Chinese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 2 of 12
Travel and hotels
在酒店Zài jiǔdiàn
Check in at a Chinese hotel, ask for things politely, say how many nights you're staying and talk about places you've been with 过.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Check in and say how many nights you're staying
- Say what you have or haven't done before with 过 (guo)
- Ask for something politely
- Report a small problem in your room
Listen
Wang Qiang, from Harbin, checks in at a hotel in Guilin. Later he phones reception from his room. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Receptionist
您好，欢迎光临。请问您有预订吗？
Nín hǎo, huānyíng guānglín. Qǐngwèn nín yǒu yùdìng ma?
Hello and welcome. Do you have a reservation?
Wang Qiang
有。我叫王强，我要办理入住。
Yǒu. Wǒ jiào Wáng Qiáng, wǒ yào bànlǐ rùzhù.
Yes. My name is Wang Qiang. I'd like to check in.
Receptionist
好的。麻烦您给我看一下身份证。
Hǎo de. Máfan nín gěi wǒ kàn yíxià shēnfènzhèng.
Certainly. Could I see your ID card, please?
Wang Qiang
给您。我住两晚。
Gěi nín. Wǒ zhù liǎng wǎn.
Here you are. I'm staying two nights.
Receptionist
您来过桂林吗？
Nín láiguo Guìlín ma?
Have you been to Guilin before?
Wang Qiang
没来过，这是第一次。早餐在几楼？
Méi láiguo, zhè shì dì-yī cì. Zǎocān zài jǐ lóu?
No, this is my first time. Which floor is breakfast on?
Receptionist
在二楼，早上七点到十点。您的房间在八楼，这是您的房卡。
Zài èr lóu, zǎoshang qī diǎn dào shí diǎn. Nín de fángjiān zài bā lóu, zhè shì nín de fángkǎ.
On the second floor, from seven to ten in the morning. Your room is on the eighth floor. Here is your key card.
Wang Qiang
您好，我是八零六的王强。房间里的空调坏了。
Nín hǎo, wǒ shì bā líng liù de Wáng Qiáng. Fángjiān li de kōngtiáo huài le.
Hello, this is Wang Qiang in room 806. The air conditioning in my room isn't working.
Receptionist
不好意思。十分钟后师傅去您的房间看一下。
Bù hǎoyìsi. Shí fēnzhōng hòu shīfu qù nín de fángjiān kàn yíxià.
I'm sorry. A technician will come to your room in ten minutes and have a look.
Wang Qiang
好的。还有，能不能给我两条毛巾？
Hǎo de. Háiyǒu, néng bu néng gěi wǒ liǎng tiáo máojīn?
OK. Also, could I have two towels?
Receptionist
可以。您还需要别的吗？
Kěyǐ. Nín hái xūyào bié de ma?
Of course. Do you need anything else?
Wang Qiang
不需要了，谢谢。
Bù xūyào le, xièxie.
No, that's all, thank you.
Understand
过 (guo): have you ever…?
Put (guo) straight after a verb to say you have done something at some time in your life: (wǒ láiguo Guìlín), I've been to Guilin (before). It's about experience, not about one particular occasion. In pinyin it's written together with the verb and has the neutral tone.
The negative is (méi) + verb + 过: (méi láiguo), I've never been here. Ask with (ma): (Nǐ chīguo huǒguō ma?) Have you ever had hotpot? Compare with 了: (wǒ qùle Shànghǎi) talks about one trip that happened; (wǒ qùguo Shànghǎi) says you know Shanghai, you've been there.
- 我去过北京，没去过上海。Wǒ qùguo Běijīng, méi qùguo Shànghǎi.I've been to Beijing, but I've never been to Shanghai.
- 你住过这个酒店吗？Nǐ zhùguo zhège jiǔdiàn ma?Have you stayed at this hotel before?
- 我没吃过饺子。Wǒ méi chīguo jiǎozi.I've never eaten dumplings.
Could you…? Asking politely
Three polite ways to ask for something: (kěyǐ… ma?), can I / could you…?; (néng bu néng…?), could you…?; and (máfan nín…), literally “may I trouble you to…”, a very polite start. Staff often use (máfan nín) with guests.
Adding (yíxià) after the verb makes a request softer and shorter, like “just” or “quickly”: (kàn yíxià), have a quick look. To add a second request, start with (háiyǒu), “also, and another thing”: (Háiyǒu, néng bu néng gěi wǒ liǎng tiáo máojīn?)
| Chinese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (Kěyǐ gěi wǒ liǎng tiáo máojīn ma?) | Could I have two towels? |
| (Néng bu néng gěi wǒ yì zhāng fángkǎ?) | Could you give me a key card? |
| (Máfan nín kàn yíxià kōngtiáo.) | Could you please have a look at the air conditioning? |
How long, which floor
How long something lasts goes after the verb: (zhù liǎng wǎn) or (zhù liǎng ge wǎnshang), stay two nights; (zhù sān tiān), stay three days. (hòu) after a time means “later, in”: (shí fēnzhōng hòu), in ten minutes. (fēnzhōng) is “minutes” when you count them.
Floors are number + (lóu): (bā lóu). (yī lóu) is the ground floor, so (èr lóu) is one floor up. For “first, second…” put (dì) before the number: (dì-yī cì), the first time. Room numbers are read digit by digit: 806 is (bā líng liù).
- 我在桂林住三天。Wǒ zài Guìlín zhù sān tiān.I'm staying in Guilin for three days.
- 我的房间在五楼。Wǒ de fángjiān zài wǔ lóu.My room is on the fifth floor.
More in the grammar: How long and how often · 过: have you ever…?
New words
- 预订yùdìngreservation; to book · (wǒ yùdìngle yí ge fángjiān), I booked a room
- 办理入住bànlǐ rùzhùto check in · (bànlǐ), to handle, to do (paperwork) + (rùzhù), moving in
- 麻烦您máfan níncould you please… · literally “I trouble you”; very polite
- 身份证shēnfènzhèngID card · Everyone in China has one; hotels ask for it at check-in. Foreign guests show their (hùzhào), passport, instead.
- 住zhùto stay (at a hotel); to live · (zhù liǎng wǎn), stay two nights
- 酒店jiǔdiànhotel · (zài jiǔdiàn), at the hotel. (bīnguǎn) is also common.
- 晚wǎnnight (when counting nights) · (liǎng wǎn) = (liǎng ge wǎnshang), two nights
- 几楼jǐ lóuwhich floor? · (lóu), floor; building. (zài bā lóu), on the eighth floor
- 早餐zǎocānbreakfast · a little more formal than (zǎofàn); used in hotels
- 房卡fángkǎkey card (hotel) · measure word (zhāng)
- 空调kōngtiáoair conditioning
- 坏了huài lebroken, not working · (kōngtiáo huài le), the air conditioning isn't working
- 毛巾máojīntowel · measure word (tiáo): (liǎng tiáo máojīn), two towels
- 需要xūyàoto need · (bù xūyào le), I don't need anything more
Practise
1.You've never been to Guilin. What do you say?
2.Match the words with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
3.Put the words in order: say that you're staying two nights.
Tap the words below in the right order.I'm staying two nights.
4.The shower in your room doesn't work. You say (línyù) ___
5.Put the words in order: ask politely for a towel.
Tap the words below in the right order.Could you give me a towel?
6.The receptionist says your room is (zài yī lóu). Where is it?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
您好，我要办理入住。
Nín hǎo, wǒ yào bànlǐ rùzhù.
Hello, I'd like to check in.
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.