airport
Arriving at the Airport
From the passport queue to the taxi rank: stating why you have come, collecting your luggage, changing money, buying a SIM card and getting yourself into the city without a common language.
Essential phrases
In the order you are likely to need them. Play each one, repeat it, and read the note underneath — knowing when to say a sentence matters as much as saying it correctly.
请问，入境登记卡在哪里拿？請問，入境登記卡在哪裡拿？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) rùjìng (fourth tone, falling) dēngjìkǎ (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) nǎlǐ (third tone, dipping) ná? (second tone, rising)
Excuse me, where do I pick up an arrival card?
When to use it
Ask a member of ground staff before you join the immigration queue, not after — the cards sit on stands to the side of the hall.
我来中国留学。我來中國留學。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) lái (second tone, rising) Zhōngguó (first tone, high and level) liúxué. (second tone, rising)
I have come to China to study.
When to use it
Your answer when the officer asks the purpose of your visit. Short and specific is better than a long explanation.
我打算住一年。
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) dǎsuàn (third tone, dipping) zhù (fourth tone, falling) yì (fourth tone, falling) nián. (second tone, rising)
I plan to stay for a year.
When to use it
The natural follow-up to the question about how long you are staying. Swap 一年 for 半年, 两年 and so on as needed.
这是我的护照和签证。這是我的護照和簽證。
Zhè (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) hùzhào (fourth tone, falling) hé (second tone, rising) qiānzhèng. (first tone, high and level)
Here are my passport and my visa.
When to use it
Said as you place the documents on the counter, with the visa page already open.
请问，取行李在哪边？請問，取行李在哪邊？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) qǔ (third tone, dipping) xíngli (second tone, rising) zài (fourth tone, falling) nǎ (third tone, dipping) biān? (first tone, high and level)
Excuse me, which way to baggage reclaim?
When to use it
Useful once you are past passport control and the signs stop being bilingual. 哪边 asks for a direction rather than an exact place, which is what you want here.
我的行李没出来，请问要去哪里问？我的行李沒出來，請問要去哪裡問？
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) xíngli (second tone, rising) méi (second tone, rising) chūlái, (first tone, high and level) qǐngwèn (third tone, dipping) yào (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling) nǎlǐ (third tone, dipping) wèn? (fourth tone, falling)
My luggage has not come out — where should I go to ask about it?
When to use it
For the moment the belt empties and your bag is not on it. Have your baggage tag ready when you say it.
请问，哪里可以换钱？請問，哪裡可以換錢？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) nǎlǐ (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) huàn (fourth tone, falling) qián? (second tone, rising)
Excuse me, where can I change money?
When to use it
Ask in the arrivals hall. Getting a small amount of cash before you leave the airport is worth it even if you intend to pay by phone later.
请问，哪里可以买手机卡？請問，哪裡可以買手機卡？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) nǎlǐ (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) mǎi (third tone, dipping) shǒujīkǎ? (third tone, dipping)
Excuse me, where can I buy a SIM card?
When to use it
Ask before you leave the terminal. A working local number is what makes maps, ride-hailing and payment apps usable, so it is the first thing to sort out.
去市区，坐地铁还是坐机场大巴比较快？去市區，坐地鐵還是坐機場大巴比較快？
Qù (fourth tone, falling) shìqū, (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) dìtiě (fourth tone, falling) háishi (second tone, rising) zuò (fourth tone, falling) jīchǎng (first tone, high and level) dàbā (fourth tone, falling) bǐjiào (third tone, dipping) kuài? (fourth tone, falling)
To get into town, is the metro or the airport bus quicker?
When to use it
Ask at an information desk. The 还是 pattern offers two options in one question, which makes the answer much easier to catch than an open-ended 怎么去.
请问，出租车在哪里排队？請問，出租車在哪裡排隊？
Qǐngwèn, (third tone, dipping) chūzūchē (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) nǎlǐ (third tone, dipping) páiduì? (second tone, rising)
Excuse me, where is the taxi queue?
When to use it
Say this rather than following anyone who approaches you inside the terminal offering a car. The official rank is signposted 出租车 and always has a queue.
师傅，麻烦去这个地址。師傅，麻煩去這個地址。
Shīfu, (first tone, high and level) máfan (second tone, rising) qù (fourth tone, falling) zhège (fourth tone, falling) dìzhǐ. (fourth tone, falling)
Driver, could you take me to this address, please.
When to use it
Say it while showing the address in Chinese characters on your phone screen. 师傅 (shīfu) is the ordinary, respectful way to address a driver.
我可以付现金吗？我可以付現金嗎？
Wǒ (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) fù (fourth tone, falling) xiànjīn (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
Can I pay in cash?
When to use it
Worth asking at the start of the ride, before the meter runs. Cash is accepted, but small notes are much appreciated as drivers may carry little change.
对不起，我听不懂，您能写下来吗？對不起，我聽不懂，您能寫下來嗎？
Duìbuqǐ, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) tīng (first tone, high and level) bu (neutral tone) dǒng, (third tone, dipping) nín (second tone, rising) néng (second tone, rising) xiě (third tone, dipping) xiàlái (fourth tone, falling) ma? (neutral tone)
Sorry, I did not catch that — could you write it down?
When to use it
Your safety net for numbers, platform names and gate numbers. Written characters can be fed to a dictionary or translation app, spoken ones cannot.
Cultural notes
Arrivals halls are organised as a fixed sequence — health or arrival card, passport control, baggage reclaim, customs, then the transport level — and signs are usually bilingual up to customs, after which Chinese takes over. Sorting out a local SIM card in the terminal is the single most useful thing you can do, because maps, ride-hailing and payment apps all hang on having a working number. Payment by phone is dominant, but cash in small notes is accepted everywhere and is worth having on day one. Official taxis queue at a rank marked with a marshal directing cars; ride-hailing cars have their own separate pickup point, usually signposted , and the two are not interchangeable. Never go with someone who approaches you inside the building offering a ride. Drivers are addressed as (shīfu), a courteous term used for skilled workers generally. Showing your destination written in characters on your phone works far better than trying to pronounce a street name. Airport metro lines stop running earlier in the evening than city lines do, and the covers the later hours — check the last departure posted at the platform rather than assuming.
These notes describe common practice, not rules. Requirements and procedures differ between cities, institutions and years — confirm anything procedural with the office, clinic or company itself.
Vocabulary
No word list has been attached to this scenario yet. Every phrase above is searchable word by word in the dictionary, and tapping a word inside the tutor role-play adds it to your review queue.
Dictionary →Offline phrase card
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HSK Guide · Offline phrase card
Arriving at the Airport
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请问，入境登记卡在哪里拿？請問，入境登記卡在哪裡拿？
Qǐngwèn, rùjìng dēngjìkǎ zài nǎlǐ ná?
Excuse me, where do I pick up an arrival card?
我来中国留学。我來中國留學。
Wǒ lái Zhōngguó liúxué.
I have come to China to study.
我打算住一年。
Wǒ dǎsuàn zhù yì nián.
I plan to stay for a year.
这是我的护照和签证。這是我的護照和簽證。
Zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào hé qiānzhèng.
Here are my passport and my visa.
请问，取行李在哪边？請問，取行李在哪邊？
Qǐngwèn, qǔ xíngli zài nǎ biān?
Excuse me, which way to baggage reclaim?
我的行李没出来，请问要去哪里问？我的行李沒出來，請問要去哪裡問？
Wǒ de xíngli méi chūlái, qǐngwèn yào qù nǎlǐ wèn?
My luggage has not come out — where should I go to ask about it?
请问，哪里可以换钱？請問，哪裡可以換錢？
Qǐngwèn, nǎlǐ kěyǐ huàn qián?
Excuse me, where can I change money?
请问，哪里可以买手机卡？請問，哪裡可以買手機卡？
Qǐngwèn, nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi shǒujīkǎ?
Excuse me, where can I buy a SIM card?
去市区，坐地铁还是坐机场大巴比较快？去市區，坐地鐵還是坐機場大巴比較快？
Qù shìqū, zuò dìtiě háishi zuò jīchǎng dàbā bǐjiào kuài?
To get into town, is the metro or the airport bus quicker?
请问，出租车在哪里排队？請問，出租車在哪裡排隊？
Qǐngwèn, chūzūchē zài nǎlǐ páiduì?
Excuse me, where is the taxi queue?
师傅，麻烦去这个地址。師傅，麻煩去這個地址。
Shīfu, máfan qù zhège dìzhǐ.
Driver, could you take me to this address, please.
我可以付现金吗？我可以付現金嗎？
Wǒ kěyǐ fù xiànjīn ma?
Can I pay in cash?
对不起，我听不懂，您能写下来吗？對不起，我聽不懂，您能寫下來嗎？
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ tīng bu dǒng, nín néng xiě xiàlái ma?
Sorry, I did not catch that — could you write it down?