Dialogue to get you through those daily frustrations, like buying train tickets:

Paul says:

Nǐ hǎo，wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng zhāng bā yuè èrshí hào cóng běijīng dào shànghǎi de huǒchē piào.

你好，我想买两张八月二十号从北京到上海的火车票。

Hello, I’d like to buy two tickets from Beijing to Shanghai on Aug 20.

Ticket sellers says:

Nǐ xiǎng zuò jǐ diǎn de huǒchē?

你想坐几点的火车？

When do you want to take the train?

Paul says:

Zuìhǎo shì wǎnshàng de.

最好是晚上的。

The best time would be evening.

Ticket sellers says:

Yǒu wǎnshàng de, nǐ xiǎng zuò ruǎnzuò ,yìngzuò, ruǎnwò háishì yìngwò?

有晚上的，你想坐软座，硬坐，软卧还是硬卧？

There is one on evening; do you prefer to have soft seat, hard seat, soft bed or hard bed?

Paul says:

Nǐ néng bù néng gàosù wǒ měi gè duōshǎo qián?

你能不能告诉我每个多少钱？

Can you please tell me the price for each one?

Ticket sellers says:

Yìngzuò 200，ruǎnzuò 280，yìngwò 450，ruǎnwò 540。

硬坐200，软座280，硬卧450，软卧540。

Hard seat 200 yuan, soft seat 280, hard bed 450 and soft bed 540.

Paul says:

Hǎo de, wǒ mǎi liǎng zhāng yìngzuò.

好的，我买两张硬卧。

OK, I will get two hard bed tickets.

Ticket sellers says:

ò. bù hǎo yìsī, yìngwò piào mài guāng le. Zuìjìn shì gāofēngqī, rén hěn duō, suǒyǐ piào mài de hěn kuài.

哦！不好意思, 硬卧票卖光了。最近是高峰期，人很多，所以票卖的很快。

Oh! Sorry, all the hard beds have been sold out. Now is a peak time, there are many people and tickets have sold very fast.

Paul says:

Nǐ hái yǒu ruǎnwò piào ma?

你还有软卧票吗？

Do you still have some soft bed tickets?

Ticket sellers says:

Wǒ kàn yī xià. Hái yǒu。Yào liǎng zhāng?

我看一下。还有。要两张？

Let me have a look. Yes, we still have tickets. Do you want two tickets?

Paul says:

Duì. Yào liǎng zhāng, gěi nǐ qián.

对。要两张，给你钱。

Yes. I’d like two tickets; here’s the money.

Ticket sellers says:

Zhè shì nǐ de piào hé zhǎo gěi nǐ de qián.

这是你的票和找给你的钱。

Here are your tickets and your change.

Vocabulary:

Chinese    Pinyin        English

从。。。到 cóng… dào    from … to

硬坐       yìngzuò       hard seat

软座       ruǎnzuò       soft seat

硬卧       yìngwò        hard bed

软卧       ruǎnwò        soft bed

高峰期     gāofēngqī     peak time or rush hour

Dialogue provided by TailorMade Chinese Center at Shangdu SO¬HO. Contact them on (+8610) 5900-5420 or visit tailormadechinese.com.

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