{"id":13473,"date":"2017-07-10T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=13473"},"modified":"2017-07-07T16:54:59","modified_gmt":"2017-07-07T20:54:59","slug":"chinese-for-travelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/chinese-for-travelers\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese for Travelers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s summer, and for a lot of people that means it’s time to travel. With kids out of school for the summer, many families plan their vacations for these warmer months. In China, beachside cities such as Qingdao<\/a> and Xiamen<\/a> are packed this time of year, as are scenic towns like\u00a0Yangshuo<\/a> or Lijiang<\/a>. It’s also a very popular time of the year for tourists to visit China. If you’re planning an adventure to the Middle Kingdom, you’ll want to make sure you pack some Chinese skills with you. Here are some survival phrases in Chinese for travelers.<\/p>\n

Money<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>

All the Chinese RMB notes. Get used to them.<\/p><\/div>\n

Let’s start off with one of the most important things you’ll be dealing with every day of your trip – money. From the moment you arrive until that last cab ride back to the airport, you’ll need to be asking for the price. It’s easy! Just say this:<\/p>\n

\u591a\u5c11\u94b1?
\ndu\u014d sh\u01ceo qi\u00e1n
\nHow much?<\/h3>\n

When traveling in China, and anywhere else for that matter, this is incredibly useful. You could also add the word for\u00a0this<\/strong> (\u8fd9\u4e2a – zh\u00e8 ge) or that<\/strong> (\u90a3\u4e2a – n\u00e0 g\u00e8) to be a bit more specific:<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u4e2a\u591a\u5c11\u94b1?
\nzh\u00e8 ge du\u014d sh\u01ceo qi\u00e1n
\nHow much is this?<\/h3>\n

When shopping in China, bargaining is a must. Use this phrase to your advantage so you don\u2019t get ripped off:<\/p>\n

\u53ef\u4ee5\u4fbf\u5b9c\u4e00\u70b9\u5417?
\nk\u011b y\u01d0 pi\u00e1n y\u00ed y\u012b di\u01cen ma
\nCan it be cheaper?<\/h3>\n

If you need to learn how to count in Chinese, we’ve got you covered in this guide to counting in Chinese<\/a>. We’ve also got a post all about money<\/a>, where you can learn the different denominations of Chinese RMB and how to talk about them.<\/p>\n

In a Taxi<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Image by Michael Coghlan from flickr.com.<\/p><\/div>\n

Chances are you’ll want to take a cab at some point in your trip. While most Chinese cities have great public transportation, you might be a bit tired after exploring the Forbidden City<\/a> or Terracotta Warriors<\/a> and won’t feel like pushing through the crowds. When you get in a taxi, say this and fill in the blank with your preferred destination:<\/p>\n

\u8bf7\u5e26\u6211\u53bb ____.
\nq\u01d0ng d\u00e0i w\u01d2 q\u00f9 _____
\nPlease take me to ____.<\/h3>\n

If you don\u2019t have confidence in your ability to pronounce the name correctly, print out the address and say:<\/p>\n

\u8bf7\u5e26\u6211\u5230\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5730\u5740
\nq\u01d0ng d\u00e0i w\u01d2 d\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ge d\u00ec zh\u01d0
\nPlease take me to this address.<\/h3>\n

When cab drivers hear you speak Chinese, they are less likely to rip you off.<\/p>\n

Speaking of cab drivers, if you are traveling outside of Beijing, Shanghai, or other big tourist-friendly cities, be prepared with this phrase:<\/p>\n

\u8bf7\u6253\u8868
\nq\u01d0ng d\u01ce bi\u01ceo
\nPlease turn the meter on.<\/h3>\n

This phrase has proven to be useful on many occasions for me, as drivers in smaller cities tend to try to take advantage of oblivious \u8001\u5916. Learn more by reading all about taking a Chinese taxi<\/a>. There’s a sample conversation in that post that you can study to get ready for your trip.<\/p>\n

Asking Directions<\/h2>\n
\"\"

\u706b\u8f66\u7ad9\u5728\u54ea\u91cc? (Where is the train station?)<\/p><\/div>\n

A fair word of warning when it comes to directions – many people in China will tell you where to go even if they have no idea. That being said, it’s still worth it to learn how to ask for directions. In Chinese, you put the name of the place first, and then ask \u201cat where?\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u00a0____ \u5728\u54ea\u91cc?
\n____ z\u00e0i n\u01ce l\u01d0
\nWhere is ____?<\/h3>\n

This goes along with asking for directions, and can be helpful in determining whether to walk, run, bike, swim, or taxi it to your desired destination:<\/p>\n

\u600e\u4e48\u53bb _____?
\nz\u011bn me q\u00f9 _____
\nHow do I get to ____?<\/h3>\n

Of course, you’ll also want to brush up on your Chinese for directions. We’ve got a post all about asking for and giving directions in the works, so be sure up to sign up at the bottom of this one so you don’t miss it.<\/p>\n

In a Restaurant<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>

A table full of great Chinese food at a local Lanzhou restaurant.<\/p><\/div>\n

Eating out is always an adventure in China. Unless you can read Chinese characters, the menu might as well by hieroglyphics. If you can\u2019t read the menu, use this as your go-to phrase:<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u63a8\u8350\u4ec0\u4e48\u83dc?
\nn\u01d0 tu\u012b ji\u00e0n sh\u00e9n me c\u00e0i
\nWhat do you recommend?<\/h3>\n

Sometimes you\u2019ll end up with something you love, and sometimes you\u2019ll end up with something really funky. If you\u2019re in China and you can\u2019t really speak Chinese, you are just going to have to deal with this.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be a lame foreigner and eat McDonald\u2019s every day.<\/p>\n

Rather than rely on boring comfort food, why not try the local specialty? If you’re OK with eating just about everything (which most people in China are), just utter this phrase and take what you are given:<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u4eec\u6709\u4ec0\u4e48\u7279\u8272\u83dc?
\nn\u01d0 men y\u01d2u sh\u00e9n me t\u00e8 s\u00e8 c\u00e0i
\nWhat specialties do you have?<\/h3>\n

In my experience, the specialty dishes in local restaurants are usually amazing. Whether it’s yang rou pao mo<\/em> in Xi’an<\/a> or Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles<\/a> in Yunnan, the local specialties are where it’s at. Of course, if you are a pickier eater, you may need to equip yourself with a few more phrases, such as\u2026<\/p>\n

\u6211\u4e0d\u5403\u8089
\nw\u01d2 b\u00f9 ch\u012b r\u00f2u
\nI don\u2019t eat meat.<\/h3>\n

I hang out with a lot of vegetarian hippies wherever I go, so I think this one is useful as well. If you tell this to your waiter, they will understand and will bring you only veggie dishes. We have a post on vegetarian food in China<\/a> so you can learn more about your options.<\/p>\n

As a lot of Chinese food is really spicy, this next one is pretty important:<\/p>\n

\u6211\u559c\u6b22\u5403\u8fa3\/\u6211\u4e0d\u559c\u6b22\u5403\u8fa3
\nw\u01d2 x\u01d0 huan ch\u012b l\u00e0\/w\u01d2 b\u00f9 x\u01d0 huan ch\u012b l\u00e0
\nI like to eat spicy food\/I don\u2019t like to eat spicy food.<\/h3>\n

If you can\u2019t take the heat, well, you don\u2019t need to get out of the kitchen\u2026 Just say this and they will cool it down a bit for you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Those phrases should at least make your life a bit easier when traveling in China. If you aren’t doing so already, make sure you’re learning a new Chinese word every day<\/a>\u00a0before you go.<\/p>\n

Are you traveling in China soon? Where are you going?<\/h3>\n

Leave a comment and let us know!<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Chinese

It’s summer, and for a lot of people that means it’s time to travel. With kids out of school for the summer, many families plan their vacations for these warmer months. In China, beachside cities such as Qingdao and Xiamen are packed this time of year, as are scenic towns like\u00a0Yangshuo or Lijiang. It’s also…<\/p>\n

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