Having just returned to Beijing after a month and a half back in the States, with a friend who is here in China for his first time and speaks no Chinese, I figured a post with some useful travel phrases would be a good idea. If you are a total China n00b like my friend, these phrases should help you get by in your first few days:<\/p>\n
MONEY<\/strong><\/p>\n How much (does it cost)?\u00a0 \u2013 \u591a\u5c11\u94b1 \u2013 du\u014d sh\u01ceo qi\u00e1n : When traveling in China, and anywhere else for that matter, this is incredibly useful.<\/p>\n Can it be cheaper? \u2013 \u4fbf\u5b9c\u70b9\u5427 \uff0d pi\u00e1n yi di\u01cen ba : When shopping in China, bargaining is a must.\u00a0 Use this phrase to your advantage so you don\u2019t get ripped off.<\/p>\n IN A TAXI<\/strong><\/p>\n Please take me to ____ \u2013 \u8bf7\u5e26\u6211\u53bb ____ \u2013 q\u01d0ng d\u00e0i w\u01d2 q\u00f9 _____ : When you get in a taxi, say this and fill in the blank with your preferred destination.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have confidence in your ability to pronounce the name correctly, print out the address and say \u201c\u8bf7\u5e26\u6211\u5230\u8fd9\u4e2a\u5730\u5740 \u2013 q\u01d0ng d\u00e0i w\u01d2 d\u00e0o zh\u00e8 ge d\u00ec zh\u01d0\u201d, which means \u201cPlease take me to this address.\u201d\u00a0 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\u2026<\/p>\n Please turn the meter on \u2013 \u8bf7\u6253\u8868 \u2013 q\u01d0ng d\u01ce bi\u01ceo : This phrase has proven to be useful on many occassions here for me, as drivers in smaller cities tend to try to take advantage of oblivious \u8001\u5916.<\/p>\n