Chinese for the hotel
Hotel staff in big cities often speak some English, and a few lines of Chinese still make every exchange quicker. This page runs from arrival to departure.
Checking in, asking about the room, the few requests you will actually make at the front desk, and checking out on time.
Checking in
Hotels in mainland China register every foreign guest's passport, and some smaller places are not set up to do it. Big chains and most booking sites make this clear, but it is worth confirming when you book somewhere small, rather than at the desk at midnight.
The room
Ask for a business card with the address in Chinese as soon as you arrive. It is the thing to show a taxi driver on the way back, and it still works when your phone battery does not.
Asking for things
Checking out
The daily course builds these phrases into real conversation, one short lesson a day. Days 1 to 7 need no account, and a free account opens the rest of the first month.
Start Day 1 →