Your Ultimate Guide: Key Phrases For Business Trips in China ✈️

Q: How do I ask for a non-smoking room in Chinese?

You can ask, [speak 房间是无烟的吗？] (fáng jiān shì wú yān de ma?). Is the room non-smoking?

Q: What is the most frequent transportation to go between cities in China?

You’ll often need to take [speak 高铁] (gāo tiě), which is the high-speed railway that’s much more convenient than flights in China. To book a ticket, you can say, [speak 我想预订一张高铁票] (Wǒ xiǎng yù dìng yī zhāng gāo tiě piào) - I want to book a high-speed railway ticket.

Q: How do I ask where the nearest subway station is in Chinese?

You can say, [speak 最近的地铁站在哪里？] (Zuì jìn de dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ?) . - Where is the nearest subway?

Q: How do I confirm the departure time of a flight in Chinese?

You can say with [speak 这个航班几点出发？] (Zhè ge háng bān jǐ diǎn chū fā?) - when does this flight depart?

Q: How do I ensure that a hotel accepts foreign guests in Chinese?

You could use this sentence. [speak 人可以入住吗？] (wài guó rén kě yǐ rù zhù ma?) - Can foreigners check in?

By LTL Team HQ
Business Chinese
September 18, 2024

Want a Stress-Free Business Trip? Learn Key Phrases for Booking Flights, Hotels, and Transportation in Chinese

Travelling for business in China can be both exciting and challenging.

Even though it’s becoming more common for the staff to speak English in the tourism industry, you never know when you will need to sprinkle in some Chinese to make the journey smooth.

Especially for booking flights, hotels, and transportation, it’s crucial to know the exact words. Otherwise, you might end up on a flight to Chongqing when your business meeting is in Chengdu!

In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to all the necessary phrases and tips to handle travel logistics in China like a local 🙌

Chinese Business Trips || Key Vocabulary for Booking Flights
Chinese Business Trips || Essential Phrases for Booking Hotels
Chinese Business Trips || Transportation Tips and Useful Phrases
Chinese Business Trips || FAQs

PLAY

Chinese Business Trips || Key Vocabulary for Booking Flights

Booking a flight in China can be a hassle if you’re just learning the language. Pay special attention to these terms and remember them precisely.

To say you want to book a ticket, always refer to this word:

预订
yù dìng
Book

Or you can just simply use this single character in a casual conversation.

订
dìng
Book

机票
jī piào
Flight ticket

For example:

^{Wǒ xiǎng dìng yī zhāng cóng Běijīng dào Shànghǎi de jī piào.}

我想订一张从北京到上海的机票。

_{I want to book a flight ticket from Beijing to Shanghai.}

Now here are some vocabularies to specify the details of the flight.

航班 háng bān	Flight number
出发 chū fā	Departure
到达 dào dá	Arrival
单程票 dān chéng piào	One-way ticket
往返票 wǎng fǎn piào	Round-trip ticket

For example, to ask about the departing time of the flight, you can say:

这个航班几点出发？
Zhè ge háng bān jǐ diǎn chū fā?
What time does this flight depart?

If you want to book a round-trip ticket, you can say:

我想预订一张往返票。
Wǒ xiǎng yù dìng yī zhāng wǎng fǎn piào.
I want to book a round-trip ticket.

As you know, being a frequent traveler, flight companies have different policies on luggage and carry-ons. You will need to pay attention to these words.

行李
xíng lǐ
Luggage

行李限额
xíng lǐ xiàn é
Luggage limit

随身行李
suí shēn xíng lǐ
Carry-on

To ask about the limits of luggage when booking, you can say:

这个航班有行李限额吗？
Zhè ge háng bān yǒu xíng lǐ xiàn é ma?
Is there a luggage limit on this flight?

30+ Basic Business Chinese Vocabulary: Business Essentials

Do Business Like a Local || Commonly Used Business Chinese Vocabulary So, you have decided to do business in China. That’s great! However, you should be prepared to deal with locals who don’t speak English. If you want to develop…

Chinese Business Trips || Essential Phrases for Booking Hotels

Like booking flights, there are also some important to pay attention to when booking hotels in China.

Not all hotels accept foreign guests since they only accept National IDs for check-ins – however the government is currently trying to overhaul this system and make it easier for foreigners

Here are some basic phrases you should remember first.

酒店
jiǔ diàn
Hotel

房间
fáng jiān
Room

入住
rù zhù
Check-in

退房
tuì fáng
Check-out

For example, to ensure that you can stay in the hotel as a foreigner, you can ask:

^{wài guó rén kě yǐ rù zhù ma?}

外国人可以入住吗？

_{Can foreigners check in?}

And this phrase is always helpful to ensure the check-in time so you can put off your leavy luggage.

^{Shén me shí hòu kě yǐ rù zhù?}

什么时候可以入住？

_{When can I check in?}

If you also want to extend your check-out time, you can ask：

^{Wǒ kě yǐ yán chí tuì fáng ma?}

我可以延迟退房吗？

_{Can I check out later?}

In most cases, you will have the option to choose between a double standard room or a suite for your trip. Here are the vocabularies for room types and anything that come with it.

双人房
shuāng rén fáng
Double room

套房
tào fáng
Suite

有没有空房？
Yǒu méi yǒu kōng fáng?
Do you have any available rooms?

If you are sensitive to the surrounding environment of your rooms, you can always request a specific quieter room or non-smoking room.

^{Wǒ yào yī jiān ān jìng de fáng jiān.}

我要一间安静的房间。

_{I want a quiet room.}

无烟
wú yān
non-smoking

^{fáng jiān shì wú yān de ma?}

房间是无烟的吗？

_{Is the room non-smoking?}

早餐
zǎo cān
Breakfast

无线上网
wú xiàn shàng wǎng
Wi-Fi

It’s always helpful to ask if breakfast and Wi-Fi are included in your room. You can say:

^{Jiǔ diàn tí gōng zǎo cān ma?}

酒店提供早餐吗？

_{Does the hotel provide breakfast?}

It’s pretty common for Chinese to refer to Wi-Fi just in English. So you can just ask:

^{Qǐng wèn, fáng jiān lǐ yǒu Wi-Fi ma?}

请问，房间里有Wifi吗？

_{Excuse me, is there Wi-Fi in the room?}

Learning Multiple Languages and How it Led to a New Chapter | Tim’s Story

Language enthusiast Tim shares his experience of studying Japanese in Tokyo and Chinese in Beijing. He explains how this unexpectedly led him to opening a ramen restaurant in San Francisco!

Chinese Business Trips || Transportation Tips and Useful Phrases

Moving around and getting to different places are the most frequent scenarios in which you will need to speak Chinese.

Unlike hotels and flights where staff are better trained to speak English, you’d often need to ask around in Chinese when navigating local transportation.

First, some basic phrases to help you get around.

出租车
chū zū chē
Taxi

Or now, in most cases, you will call an Uber, which is called Didi in China.

滴滴
dī dī
Didi, Uber in China

^{wǒ yào qù…}

我要去…

_{I want to go to…}

When you get on a Didi, you will often confirm with the driver of your destination.

^{Wǒ yào qù zhè ge dì zhǐ.)}

我要去这个地址

_{I want to go to this address.}

PLAY

地铁 dì tiě	Subway
公交 gōng jiāo chē	Bus
车站 chē zhàn	Station

^{zěn me zǒu?}

怎么走？

_{How do I get there?}

So to ask about the nearest subway station, you can say:

^{Zuì jìn de dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ?}

最近的地铁站在哪里？

_{Where is the nearest subway station?}

When you’re in China, a high-speed railway can be much more convenient than flights to travel between cities.

高铁 gāo tiě	High-speed railway
speak 火车站] huǒ chē zhàn	Train station
票 piào	Ticket

^{duō shǎo qián?}

多少钱？

_{How much?}

To book a high-speed railway ticket, you can say:

我想预订一张去上海的高铁票。
Wǒ xiǎng yù dìng yī zhāng qù Shànghǎi de gāo tiě piào.
I want to book a high-speed railway ticket to Shanghai.

Usually, you’ll need to choose the tiers of your seat.

一等座 yī děng zuò	First-class seat
二等座 èr děng zuò	Second-class seat
商务座 shāng wù zuò	Business-class seat

Last but not least, always remember to find the ticket gate for your train.

检票口
Jiǎn piào kǒu
Ticket gate

You can ask with this sentence:

^{Jiǎn piào kǒu zài nǎ lǐ?}

检票口在哪里？

_{Where is the ticket gate?}

Now you’ve got a lot to digest. Take your time to practice in daily scenes as you travel and get around. They seem complex, but once you master them, you’ll travel around China smoothly like a local.

Websites to Learn Chinese 🖥️ 46 of the Best Sites out there to Learn Mandarin in 2024

The BEST Websites To Learn Chinese // paid, free, tutors, courses and software // See EVERY Website to learn Chinese on your computer.

Chinese Business Trips || FAQs

What is business trip in Chinese?

“Business trip” in Chinese is 出差 (chūchāi).

How do I ask for a non-smoking room in Chinese?

You can ask, 房间是无烟的吗？ (fáng jiān shì wú yān de ma?). Is the room non-smoking?

What is the most frequent transportation to go between cities in China?

You’ll often need to take 高铁 (gāo tiě), which is the high-speed railway that’s much more convenient than flights in China. To book a ticket, you can say, 我想预订一张高铁票 (Wǒ xiǎng yù dìng yī zhāng gāo tiě piào) – I want to book a high-speed railway ticket.

How do I ask where the nearest subway station is in Chinese?

You can say, 最近的地铁站在哪里？ (Zuì jìn de dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ?). – Where is the nearest subway?

How do I confirm the departure time of a flight in Chinese?

You can say with 这个航班几点出发？ (Zhè ge háng bān jǐ diǎn chū fā?) – when does this flight depart?

How do I ensure that a hotel accepts foreign guests in Chinese?

You could use this sentence. 人可以入住吗？ (wài guó rén kě yǐ rù zhù ma?) – Can foreigners check in?

Do you know any other useful phrases for business travel in China? Share with us here!

Want more from LTL?

We offer a 7 day free trial to all new students where you can study Mandarin 24/7. Come and check it out free of charge and see what you think.

We also offer immersive Chinese courses in China. You can learn more about those here.