhàn?Excuse me, how do I get to the station?

一直往前走, 过了寺庙就往左/右拐yī-zhí wăng qián zǒu, guò-le sì-miào jiù wăng zuŏ/yòu guăiKeep straight on, after the temple turn left/right

远吗?yuăn ma?Is it far?

不远, 200米/5分钟bù yuăn, èr-bǎi mĭ/wŭ fēn-zhōngNo, 200 metres/five minutes

谢谢您！xiè-xie nín!Thank you!

不客气bù kè-qìYou’re welcome

We’re lost | 我们迷路了wŏ-men mí-lù le
We’re looking for… | 我们正在找…wŏ-men zhèng-zài zhăo…
Is this the right way to…? | 这是去…的路吗?zhè-shì qù … de-lù ma?
Can I/we walk there? | 我/我们可以步行去那里吗?wŏ/wŏ-men kĕ-yĭ bù-xíng qù nà-li ma?
How do I/we get… | 我/我们怎么…wŏ / wŏ-men zĕn-me…
to the museum? | 去博物馆?qù bó-wù-guăn?
to the shops? | 去商店qù shāng-diàn?
Can you show me on the map? | 你能在地图上指给我 看吗?nĭ nĕng zài dì-tú shàng zhĭ gĕi wŏ kàn ma?
YOU MAY HEAR…
在那里 zài nà-li | down there
在后面 zài hòu-miàn | behind

Bus and coach

Buses are the most common form of short-distance travel in China. They are also great for inter-city/province travel, as there is a very advanced motorway system in China. Compared to train and plane tickets, bus tickets are cheap. In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, there are combination travel cards, such as 一卡通 (yī-kǎ-tōng), which can be used to take buses, taxis, and on the metro.

FACE TO FACE

请问, 哪辆公共汽车去市/镇中心?qĭng-wèn, nă liàng gōng-gòng-qì-chē qù shì/zhèn zhōng-xīn?Excuse me, which bus goes to the city/town centre?

15路汽车shí-wŭ-lù-qì-chēNumber 15

公共汽车在哪里?gōng-gòng-qì-chē zài nă-li?Where is the bus stop?

那里, 在右边nà-li, zài yòu-biānThere, on the right

我在哪里可以买车票?wŏ zài nă-li kĕ-yĭ măi chē-piào?Where can I buy the tickets?

在售票处zài shòu-piào-chùAt the ticket office

Is there a bus to...? | 有公共汽车去 … 吗?yŏu gōng-gòng-qì-chē qù … ma?
Is there a tram to…? | 有电车去 … 吗?yŏu diàn-chē qù … ma?
Where do I catch the bus to…? | 我在哪里乘搭去 … 的公共汽车?wŏ zài nă-lĭ chéng-dā qù-de gōng-gòng-qì-chē…?
Where do I catch the tram to…? | 我在哪里乘搭去 … 的电车?wŏ zài nă-lĭ chéng-dā qù-de diàn-chē…?
We’re going to... | 我们正去…wŏ-men zhèng qù …
How much is it to go…? | 去 … 要多少钱?qù … yào duō-shăo qián?
to the city/town centre | 去市/镇中心qù shì/zhèn zhōng-xīn
to the beach | 去海滩qù hăi-tān
How often are the buses to…? | 每隔多长时间就有一班 公共汽车去…?mĕi gé dūo-cháng shí-jiān jiù yŏu yī-bān gōng-gòng-qì-chē qù…?
When is the first/the last bus to…? | 去 … 的第一班/最后一班公共汽车是什么时间?qù … de dì-yī-bān/zuì-hòu-yī-bān gōng-gòng-qì-chē shì shén-me shí-jiān?
Please tell me when to get off | 到时候请您告诉我下车dào shí-hòu qĭng nín gào-sù wŏ xià-chē
Please let me off | 请让我下车qĭng ràng wŏ xià-chē
This is my stop | 我要在这一站下车wŏ yào zài zhè-yī-zhàn xià-chē
coach | 旅游巴士lǚ-yóu bā-shì
shuttle bus | 班车bān-chē

YOU MAY HEAR…
你在这一站下车nĭ zài zhè-yī-zhàn xià-chē | This is your stop
请乘坐地铁, 坐地铁 要快些qĭng chéng-zuò dì-tiĕ, zuò dì-tiĕ yào kuài-xiē | Take the metro, it’s quicker

Metro

There are 38 cities in China with underground systems. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou have the longest underground lines in China. Security is very strict, passengers need to have their bags/suitcases scanned at the entrance. The earliest train is around 5 am, and the latest 11 pm. The fare is calculated by the distance, but considered cheap in general given the size of the cities. In big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, travel cards, such as 一卡通 (yī-kǎ-tōng), can be used.

入口 rù-kŏu | entrance
出口 chū-kŏu | way out/exit
每周/每月mĕi-zhōu/mĕi-yuè | weekly/monthly

A 24-hour ticket | 一张24个小时以内可以使 用的车票yī-zhāng èr-shí-sì gè xiăo-shí yǐ-nèi kĕ-yĭ shĭ-yòng-de chē-piào
A 48-hour ticket | 一张48个小时以内可以使 用的车票yī-zhāng sì-shí-bā gè xiăo-shí yǐ-nèi kĕ-yĭ shĭ-yòng-de chē-piào
Where is the nearest metro? | 离这儿最近的地铁站在 哪里?lí zhèr zuì-jìn-de dì-tiĕ-zhàn zài-nă-li?
How does the ticket machine work? | 如何使用售票机?rú-hé shĭ-yòng shòu-piào-jī?
I’m going to… | 我正在去…wŏ zhèng-zài qù …
Do you have a map of the metro? | 你有一张地铁图吗?nĭ yŏu yī-zhāng dì-tiĕ-tú ma?
How do I get to...? | 我怎么去…?wŏ zĕn-mè qù…?
Do I have to change? | 我要换车吗?wŏ yào huàn-chē ma?
What is the next stop? | 下一站是哪一站?xià-yī-zhàn shì nă-yī-zhàn?
Excuse me! | 请让一让！qĭng ràng-yī-ràng!
This is my stop | 我要在这一站下车wŏ yào zài zhè-yī-zhàn xià-chē

Train

Trains are the most common form of long-distance travel in China. There are two ways of buying tickets: on the national website or at ticket offices in streets and stations.

There are three types of tickets: hard seat, hard bunk and soft bunk. A hard seat ticket is often cheap, about half the price of hard bunk, while a soft bunk ticket is about the same as a plane ticket.

The system is nationalised, it is called China Railway. In the last ten years, China has built over 20,000km of 250km/h High Speed Railways. There are 8 S-N and 8 E-W routes, the trains are normally called CRH-xxx. The tickets for these trains are more expensive.

站台 zhàn-tái | platform
售票处 shòu-piào-chù | ticket office
时刻表 shí-kè-biăo | timetable
误点 wù-diăn | delay (appears on train noticeboards)
行李暂存 xíng-li zàn-cún | left luggage
电子票 diàn-zǐ piào | e-ticket
电子预订 diàn-zǐ yù-dìng | e-reservation

FACE TO FACE

下一趟去 … 的火车是什么时间?xià-yī-tàng qù … de huŏ-chē shì shén-me shí-jiān?When is the next train to…?

下午五点十分xià-wǔ wǔ-diăn-shí-fēnAt 17.10

我想买三张票wŏ xiăng măi sān zhāng piàoI’d like 3 tickets, please

单程还是双程?dān-chéng hái shì shuāng-chéng?Single or return?

On trains, if a child is no taller than 1.2 metres, the ticket is free; between 1.2–1.5 metres, it’s half price; over 1.5 metres, it’s full price.

Where is the station? | 车站在哪里?chē-zhàn zài nă-li?
1 ticket/2 tickets to... | 一/两张去 … 的票yī/liăng zhāng qù … de piào
first/second class | 头等/二等tóu-dĕng/èr-dĕng
I booked online | 我是在网上预订的wǒ shì zài wǎng-shàng yù-dìng de
Is there a supplement to pay? | 要付附加费吗?yào fù fù-jiā-fèi ma?
Do I have to change? | 我要换车吗?wŏ yào huàn-chē ma?
Which platform does it leave from? | 从哪个站台出发?cóng nă-gè zhàn-tái chū-fā?
Is this the train for...? | 这是去…的火车吗?zhè shì qù … de huŏ-chē ma?
Does it stop at…? | 它在 … 停吗?tā zài … tíng ma?
When does it arrive in…? | 它什么时候到达…?tā shén-me shi-hòu dào-da…?
Please tell me when we get to… | 到达 … 时请告诉我dào-dá … shí qĭng gào-sù wŏ
Is there a restaurant car? | 有餐车吗?yŏu cán-chē ma?
Is this seat free? | 有人坐这个座位吗?yŏu rén zuò zhè-ge zuò-wèi ma?
Excuse me! (to get past) | 请让一让！qĭng ràng-yī-ràng!

Taxi

Chinese taxis are cheap, convenient and operate on meters. It is not advised to take a taxi in major cities at rush hour, as bad traffic can result in large bills. The basic fee is 10-15rmb for 3kms in most cities. There is no need to tip. There are taxi stands at stations, airports and major hotels but taxis can also be hailed from the roadside. There are a number of popular taxi apps in China that can be pre-booked or called for immediate use.

I want a taxi | 我想叫一辆出租车wŏ xiăng jiào yī-liàng chū-zū-chē
Where can I get a taxi? | 我在哪儿可以叫一辆出租车?wŏ zài năr kĕ-yĭ jiào yī-liàng chū-zū-chē?
Please order me a taxi | 请现在为我叫一辆出租车qĭng xiàn-zài wèi wǒ jiào yī-liàng chū-zū-chē
How much will it cost to go to…? | 去 … 要多少钱?qù … yào duō-shăo qián?
the station | 车站chē-zhàn
the airport | 机场jī-chăng
this address | 这个地址zhè-gè dì-zhĭ
How much is it? | 多少钱?duō-shăo qián?
Keep the change | 不用找零钱给我bù yòng zhăo líng-qián gĕi wŏ
Sorry, I don’t have any change | 对不起, 我没有零钱duì-bù-qĭ, wŏ méi-yŏu líng-qián

Boat and ferry

Boat and ferry transportation is hardly used by Chinese citizens, since the country has a vast inland territory. Most of the time, on a body of water, there will be several bridges.

How much is a ticket…? | 一张去…的票要多少钱?yī-zhāng qù …de piào yào duō-shăo qián?
Single/return | 单程/双程dān-chéng/shuāng-chéng
When is the last boat? | 最后一班轮船是什么时 间的?zuì-hòu yī-bān lún-chuán shì shén-me shí-jiān de?

Air travel

The three busiest airports in China are Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

抵达 dĭ-dá | arrivals
起飞 qĭ-fēi | departures
国际的 guó-jì-de | international
国内的 guó-nèi-de | domestic
登机口 dēng-jī-kŏu | boarding gate

How do I get to the airport? | 我怎么去机场?wŏ zĕn-me qù jī-chăng?
Is there a bus to the airport? | 有公共汽车去机场吗?yŏu gōng-gòng-qì-chē qù jī-chăng ma?
Where is the luggage for the flight from…? | 来自 … 航班的行李在哪里?lái-zì … háng-bān-de xíng-li zài nă-li?
Where can I change some money? | 我在哪里可以换钱?wŏ zài nă-li kĕ-yĭ huán-qián?
checked luggage | 托运行李tuō-yùn xíng-li
hand luggage | 手提行李shǒu-tí xíng-li
Where can I print my ticket? | 我可以在哪里打印我的 票?wǒ kě-yǐ zài nǎ-li dǎ-yìn wǒ de piào?
I have my boarding pass on my smartphone | 我的登机牌在我的智能手 机上wǒ de dēng-jī-pái zài wǒ de zhì-néng shǒu-jī shàng

When buying plane tickets, note that children are categorised by their age: below 2 (free), between 2 and 12 (half price), then older than 12 (full price).

YOU MAY HEAR…
请在 … 号登机口 登机 qĭng zài … hào dēng-jī-kŏu dēng-jī | Boarding will take place at gate…
请迅速去…号登机口 qĭng xùn-sù qù … hào dēng-jī-kŏu | Go immediately to gate number…
禁止液体 jìn-zhǐ yè-tǐ | No liquids
你的行李超重了 nǐ de xíng-li chāo-zhòng le | Your luggage exceeds the maximum weight

Customs control

Visitors to the mainland of the People’s Republic of China must obtain a visa from one of the Chinese diplomatic missions, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. ID is essential when travelling, you need it to buy train/plane tickets and book hotels.

It is sometimes possible to spend up to three days in China as a stop-over without acquiring a visa. This suits those in transit only, as the visitor is not permitted to leave the city in which they’ve entered China.

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