Traveling across China is not just a visual feast but also a wonderful journey of cultural immersion. In fact, this travel experience becomes more meaningful when you connect with this land’s 5,000-year-old civilization. Furthermore, knowing some basic conversations can significantly enhance your travel experience and help you get around more easily. Additionally, such travel interactions give you deeper insights into Chinese thinking and culture. Therefore, proper preparation before your travel to China will undoubtedly make your entire travel adventure more rewarding and memorable.

Talking to Taxi Drivers

Context: Hailing a taxi on the street or booking through apps
Note: In major Chinese cities, DiDi (similar to Uber) is common. Since many drivers may not speak English, it’s best to have your destination written in Chinese.

Dialogue example:

游（yóu）客（kè）：师（shī）傅（fu），请（qǐng）带（dài）我（wǒ）去（qù）故（gù）宫（gōng）。

Tourist: Driver, please take me to the Forbidden City.

司（sī）机（jī）：好（hǎo）的（de），系（xì）好（hǎo）安（ān）全（quán）带（dài）。从（cóng）这（zhè）走（zǒu）大（dà）概（gài）需（xū）要（yào）30分（fēn）钟（zhōng）。

Driver: Sure, please fasten your seatbelt. It will take about 30 minutes from here.

游（yóu）客（kè）：好（hǎo）的（de），谢（xiè）谢（xiè）。这（zhè）里（lǐ）堵（dǔ）车（chē）严（yán）重（zhòng）吗（ma）？

Tourist: Ok, thank you. Is traffic bad around here?

司（sī）机（jī）：早（zǎo）高（gāo）峰（fēng）时（shí）有（yǒu）点（diǎn）堵（dǔ），但（dàn）现（xiàn）在（zài）还（hái）好（hǎo）。您（nín）是（shì）第（dì）一（yī）次（cì）来（lái）北（běi）京（jīng）吗（ma）？

Driver: It gets congested during morning rush hour, but it’s fine now. Is this your first time in Beijing?

Subway Station Inquiries

Context: Finding the correct line or exit in a subway station
Note: Subway systems in major Chinese cities are modern with signs usually in English too. You can buy subway cards at convenience stores or stations.

Dialogue example:

游（yóu）客（kè）：请（qǐng）问（wèn），去（qù）天（tiān）安（ān）门（mén）应（yīng）该（gāi）坐（zuò）几（jǐ）号（hào）线（xiàn）？

Tourist: Excuse me, which line should I take to Tiananmen?

工（gōng）作（zuò）人（rén）员（yuán）：您（nín）需（xū）要（yào）乘（chéng）坐（zuò）1号（hào）线（xiàn），在（zài）天（tiān）安（ān）门（mén）东（dōng）站（zhàn）下（xià）车（chē）。

Staff: You need to take Line 1 and get off at Tiananmen East Station.

游（yóu）客（kè）：我（wǒ）需（xū）要（yào）换（huàn）乘（chéng）吗（ma）？

Tourist: Do I need to transfer?

工（gōng）作（zuò）人（rén）员（yuán）：从（cóng）这（zhè）里（lǐ）需（xū）要（yào）先（xiān）坐（zuò）2号（hào）线（xiàn），然（rán）后（hòu）在（zài）建（jiàn）国（guó）门（mén）换（huàn）乘（chéng）1号（hào）线（xiàn）。

Staff: From here, you need to take Line 2 first, then transfer to Line 1 at Jianguomen Station.

Restaurant Dining Conversations

Context: Dining in a Chinese restaurant
Note: In Chinese restaurants, you usually order a few dishes and eat together. You can order by looking at the menu or scanning a QR code. Of course, you can also ask the waiter for recommendations.

Dialogue example:

服（fú）务（wù）员（yuán）：您（nín）好（hǎo），请（qǐng）问（wèn）想（xiǎng）点（diǎn）些（xiē）什（shén）么（me）？

Waiter: Hello, what would you like to order?

游（yóu）客（kè）：你（nǐ）们（men）有（yǒu）什（shén）么（me）推（tuī）荐（jiàn）的（de）菜（cài）？

Tourist: What dishes do you recommend?

服（fú）务（wù）员（yuán）：我（wǒ）们（men）的（de）红（hóng）烧（shāo）肉（ròu）和（hé）宫（gōng）保（bǎo）鸡（jī）丁（dīng）很（hěn）受（shòu）欢（huān）迎（yíng）。

Waiter: Our braised pork and Kung Pao chicken are very popular.

游（yóu）客（kè）：好（hǎo）的（de），那（nà）就（jiù）这（zhè）两（liǎng）个（gè）菜（cài），再（zài）加（jiā）一（yī）份（fèn）蔬（shū）菜（cài）和（hé）两（liǎng）碗（wǎn）米（mǐ）饭（fàn）。

Tourist: Alright, I’ll have those two dishes, plus one vegetable dish and two bowls of rice.

服（fú）务（wù）员（yuán）：好（hǎo）的（de），请（qǐng）稍（shāo）等（děng）。

Waiter: Sure, please wait a moment.

Getting Lost and Finding Your Way

Context: Being lost in a city
Note: Chinese people are usually very helpful. If you’re lost, don’t hesitate to ask locals for directions.

Dialogue example:

游（yóu）客（kè）：不（bù）好（hǎo）意（yì）思（si），请（qǐng）问（wèn）火（huǒ）车（chē）站（zhàn）怎（zěn）么（me）走（zǒu）？

Tourist: Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?

路（lù）人（rén）：往（wǎng）前（qián）走（zǒu）到（dào）十（shí）字（zì）路（lù）口（kǒu），然（rán）后（hòu）右（yòu）转（zhuǎn），大（dà）约（yuē）500米（mǐ）。

Passerby: Walk to the intersection ahead, then turn right. It’s about 500 meters.

游（yóu）客（kè）：需（xū）要（yào）多（duō）长（cháng）时（shí）间（jiān）步（bù）行（xíng）到（dào）那（nà）里（lǐ）？

Tourist: How long does it take to walk there?

路（lù）人（rén）：大（dà）约（yuē）15分（fēn）钟（zhōng）。或（huò）者（zhě）您（nín）可（kě）以（yǐ）坐（zuò）3路（lù）公（gōng）交（jiāo）车（chē），两（liǎng）站（zhàn）就（jiù）到（dào）了（le）。

Passerby: About 15 minutes. Or you can take bus number 3, it’s just two stops.

游（yóu）客（kè）：非（fēi）常（cháng）感（gǎn）谢（xiè）！

Tourist: Thank you very much!

路（lù）人（rén）：不（bù）客（kè）气（qì），祝（zhù）您（nín）旅（lǚ）途（tú）愉（yú）快（kuài）！

Passerby: You’re welcome. Have a nice journey!

Enriching Your China Journey

Learning these simple conversations can make your travel in China much smoother. Additionally, it opens a window into this ancient culture. Even with basic phrases, you’ll connect more deeply with locals and their way of life.

Remember, Chinese people are generally friendly to foreigners. Don’t worry if your pronunciation isn’t perfect! The key is to keep an open mind, show respect for local customs, and enjoy this amazing cross-cultural experience.

Here’s to a wonderful and memorable trip in China!