Posted by Andrew
When you arrive at an international airport in China, there’s no doubt that you’ll be going through 海关(customs) and you’ll have to 填表(fill out a table) which will determine your status in China. Also, if you’re carrying a lot of items, then you’ll have to 申报(declare items) based on their 价值(value). You’ll undoubtedly have to go through 边检(border control), whereupon somebody will 审核(review) your 证件(documents) and make sure that they 生效(are effective). If everything checks out, then the person will 盖章(stamp [the documents]). You’ll notice that some lines move faster than the one for 外国人（foreigners)， specifically those for 国民 (citizens) and 外交 (diplomatic) channels. If you are a foreigner, make it your business to 登记 at a police station within 24 hours of arrival. It will make a lot of things easier.
海关 hai3guan1 - customs
填表 tian2biao3 - fill in a table
申报 shen1bao4 - declare
价值 jia4zhi2 - value
边检 bian1jian3 - border control
审核 shen3he2 - review
证件 zheng4jian4 - documents
生效 sheng1xiao4 - be effective (used for documents)
盖章 gai4zhang1 - to stamp (used for documents)
外国人 wai4guo2ren2 - foreigner(s)
国民 guo2min2 - citizen
外交 wai4jiao1 - diplomacy/diplomatic
登记 deng1ji4 - register
Posted by Andrew
There’s a word you can use to change the tone of a lot of situations, and that word is 先(first, xian1). You can use it in a lot of situations to soften your tone. Contrast the stark and brusk nature of 别(contraction of 不要) with the tender and mild nature of 先不要. Take a look at the sentences below to get an idea:
你别走 - Don’t leave!
你先不要走 - Oh, don’t leave yet! (stick around; stay a while)
There’s another use of 先 which is important to know about, which you can see below:
我们先走了 - Well, ok, I guess we’re going to get going.
我们走了 - [flatly] We’re leaving (now).
Now that you have these, people will be pleased at your ability to soften your speech!
Posted by Andrew
Before, we looked at some terms used while traveling. Here, let’s go into a bit more detail about some other words we can use. When you arrive at the airport, you may have to check some of your 行李(bags), but you can still carry a 手提包 , but make sure when you pack beforehand to not pack too much, or else your 箱子(large suitcase[s]) will 超载(be overweight). When you’re on the airplane, make sure you’ve buckled your 安全带 (seatbelt) and that you can understand the directions of the crew if you’re seated in a seat near the 紧急出口(emergency exit). After that, the plane should be ready to 起飞(take off). Enjoy your flight, then get ready once the plane begins to 降落 (descend). Before long, your plane should have 着陆(landed) at your 目的地(destination). On your way out, don’t forget to 取行李 (claim your baggage)!
行李 xing2li3 - baggage
手提包 shou3ti2bao1 - carryon bag
箱子 xiang1zi3 - large suitcase
超载 chao1zai3 - overweight (exceed storage [limit])
安全带 an1quan2dai4 - seatbelt
紧急出口 jin3ji2chu1kou3 - emergency exit
起飞 qi3fei1 - take off
降落 jiang4luo4 - descend
着陆 zhao2lu4 - land
目的地 mu4di4di4 - destination
取行李 qu3xing2li3 - claim baggage
Posted by Andrew
Going to the 机场(airport) can be a fun adventure, and here are some terms to help you along the way! When you get to the right 航站(terminal), make sure you have your 机票 (tickets), and you may need to 托运 (check）some of your bags. Take your carryon items through 安检 (security) and head on over to your 登机口 (gate). When the plane is boarding, make sure to take out your 登机牌(boarding pass) and 护照(passport) if necessary. The 飞行员(pilot) will usually make an announcement，and during the flight you will be served refreshments by (in some cases) a 空姐 (stewardess). When you arrive at your destination, you may want to grab a ride on the 机场快轨 (airport express rail) if your neighborhood has one.
机场 ji1chang3 - airport
航站 hangzhan - terminal
机票 ji1piao4 - tickets
托运 tuo1yun4 - check (of bags)
安检 an1jian3 - security check
登机口 deng1ji1kou3 - gate
登机牌 deng1ji1pai2 - boarding pass
护照 hu4zhao4 - passport
飞行员 fei1xing2yuan2 - pilot
空姐 kong1jie3 - stewardess
机场快轨 ji1chang3kuai4gui3 - airport express rail
Posted by Andrew
There are many ways to describe people using Chinese. Some ways use 4-character idioms, and in other cases you can simply use 2-word phrases. Here are a couple of my favorites which I have encountered during my time thus far in China. A person who doesn’t keep promises very well is referred to as being 不靠谱. A person who is somewhat restrained in public company is referred to as 收敛. A conservative person is referred to as being 保守， whereas a more open or liberal person is referred to as being 开放. However, it is possible to become too open and freewheeling- a person like this is usually referred to as being 随便. A person who is able to tell how to treat people is said to 有心眼. Finally, a person who is very closed-off to the world and has very limited social contact is said to be 自闭. If you know this word, then you can also describe a person with 自闭症(autism).
收敛 shou1lian3 - restrained in public, reserved.
靠谱 kao4pu3 - keeping promises.
保守 bao2shou3 - conservative
开放 kai1fang4 - liberal
随便 sui2bian4 - freewheeling, careless
有心眼 you3xin1yan3 - able to read how to treat people
自闭 zi4bi4 - closed-off, shut off from the world
自闭症 zi4bi4zheng4 - autism
