Traveling abroad, whether for business or pleasure, is a wonderful way to expand your horizons. Being able to experience other cultures first-hand is a valuable experience that adds an extra dimension to your outlook on life.
Besides being exposed to new sights and new food, foreign travel also gives you the chance to communicate in another language. China and Taiwan are great places to practice your Mandarin Chinese because relatively few people speak English.
Practice Before You Leave
Since Mandarin is one of the harder languages to learn, give yourself plenty of study time before your trip. With its tones and written characters, Mandarin can be more challenging than other Western languages.
If you can master the tones and a few simple phrases, however, doors will open when you visit China, Taiwan, Singapore or Malaysia, making your visit all the more rewarding.
This vocabulary list of traveling words and phrases will come in handy when you first arrive, and also for traveling around the country.
Click on the links in the Pinyin column to hear the audio files.
| English | Pinyin | Traditional Characters | Simplified Characters |
| airport | fēi jī chǎng | 飛機場 | 飞机场 |
| train station | huǒ chē zhàn | 火車站 | 火车站 |
| bus station | gōng chēzhàn | 公車站 | 公车站 |
| bus stop | gōng chē tíngkào zhàn | 公車停靠站 | 公车停靠站 |
| plane | fēi jī | 飛機 | 飞机 |
| train | huǒ chē | 火車 | 火车 |
| bus | qì chē | 汽車 | 气车 |
| shuttle bus | jiē bó chē | 接駁車 | 接驳车 |
| taxi | jì chéng chē | 計程車 | 计程车 |
| boat | chuán | 船 | 船 |
| ticket | piào | 票 | 票 |
| return ticket | lái huí piào | 來回票 | 来回票 |
| boarding pass | dēng jī zhèng | 登機證 | 登机证 |
| check in | dēngjì | 登記 | 登记 |
| passport | hù zhào | 護照 | 护照 |
| timetable | shí kè biǎo | 時刻表 | 时刻表 |
| gate | dēng jī mén | 登機門 | 登机门 |
| Where can I buy a ticket? | Zài nǎli mǎi piào? | 在哪裡買票? | 在哪里买票? |
| How much is a ticket to …? | Yī zhāng dào ... de piào duō shǎo qián? | 一張到...的票多少錢? | 一张到...的票多少钱? |
| I would like a ticket to ….. | Wǒ mǎi yī zhāng dào ... de piào. | 我買一張到...的票｡ | 我买一张到...的票｡ |
