Travel Mandarin guide · 12 min read
20 Essential Chinese Phrases for Travel
Learn 20 practical Mandarin travel phrases for transport, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and getting help, with pinyin and natural examples.
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Travel Mandarin is less about perfect grammar and more about making one clear request at the right moment. The phrases below cover the situations in which a few words can save the most time: transport, hotels, meals, payment, and asking for help.
Learn the bold phrase first, then practice the complete example. Pointing, showing a destination on your phone, and adding 请问 (excuse me, may I ask) will make short requests sound more natural and polite.
Transport and directions
Use these at stations, in taxis, and when checking that you are going the right way.
请问，地铁站怎么走？
Excuse me, how do I get to the subway station?
Usage: A polite, natural way to ask for walking directions. Replace 地铁站 with the place you need.
Excuse me, how do I get to the nearest subway station?
我要一张去上海的票
I'd like one ticket to Shanghai
Usage: Use 张 as the measure word for a ticket and replace 上海 with your destination.
Hello, I'd like one high-speed rail ticket to Shanghai.
我应该在哪一站下车？
Which stop should I get off at?
Usage: Works on buses and metro lines. 下车 means to get out of a vehicle.
To go to the Forbidden City, which stop should I get off at?
这个座位有人吗？
Is this seat taken?
Usage: Literally asks whether this seat has someone. It is neutral and common on trains or in waiting areas.
Excuse me, is this seat taken?
请在这里停车
Please stop here
Usage: Say this to a taxi or ride-hailing driver when the current spot is suitable.
Driver, please stop at the intersection ahead.
At the hotel
These cover check-in, luggage, room problems, and departure time.
我有预订
I have a reservation
Usage: 预订 is used for advance bookings such as hotels, restaurants, and tickets.
Hello, I have a room reservation.
我想办理入住
I'd like to check in
Usage: 办理入住 is standard hotel language. A shorter 入住 is understood, but this form sounds complete.
Hello, I'd like to check in. Here is my passport.
可以寄存行李吗？
Can I leave my luggage here?
Usage: 寄存 means temporary storage. Use it at hotels, stations, museums, or lockers.
Can I leave my luggage here after checking out?
房间里没有热水
There is no hot water in the room
Usage: State the problem directly, then add 可以帮我看一下吗 to ask someone to check it.
Excuse me, there is no hot water in the room. Could you check it for me?
退房时间是几点？
What time is check-out?
Usage: 退房 is the standard verb for checking out of a hotel.
Excuse me, what time is check-out tomorrow?
Food, shopping, and payment
Use these to order safely, check prices, and pay without confusion.
请给我菜单
Please give me the menu
Usage: You can add 英文菜单 for an English menu or 图片菜单 for a picture menu.
Excuse me, could you give me a menu?
我不吃辣
I don't eat spicy food
Usage: This states a preference. For a firm request, say 请不要放辣椒 (please do not add chili peppers).
I don't eat spicy food. Please do not add chili peppers.
我对花生过敏
I am allergic to peanuts
Usage: Replace 花生 with another allergen. For a serious allergy, also carry a written allergy card.
I am allergic to peanuts. Does this dish contain peanuts?
买单
The bill, please
Usage: A concise restaurant request. 服务员，买单 sounds direct but normal in casual dining.
Excuse me, could we have the bill?
可以刷卡吗？
Can I pay by card?
Usage: 刷卡 means paying by bank card. Mobile payment is common, so you may also ask 可以用现金吗 (can I use cash?).
Can I use a foreign credit card here?
Prices and getting help
Keep these ready when buying something, finding your way, or arranging a ride.
这个多少钱？
How much is this?
Usage: Point to the item as you say 这个. Use 那个 for something farther away.
Excuse me, how much is this souvenir?
太贵了，可以便宜一点吗？
It's too expensive. Could it be a little cheaper?
Usage: Appropriate where bargaining is expected, such as some markets; not for fixed-price shops or restaurants.
If I buy two, could they be a little cheaper?
洗手间在哪里？
Where is the restroom?
Usage: 洗手间 is widely understood and polite. 厕所 is more direct and also common.
Excuse me, is there a restroom nearby?
我迷路了
I'm lost
Usage: Follow this with a place name or show the address on your phone.
I'm lost. Could you help me look at the map?
请帮我叫出租车
Please help me call a taxi
Usage: Useful at a hotel or restaurant desk. 叫车 can also mean arranging a ride-hailing car.
I don't have a Chinese phone number. Please help me call a taxi.
How to use these phrases on a trip
- Save the hotel name and destination in Chinese so you can show them even when pronunciation fails.
- Add 请问 before a question and 谢谢 after help; these two words make short requests sound much warmer.
- Treat allergy phrases as backup communication, not as a substitute for a translated allergy card and appropriate medical preparation.
Put it into practice
Practise the Chinese you just learned
Paste a word, phrase, or passage to hear it in Mandarin and follow the text with karaoke highlighting.
Hear Chinese read aloud →Frequently asked questions
Can I travel in China without speaking Chinese?
Yes, especially in major cities, but English coverage varies. A translation app, destinations saved in Chinese, and a small set of spoken phrases make transport, meals, and hotel problems much easier.
Should I use Mandarin or Cantonese when traveling?
Standard Mandarin is the most broadly useful spoken variety across mainland China and is widely understood elsewhere. Cantonese is especially useful in Hong Kong, Macau, and much of Guangdong.
How do I make a Chinese request sound polite?
Begin with 请问 when asking a question, use 请 before a request, and finish with 谢谢. Mandarin often sounds concise in direct translation, so tone and these small politeness markers matter.