Theme 2: Local Area, Holiday and Travel
Chapter: Travel and Tourist Transactions (Asking for Help, Eating Out, and Shopping)
Welcome to your study notes for Travel and Tourist Transactions! Whether you are preparing for Spoken Mandarin or Spoken Cantonese, mastering how to ask for help, order food, and shop is essential for real-world communication and your Edexcel GCSE exams. In these notes, vocabulary is presented in both Simplified Chinese (简体字) and Traditional Chinese (繁體字) with standard Pinyin to help you across all four papers: Listening (Paper 1), Speaking (Paper 2), Reading (Paper 3), and Writing (Paper 4).
Don't worry if learning transactional language seems daunting at first. We will break down every scenario into simple, bite-sized patterns that you can easily mix and match!
---1. Asking for Help and Dealing with Problems (求助与解决问题 / 求助與解決問題)
When travelling in a Chinese-speaking region, you might need directions, lose an item, or feel unwell. Knowing how to politely get someone's attention and explain what went wrong is key.
A. Polite Openings (Getting Attention)
Always start with a polite opener before stating your problem:
• 请问 / 請問 (qǐngwèn) – Excuse me / May I ask?
• 劳驾 / 勞駕 (láojià) – Excuse me (very polite when troubling someone).
• 请帮帮我 / 請幫幫我 (qǐng bāng bang wǒ) – Please help me.
B. Explaining the Problem
Use these simple sentence structures to describe an emergency or issue:
• 我迷路了 (wǒ mílù le) – I am lost.
• 我的...丢了 / 不见了 (我的...丟了 / 不見了) (wǒ de ... diū le / bù jiàn le) – My ... is lost / missing.
• ...坏了 / ...壞了 (... huài le) – ... is broken / out of order.
• 生病 (shēngbìng) – To fall ill / get sick. (e.g. 我生病了 – I am ill).
C. Essential Places and Belongings in an Emergency
• 护照 / 護照 (hùzhào) – Passport
• 钱包 / 錢包 (qiánbāo) – Wallet / Purse
• 行李 (xíngli) – Luggage
• 警察局 (jǐngchá jú) – Police station
• 医院 / 醫院 (yīyuàn) – Hospital
• 药店 / 藥店 (yàodiàn) – Pharmacy / Chemist
D. Asking for Clarification
If someone speaks too quickly during your exam listening paper or speaking role play, these phrases are lifesavers:
• 请再说一遍 / 請再說一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) – Please say it again.
• 我听不懂 / 我聽不懂 (wǒ tīng bù dǒng) – I do not understand.
Quick Takeaway: Start with 请问 (qǐngwèn), state the object that is missing using 我的...丢了 (wǒ de ... diū le), and mention the destination you need to find, such as the 警察局 (jǐngchá jú).
---2. Eating Out (外出就餐)
Whether you are at a local food stall or a formal restaurant (餐馆 / 饭馆 / 酒楼), dining out involves a clear sequence: getting a table, ordering, discussing food preferences, and paying the bill.
A. Reserving and Being Seated
• 订位 / 訂位 (dìng wèi) – To book a table.
• 服务员 / 服務員 (fúwùyuán) – Waiter / Waitress.
• 几位？ / 幾位？ (jǐ wèi?) – How many people? (Staff will ask this when you arrive. You can answer: 两位 / 兩位 – Two people).
B. Ordering Food & Tableware
• 菜单 / 菜單 (càidān) – Menu.
• 点菜 / 點菜 (diǎn cài) – To order food.
• 买单 / 買單 or 结账 / 結賬 (mǎidān / jiézhàng) – To pay the bill / check.
• 小费 / 小費 (xiǎofèi) – Tip.
• 米饭 / 米飯 (mǐfàn) – Cooked rice.
• 面条 / 麵條 (miàntiáo) – Noodles.
• 包子 (bāozi) – Steamed stuffed bun.
• 饺子 / 餃子 (jiǎozi) – Dumplings.
• 筷子 (kuàizi) – Chopsticks.
• 碗 (wǎn) – Bowl.
• 杯子 (bēizi) – Cup / Glass.
C. Dietary Requirements & Food Preferences
Examiners love testing dietary requirements in listening and speaking tasks. Learn these core patterns:
• 吃素 (chī sù) – To be vegetarian (e.g. 我吃素 – I am vegetarian).
• 对...过敏 / 對...過敏 (duì ... guòmǐn) – To be allergic to... (e.g. 我对花生过敏 – I am allergic to peanuts).
• 不要放... (bù yào fàng...) – Do not put/add... (e.g. 不要放辣 – Do not make it spicy).
D. Describing Flavours and Tastes
• 甜 (tián) – Sweet
• 酸 (suān) – Sour
• 苦 (kǔ) – Bitter
• 辣 (là) – Spicy / Hot
• 咸 / 鹹 (xián) – Salty
• 好吃 (hǎochī) – Delicious
• 难吃 / 難吃 (nánchī) – Bad-tasting
Quick Takeaway: When ordering, say: 服务员，请给我们菜单，我们要点菜。 (Waiter, please give us the menu, we want to order).
---3. Shopping (购物 / 購物)
Shopping questions frequently appear in Paper 2 Speaking Role Plays and Paper 3 Reading passages. You need to know how to enquire about prices, negotiate discounts, describe sizes, and choose payment methods.
A. Prices and Retail Locations
• 多少钱？ / 多少錢？ (duōshao qián?) – How much is it?
• 太贵了 / 太貴了 (tài guì le) – Too expensive!
• 便宜 (piányi) – Cheap / Inexpensive.
• 百货商店 / 百貨商店 (bǎihuò shāngdiàn) – Department store.
• 商场 / 商場 (shāngchǎng) – Shopping mall.
• 超市 (chāoshì) – Supermarket.
• 市场 / 市場 (shìchǎng) – Market.
B. Understanding Chinese Currency Units
In Chinese, currency units have both formal (written) and colloquial (spoken) terms. You will hear the spoken terms in listening/speaking and see the written terms in reading/writing:
• Major unit (Yuan): Written = 元 (yuán), Spoken = 块 / 塊 (kuài)
• Tenth unit (1/10 Yuan): Written = 角 (jiǎo), Spoken = 毛 (máo)
• Cent unit (1/100 Yuan): 分 (fēn)
C. Bargaining & Discounts: The "打折" Concept
Did you know? The way discounts are expressed in Chinese is the exact opposite of English!
In Chinese, 打折 (dǎzhé) means "to give a discount", but the number following tells you what percentage of the original price you pay, not what is taken off:
• 打八折 (dǎ bā zhé) = Pay \(80\%\) of the original price \(\implies\) a \(20\%\) discount.
• 打九折 (dǎ jiǔ zhé) = Pay \(90\%\) of the original price \(\implies\) a \(10\%\) discount.
• 打五折 (dǎ wǔ zhé) = Pay \(50\%\) of the original price \(\implies\) half price (\(50\%\) off).
D. Sizes, Trying Clothes, and Paying
• 大小 (dàxiǎo) – Size
• 合适 / 合適 (héshì) – Suitable / Fits well
• 试一试 / 試一試 (shì yi shì) – Try it on / Give it a try
• 付现金 / 付現金 (fù xiànjīn) – Pay in cash
• 刷卡 (shuākǎ) – Pay by card (literally: "swipe card")
E. Essential Measure Words (量词 / 量詞) for Shopping
Always pair nouns with the correct measure word:
• 件 (jiàn) – For upper-body clothing and tops (e.g. 这件衣服 – this piece of clothing / 一件衬衫 – a shirt).
• 条 / 條 (tiáo) – For long, slender items like trousers and skirts (e.g. 一条裤子 – a pair of trousers / 一条裙子 – a skirt).
• 双 / 雙 (shuāng) – For pairs of things (e.g. 一双鞋 – a pair of shoes / 一双筷子 – a pair of chopsticks).
• 个 / 個 (gè) – General measure word for objects and people.
Quick Takeaway: When buying clothes, ask: 我可以试一试这件衣服吗？ (May I try on this piece of clothing?). If it is too dear, follow with: 太贵了，可以打折吗？ (Too expensive, can you give a discount?).
---4. Core Grammar & Sentence Patterns for Transactions
A. Prepositional Word Order: 在 + [Location] + [Verb]
In English, we say "I eat at the restaurant". In Chinese, the location must come before the action:
• Subject + 在 + Place + Action
• Example: 我们在餐馆吃面条。 (Wǒmen zài cānguǎn chī miàntiáo. – We eat noodles at the restaurant.)
B. Completed Action with 了 (le)
In transactions, use the aspect particle 了 to show an action has taken place or a situation has changed:
• Example 1: 我已经买了这双鞋。 (Wǒ yǐjīng mǎi le zhè shuāng xié. – I have already bought this pair of shoes.)
• Example 2: 我的钱包丢了。 (Wǒ de qiánbāo diū le. – My purse has gone missing.)
C. Comparative Sentences: A 比 B + Adjective
To compare two items (e.g. when choosing products or comparing prices):
• Item A + 比 + Item B + Adjective
• Example: 这件大衣比那件贵。 (Zhè jiàn dàyī bǐ nà jiàn guì. – This coat is more expensive than that one.)
5. Exam Strategy & Common Pitfalls
A. Speaking Paper 2: Role Play Symbols
In the GCSE Speaking Role Play cards, you will encounter two specific symbols. Pay close attention to what they require:
• ! (Exclamation Mark): Indicates an unprepared question. Your teacher-examiner will ask you a question that is not written on your candidate card. Listen carefully to question words like 什么 (what), 哪儿 (where), or 几 (how many) and respond spontaneously.
• ? (Question Mark): Indicates that you must ask the examiner a question based on the prompt. You will lose marks if you make a statement instead of asking a question! (e.g. If the prompt says "Price?", you should ask: 多少钱？).
B. Pitfalls to Avoid
1. The Discount Mistake: Never translate 打八折 as "80% discount". Remember: \(100\% - 80\% = 20\%\) discount.
2. Buying vs. Selling Confusion:
• 买 / 買 (mǎi – 3rd tone, falling-rising) = To buy.
• 卖 / 賣 (mài – 4th tone, sharp falling) = To sell.
Memory trick: 买 has fewer strokes (you have less money after buying); 卖 has a "plus" on top (you gain money by selling)!
3. English Word Order Trap: Avoid placing locations at the end of the sentence. Never say *我买单在餐馆; always say 我在餐馆买单.
4. Measure Word Mismatches: Do not use 个 for everything. Using 一条裤子 and 一双鞋 shows the examiner your command of accurate Chinese grammar.
Chapter Summary Review
• Asking for help: Use 请问 (excuse me), explain what is lost/broken with 丢了 / 坏了, and ask for repeats with 请再说一遍.
• Eating out: Ask for a table (订位), look at the menu (菜单), state allergies (对...过敏), and settle the bill (买单 / 结账).
• Shopping: Ask 多少钱？, check the fit (合适 / 试一试), use the correct measure words (件 / 条 / 双), pay by cash or card (付现金 / 刷卡), and calculate discounts correctly with 打折.