Chinese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 9 of 12
Directions and transport
在火车站Zài huǒchēzhàn
Get around by train in China: ask about delays and platforms, give and understand instructions with 请 and 别, and talk about going from A to B.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask about delays, platforms and ticket gates
- Give instructions with 请 (qǐng), 别 (bié) and 不要 (bú yào)
- Say from where to where with 从…到… (cóng… dào…)
- Choose between 或者 (huòzhě) and 还是 (háishi)
Listen
Liu Fang and her eight-year-old son Xiaobao are at Hangzhou East station, waiting for a train to Shanghai. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Liu Fang
小宝，别跑！高铁站里人很多。
Xiǎobǎo, bié pǎo! Gāotiězhàn li rén hěn duō.
Xiaobao, don't run! There are lots of people in the station.
Xiaobao
妈妈，我们的车几点开？
Māma, wǒmen de chē jǐ diǎn kāi?
Mum, what time does our train leave?
Liu Fang
我看看车票……十点二十。哎呀，晚点了。
Wǒ kànkan chēpiào… Shí diǎn èrshí. Āiyā, wǎndiǎn le.
Let me look at the ticket… 10:20. Oh no, it's delayed.
Xiaobao
那我们要等多长时间？
Nà wǒmen yào děng duō cháng shíjiān?
So how long do we have to wait?
Liu Fang
您好，请问去上海的高铁晚点多长时间？
Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn qù Shànghǎi de gāotiě wǎndiǎn duō cháng shíjiān?
Excuse me, how late is the train to Shanghai?
Staff
晚点二十分钟，十点四十开。
Wǎndiǎn èrshí fēnzhōng, shí diǎn sìshí kāi.
It's twenty minutes late. It leaves at 10:40.
Liu Fang
在几号站台上车？
Zài jǐ hào zhàntái shàngchē?
Which platform do we get on at?
Staff
八号站台。请去十二号检票口。
Bā hào zhàntái. Qǐng qù shí'èr hào jiǎnpiàokǒu.
Platform 8. Please go to ticket gate 12.
Liu Fang
谢谢您。从杭州到上海要多长时间？
Xièxie nín. Cóng Hángzhōu dào Shànghǎi yào duō cháng shíjiān?
Thank you. How long does it take from Hangzhou to Shanghai?
Staff
一个小时。您别着急，可以在这儿坐一下，或者去咖啡馆。
Yí ge xiǎoshí. Nín bié zháojí, kěyǐ zài zhèr zuò yíxià, huòzhě qù kāfēiguǎn.
An hour. Don't worry: you can sit here for a bit, or go to the café.
Xiaobao
妈妈，我们去咖啡馆吧！
Māma, wǒmen qù kāfēiguǎn ba!
Mum, let's go to the café!
Liu Fang
好吧。不要跑，我们有时间。
Hǎo ba. Bú yào pǎo, wǒmen yǒu shíjiān.
All right. Don't run, we've got time.
Understand
Please, don't: giving instructions
An instruction is just the verb: (zǒu), go. (qǐng) before the verb makes it polite: (qǐng qù shí'èr hào jiǎnpiàokǒu), please go to gate 12. You'll hear 请 in every announcement.
For “don't”, put (bié) or (bú yào) before the verb: (Bié pǎo!) Don't run! They mean the same; 别 is a little more everyday. (ba) at the end makes an instruction softer, more like advice: (zǒu ba), let's go; (hǎo ba), all right then. (bié zháojí), don't worry, is very common.
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Qǐng shàngchē.) | Please get on the train. |
| (Qǐng zài bā hào zhàntái shàngchē.) | Please board at platform 8. |
| (Bié pǎo!) | Don't run! |
| (Bú yào zháojí.) | Don't worry. |
| (Wǒmen zǒu ba.) | Let's go. |
From A to B, and how you travel
(cóng) A (dào) B means “from A to B” and goes before the verb: (cóng Hángzhōu dào Shànghǎi yào yí ge xiǎoshí), it takes an hour from Hangzhou to Shanghai. (yào) here means “takes (time)”.
The verb depends on how you travel: (zuò), literally “sit”, for trains, buses, the metro and planes; (qí), ride, for bikes; (kāi), drive, for a car. A train (kāi) too: (Chē jǐ diǎn kāi?) When does the train leave? (shàngchē) is to get on, (xiàchē) to get off, and (huànchéng) to change (trains or lines).
- 我每天骑车上班。Wǒ měi tiān qí chē shàngbān.I cycle to work every day.
- 我们在下一站下车。Wǒmen zài xià yí zhàn xiàchē.We get off at the next stop.
- 在这儿换乘二号线。Zài zhèr huànchéng èr hào xiàn.Change here for line 2.
或者 or 还是? Two words for “or”
Chinese has two words for “or”. (háishi) is for questions where you choose: (Zuò gāotiě háishi kāichē?) By train or by car? (huòzhě) is for statements: (nǐ kěyǐ zài zhèr zuò yíxià, huòzhě qù kāfēiguǎn), you can sit here or go to the café.
Remember (yào… le) from chapter 6, for “about to”. At a station you'll hear it a lot: (chē yào kāi le), the train is about to leave.
- 我们坐地铁还是骑车？Wǒmen zuò dìtiě háishi qí chē?Shall we take the metro or cycle?
- 星期六或者星期天都可以。Xīngqīliù huòzhě xīngqītiān dōu kěyǐ.Saturday or Sunday are both fine.
More in the grammar: Asking questions · Negation: 不, 没 and 别
New words
- 别biédon't · (bié pǎo), don't run
- 高铁站gāotiězhànhigh-speed railway station · (huǒchēzhàn), railway station
- 车票chēpiào(train or bus) ticket
- 晚点wǎndiǎnto be late, delayed (trains, planes) · (děng), to wait: (yào děng duō cháng shíjiān?), how long do we have to wait?
- 站台zhàntáiplatform · (bā hào zhàntái), platform 8
- 上车shàngchēto get on (a train, bus, car)
- 检票口jiǎnpiàokǒuticket gate · (jiǎnpiào), to check tickets
- 从…到…cóng… dào…from… to… · (yí ge xiǎoshí), one hour
- 着急zháojíworried, in a hurry · (bié zháojí), don't worry; (wǒmen yǒu shíjiān), we've got time
- 或者huòzhěor (in statements)
- 换乘huànchéngto change (trains, lines)
- 下车xiàchēto get off (a train, bus, car)
- 骑qíto ride (a bike) · (qí chē), to cycle
- 开kāito drive; to leave (trains) · (kāichē), to drive a car
Practise
1.Your child is running on the platform. What do you call out?
2.You ask a friend to choose: metro or bike? Which sentence is correct?
3.Match the station words.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
4.Put the words in order: it takes an hour from Hangzhou to Shanghai.
Tap the words below in the right order.It takes an hour from Hangzhou to Shanghai.
5.Match the ways of travelling.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Put the words in order: which platform do we get on at?
Tap the words below in the right order.Which platform do we get on at?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
请问，去上海的高铁晚点了吗？
Qǐngwèn, qù Shànghǎi de gāotiě wǎndiǎn le ma?
Excuse me, is the train to Shanghai delayed?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.