� Lonely Planet Publications
501
Language
It differs from Mandarin as much as French
differs from Spanish. Speakers of both dia-
lects can read Chinese characters, but a
CONTENTS
Cantonese speaker will pronounce words
very differently. Cantonese also has a more
The Spoken Language 501
complex tone system than Mandarin, boast-
The Written Language 501
ing at least seven tones compared with
Grammar 502
Mandarin s four.
Mandarin 502
Pinyin 502
THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE
Pronunciation 503
Chinese is often referred to as a language of
Gestures 503
pictographs. Many of the basic Chinese
Phrasebooks 503
characters are in fact highly stylised pic-
Accommodation 503
Conversation & Essentials 504 tures of what they represent, but most
Directions 505 (around 90%) are compounds of a  mean-
Health 505 ing element and a  sound element.
Language Difficulties 506 So just how many Chinese characters are
Numbers 506 there? It s possible to verify the existence of
Paperwork 506 some 56,000 characters, but the vast major-
Question Words 506
ity of these are archaic. It is commonly felt
Shopping & Services 507
that a well-educated, contemporary Chinese
Time & Dates 508
person might know and use between 6000
Transport 508
and 8000 characters. To read a Chinese
newspaper you will need to know 2000 to
3000 characters, but 1200 to 1500 would be
The official language of the PRC is the dia-
enough to get the gist.
lect spoken in B%1łij%2łng. It is usually referred
Writing systems usually alter people s
to in the west as  Mandarin , but the Chi-
perception of a language, and this is cer-
nese call it Putonghua (common speech).
tainly true of Chinese. Each Chinese char-
Putonghua is referred to in the Southwest
acter represents a spoken syllable, leading
as hąnym
(the Han language), but most of
many people to declare that Chinese is a
the region s minorities speak their own lan-
 monosyllabic language . Actually, it s more
guage and understand Chinese only as a
a case of having a monosyllabic writing sys-
second or even third language.
tem. While the building block of the Chi-
nese language is indeed the monosyllabic
THE SPOKEN LANGUAGE
Chinese character, Chinese words are usu-
Dialects
ally a combination of two or more charac-
Discounting ethnic minority languages,
ters. You could think of Chinese words as
China has eight principal dialect groups.
being compounds. The Chinese word for
The predominant dialect in the Southwest
 east is composed of a single character
is Sichuanese, though the differences from
(dM
ng), but must be combined with the
Putonghua are as much a reflection of re-
character for  west (x%2ł) to form the word
gional accent as significant differences in
for  thing (dM
ngxi). English has many com-
vocabulary. Deng Xiaoping gave most of his
pound words too, examples being  white-
speeches in a thick Sichuanese accent.
wash and  backslide .
Changes are slight but enough to throw you
Theoretically, all Chinese dialects share
off course; hłzhąo (passport) is pronounced
 fuzhao , m�i y�
u (no; don t have) becomes the same written system. In practice, Can-
 mo de . tonese adds about 3000 specialised charac-
Cantonese is spoken in Hong Kong, ters of its own and many of the dialects
Macau, Guangdong and parts of Guangxi. don t have a written form at all.
L A N G U A G E
502 MANDARIN " " Pinyin lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MANDARIN " " Pronunciation 503
high tone m

(mother)
PRONUNCIATION
CHINESE SAYINGS
rising tone m� (hemp, numb)
Vowels
falling-rising tone m�
(horse)
Chinese is an extremely rich idiomatic language. Many sayings are four-character phrases that
a as in  father
falling tone mą (scold, swear)
combine a great balance of rhythm and tone with a clever play on the multiple meanings of
ai as in  aisle
similar-sounding characters. Perhaps most interesting is how many phrases have direct English
ao as the  ow in  cow
equivalents. Mastering tones is tricky for newcomers to
e as in  her , with no  r sound
Mandarin, but with a little practice it can
ei as in  weigh
(gBl|ś (yu�nmł qiśyś) �p� N"v�ą�ą (rŁguM
shąng de m�
y�
)
be done.
i as the  ee in  meet (or like the  oo
Like climbing a tree to catch fish (a waste of time) Like ants on top of a hot stove (full of worries)
in  book after c, ch, r, s, sh, z or zh)
�k�TR_ (shk
tś tónggu%2ł)
�S��N�v (wŁndąo yś m�ng)
GESTURES
ian as the word  yen
Different roads all reach the same end
Like asking a blind man for directions (another waste
Hand signs are frequently used in China.
ie as the English word  yeah
of time)
T�^_Śh (tóngchu�ng y�mŁng) The  thumbs-up sign has a long tradition
o as in  or , with no  r sound
To sleep in the same bed but have different dreams as an indication of excellence. Another
�e�tň�eRę (x%2łnp�ng zhu

ng jiłji�
)
ou as the  oa in  boat
(different strokes for different folks) way to indicate excellence is to gently pull
A new bottle filled with old wine (a superficial change)
u as in  flute
your earlobe between your thumb and
JRłć�e\ (xi

ozś sh�l�
)
ui as the word  way
PW�N‰)Y (zu�j�
ng gu

nti

n)
index finger.
Like trimming the foot to fit the shoe
uo like a  w followed by  o
Like looking at the sky from the bottom of a well (not
yu/� like  ee with lips pursed
seeing the whole picture) �y�t_�t (zh�nggu

d�gu

)
PHRASEBOOKS
If a man plants melons, so will he reap melons
4l="ówśQ (shu�
lu� sh�chk
)
Phrasebooks are invaluable, but sometimes
Consonants
R�g�S (ji�
r�u p�ngyou)
When the tide goes out the rocks are revealed (the
seeking help by showing a phrase to some-
c as the  ts in  bits
An eating and drinking friend (fair-weather friend)
truth will come out)
one can result in them wanting to read
ch as in  chop , but with the tongue
every page! Reading place names or street
tf)Y9ó
(q�ngti

n p%2łl�)
�[*h_TQ (sh�
uzhk
dąitł)
curled up and back
signs isn t difficult, since the Chinese name
Like thunder from a blue sky (a bolt from the blue)
Like a hunter waiting for a rabbit to kill itself by run-
h as in  hay , but articulated from
is usually accompanied by the Pinyin form;
ning into a tree (trusting to dumb luck)
�l4s� Q (mł hóu �r guąn)
further back in the throat
if not, you ll soon learn lots of characters
A monkey dressed in a tall hat (a petty official)
4N5
Łx�g (l�nzhŁn móqi

ng) q as the  ch in  cheese
just by repeated exposure. A small diction-
r as the  s in  pleasure
To not sharpen your weapons until the battle is upon �q wKN%` (r�nm�i zh%2łj�)
ary that includes English, Pinyin and Chi-
you (to do things at the last minute) A fire that is burning one s eyebrows (extremely urgent) sh as in  ship , but with the tongue
nese characters is also useful for picking up
curled up and back
a few words.
x as in  ship
Lonely Planet s Mandarin Phrasebook
sentence like  I (subject) love (verb) you
Simplification
z as the  dz in  suds
has script throughout and loads of useful
In the interests of promoting universal lit- (object) is constructed in exactly the same
zh as the  j in  judge but with the
phrases  it s also a very useful learning tool.
way in Chinese. The catch with Mandarin
eracy, the Committee for Reforming the
tongue curled up and back
is mastering the tones.
Chinese Language was set up by the B%1łij%2łng
ACCOMMODATION
government in 1954. Around 2200 Chinese
The only consonants that occur at the end
I m looking for a ...
characters were simplified. Chinese com-
of a syllable are n, ng and r.
W�
yąo zh�
o ... b��~b...
munities outside mainland China (notably MANDARIN
In Pinyin, apostrophes are occasionally
camping ground
Taiwan and Hong Kong), however, continue
used to separate syllables in order to pre-
lły�ngd� 2%"0W
PINYIN
to use the traditional, full-form characters.
vent ambiguity, eg the word p�ng

n can be
guesthouse
In 1958 the Chinese adopted a system of
Over the past few years  probably as a
written with an apostrophe after the  g to
b%2łngu�
n �[ą�
writing their language using the Roman al-
result of large-scale investment by overseas
prevent it being pronounced as p�n g

n.
hotel
phabet. It s known as p%2łny%2łn (usually writ-
Chinese and tourism  full-form or  com-
l�
gu�
n �eą�
ten in English as  Pinyin ). The original idea
plex characters have returned to China.
Tones
tourist hotel
was to eventually do away with characters.
These are mainly seen in advertising (where
Chinese is a language with a large number
b%2łngu�
n/fąndiąn/ji�
diąn �[ą�/m�^/Rę^
However, tradition dies hard, and the idea
the traditional characters are considered
of words with the same pronunciation but
hostel
has been abandoned.
more attractive) and on restaurant, hotel
a different meaning; what distinguishes
zh

odąisu�
/l�
shŁ �b_@b/�e>y
Pinyin is often used on shop fronts, street
and shop signs.
these  homophones is their  tonal quality 
youth hostel
signs and advertising billboards. Don t ex-
the raising and lowering of pitch on certain
q%2łngni�n l�
shŁ Rt^�e �
pect Chinese people to be able to use Pinyin,
GRAMMAR syllables. Mandarin has four tones  high,
however. There are indications that the use
Chinese grammar is much simpler than rising, falling-rising and falling, plus a fifth
Where is a cheap hotel?
of the Pinyin system is diminishing.
that of European languages. There are no  neutral tone, which you can all but ignore.
N�
r y�
u pi�nyi de l�
gu�
n?
articles (a/the), no tenses and no plurals. In the countryside and the smaller towns
A good illustration of the importance of ęT?Q gżOś["v�eą�?
The basic point to bear in mind is that, like you may not see a single Pinyin sign any- getting tones right can be seen with the What is the address?
English, Chinese word order is subject- where, so unless you speak Chinese you ll word ma, which has four different mean- D�zh�
ząi n�
r?
verb-object. In other words, a basic English need a phrasebook with Chinese characters. ings according to tone: 0W@W(WęT?Q?
L A N G U A G E
LANGUAGE
504 MANDARIN " " Conversation & Essentials lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MANDARIN " " Directions 505
Could you write the address, please? Could I have these clothes washed, please? No.
N�ngbłn�ng q�
ng n�
b�
d�zh�
xi%1ł xiąl�i? Q�
ng b�
zhŁxi
y%2łfu x�
g

nj�ng, h�
o ma? Bł qł. ( no go ) NS EMERGENCIES
ż� Nż���`O�b0W@W�QNeg? ���bŁŹ�Nc� gmr^ĄQ,}YT? No.
Help!
Do you have a room available? I m/We re leaving today. M�i y�
u. ( not have ) Ąl g
Jiłm�ng a! Qe}TJU!
N�
men y�
u f�ngji

n ma?
W�
/W�
men j%2łnti

n l�k

i. No.
emergency
`O�N g?b��T?
b/b�NĘN)Yy_. Błsh�. ( not so ) N/f
j�
nj� q�ngkuąng '}%`�`�Q
There s been an accident!
I d like (a) ...
CONVERSATION & ESSENTIALS DIRECTIONS
Chk
sh�le! śQ�NąN!
W�
xi�
ng yąo ... bó`��...
Hello. N�
h�
o. `O}Y Where is (the) ...?
I m lost.
bed
N�n h�
o. (pol) �`}Y ... ząi n�
r? ...(WęT?Q?
W�
m�lłle. b�Ź�ćąN
y%2ł ge chu�ngwŁi N*N�^MO
Goodbye. Ząijiąn. ćQ�� Go straight ahead.
Go away!
single room
Please. Q�
ng. �� Y%2łzh� z�
u. N�vpć
Z�
u k

i! pć_!
y%2łji

n d

nr�nf�ng N��US�N?b
Thank you. XiŁxie. "Ś"Ś Turn left.
Leave me alone!
double room
Many thanks. DuM
xiŁ. Y"Ś Zu�
zhu�
n. ć]lŹ
Bi� f�n w�
! +Rćpb!
y%2łji

n shu

ngr�nf�ng N���S�N?b
You re welcome. BłkŁqi. Nó[l Turn right.
Could you help me please?
bed for two
Excuse me, ... Q�
ng wŁn, ... ���,... Y�u zhu�
n. óSlŹ
N�
n�ng błn�ng b

ng `Oż� Nż�.^
shu

ngr�n chu�ng �S�N�^
at the next corner
w�
ge m�ng? b*NŁ_?
room with two beds
(When asking a question it is polite to start ząi xią y%2łge gu�
iji�
o (WNN*N�b҉
shu

ngr�nf�ng �S�N?b
with the phrase q�
ng wŁn  literally,  may I at the traffic lights
economy room (no bath) Call ... !
ask?  this expression is only used at the ząi hóngl�
d
ng (Wó~�~op
p�
tM
ngf�ng nf�?b Q�
ng jiąo ...! ���S...!
beginning of a sentence, never at the end.) map
(m�iy�
u yłsh�) (Ąl gtmń[)
a doctor
d�tś 0W�V
room with a bathroom
y%2łsh
ng ;Su
I m sorry. Could you show me (on the map)?
y�
u yłsh�de f�ngji

n gtmń["v?b��
the police
Du�błq�
. ł[ Nwć N�
n�ng błn�ng (ząi d�tś shąng) zh�
g%1łi w�
kąn?
standard room
j�
ngch� f��[
May I ask your name? `Oż� Nż�((W0W�V N)cŁ~bw?
bi

ozh�
n f�ngji

n hĆQ?b��
N�n gu�x�ng? �`5ćÓY?
deluxe suite
My (sur)name is ...
SIGNS
h�ohu� tąof�ng jŚNSWY?b HEALTH
W�
x�ng ... bÓY...
to share a dorm I m sick.
eQćS Rłk�
u Entrance
zhł słshŁ OOż[ � W�
b�ngle. b�uąN.
śQćS Chk
k�
u Exit
Where are you from?
It hurts here.
�Ż�Y WŁnxśnchł Information
N�
sh� cóng n�
r l�i de? `O/f�NęT?Qeg"v?
How much is it ...?
ZhŁr t�ng. ŁŹ?Qźu.
_ K

i Open
I m from ...
... duM
sh�
o qi�n ...Y\ą"?
I need a doctor.
sQ Gu

n Closed
W�
sh� cóng ... l�i de. b/f�N...eg"v
per night
W�
d%1łi kąn y%2łsh
ng. b_w;Su.
�ybk J�nzh�
Prohibited
I like ...
y%2ł ge w�
nshąng N*NZf N
gzz?b Y�
u K�ngf�ng Rooms Available Is there a doctor here who speaks English?
W�
x�
huan ... bśU"k...
per person
ó[�n KŁm�
n No Vacancies ZhŁr y�
u hu� ji�
ng ŁŹ?Q gO��
I don t like ...
m%1łiger�n �k*N�N
f��[ J�
ngch� Police y%2łngy�
de dąifu ma? ń��"v'Y+YT?
W�
bł x�
huan ... b NśU"k...
f��[@\ J�
ngch�jś Police Station
Wait a moment.
May I see the room?
�S@b CŁsu�
Toilets I m ...
D%1łng y%2łxią. I{NN
W�
n�ng kąnkan f�ngji

n ma?
7u N�n Men
W�
y�
u ... b g...
bż�ww?b��T?
sY N�
Women
asthmatic
Yes & No
Where is the bathroom?
xiąochu�
nb�ng �TŚU�u
There are no specific words in Mandarin
Yłsh� ząi n�
r?
diabetic
that specifically mean  yes and  no when behind h�ubianr TąŹ?Q
tmń[(WęT?Q?
t�ngniąob�ng �|?\�u
used in isolation. When a question is asked, in front of qi�nbianr MRąŹ?Q
Where is the toilet?
epileptic
the verb is repeated to indicate the affirma- near j�n ŃŹ
CŁsu�
ząi n�
r?
di

nxi�nb�ng kv�u�u
tive. A response in the negative is formed far yu�
n �Ź
�S@b(WęT?Q?
by using the word N bł (meaning  no ) opposite du�miąnr ł[b?Q
I don t like this room.
I m allergic to ...
before the verb. When bł (falling tone) oc- beach h�
it

n wm�n
W�
bł x�
huan zhŁji

n f�ngji

n.
W�
du� ... gu�m�
n. bł[...�ŹOe.
curs before another word with a falling bridge qi�oli�ng eh�h
b NśU"kŁŹ��?b��
antibiotics
tone, it is pronounced with a rising tone. island d�
oy�
�\\
Are there any messages for me?
kąngjk
nsł b̃ }
main square gu�
ngch�
ng ^:W
Y�
u m�iy�
u r�n g%1łi w�
liś huą?
aspirin
gĄl g�NŁ~bYuŻ�? Are you going to Gu�l�n? market sh�ch�
ng ^:W
May I have a hotel namecard? N�
qł Gu�l�n ma? `OSBhgT? old city l�
och�ng
��W

s%2łp�
l�n ?
łS9Sg
Y�
u m�iy�
u l�
gu�
n de m�ngpiąn? Yes. palace gM
ngdiąn �[żk bee stings
gĄl g�eą�"v TGr? Qł. ( go ) S sea h�
iy�ng wmm m�f
ng zh
c� ���:R
L A N G U A G E
LANGUAGE
506 MANDARIN " " Language Difficulties lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MANDARIN " " Shopping & Ser vices 507
nuts 4 s� �V When? I m looking for a/the ...
gu�
r�n śg�N 5 w�
"N Sh�nme sh�hou? ĄNHN�eP? W�
ząi zh�
o ... b(W~b...
penicillin 6 lił mQ Where? automatic teller machine
q%2łngm�isł R } 7 q%2ł N Ząi n�
r? (WęT?Q? z�d�ng gu�yu�nj%2ł ę��R�gXT:g
Which? bank
8 b

kQ
N�
ge? ęT*N? y�nh�ng �"L�
antidiarrhoea medicine 9 ji�
]N
Why? Bank of China
zh�
xiŁyąo bk�lo� 10 sh� AS
WŁish�nme? :NĄNHN? zhM
ngguó y�nh�ng -NżV�"L�
antiseptic cream 11 sh�y%2ł ASN
How? chemist/pharmacy
xi

odśg

o �m�kŹ� 12 sh� Łr ASŚN
Z%1łnme? `HN? yąodiąn o�^
condoms 20 Łrsh� ŚNAS
city centre
b�yłn tąo �U[WY 21 Łrsh�y%2ł ŚNASN
SHOPPING & SERVICES sh�zhM
ngx%2łn ^-N�_
contraceptive 22 Łrsh� Łr ŚNASŚN
I d like to buy ... ... embassy
b�yłnyąo �U[o� 30 s

nsh� NAS
W�
xi�
ng m�
i ... bó`pN... ... dąsh�
gu�
n ...'YOą�
diarrhoea 40 s�sh� �VAS
I m just looking. foreign affairs police
l

dłzi �b��P[ 50 w�
sh� "NAS
W�
zh�
sh� kąnkan. bęS/fww wąish� j�
ngch� Y�Nf��[
headache 60 liłsh� mQAS
How much is it? foreign exchange office/currency exchange
tóut�ng 4Yźu 70 q%2łsh� NAS
DuM
sh�
o qi�n? Y\ą"? wąihu� du�huąnchł YGlQQbcY
medicine 80 b

sh� kQAS
I don t like it. hospital
yąo o� 90 ji�
sh� ]NAS
W�
bł x�
huan. b NśU"k y%2łyuąn ;Sb

sanitary napkins (Kotex) 100 y%2łb�
i N~v
Can I see it? hotel
fłn�
wŁish
ngj%2łn �YsYkSu�] 1000 y%2łqi

n NCS
N�ng kąnkan ma? ż�wwT? b%2łngu�
n/ �[ą�/
sunscreen (UV) lotion 2000 li�
ngqi

n $NCS
I ll take it. fąndiąn/ m�^/
f�ngshąiyóu 2
Rfąl
W�
jił m�
i zhŁge. b1\pNŁŹ*N l�
gu�
n �eą�
tampons PAPERWORK
It s cheap. market
yuŁj%2łng mi�ns

i g�~�h^X name
ZhŁ błgu�. ŁŹ N5ć sh�ch�
ng ^:W
x�ngm�ng ÓY T
That s too expensive. museum
LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES nationality
Tąi gu�le. *Y5ćąN bówłgu�
n ZSirą�
Do you speak English? guój� żVM|
Is there anything cheaper? police
N�
hu� shuM
y%2łngy�
ma? date of birth
Y�
u pi�nyi y%2łdi�
n de ma? gżOś[Nąp"vT? j�
ngch� f��[
`OO�ń��T? chk
sh
ng r�q%2ł śQu�eg
Can I pay by travellers cheque? post office
Does anyone here speak English? place of birth
K%1ły�
fł l�
x�ng �S�N�N�eL� yóujś ��@\
ZhŁr y�
u r�n hu� shuM
y%2łngy�
ma? chk
sh
ng d�di�
n śQu0Wąp
zh%2łpiąo ma? /ehyT? public toilet
ŁŹ?Q g�NO�ń��T? sex (gender)
gM
ngg�ng cŁsu�
lQqQ�S@b
How do you say ... in Mandarin? x�ngb�e '`+R
Do you accept ...? telephone
... zhM
ngw�n z%1łnme shuM
? passport
... shM
u błshM
u? ...6e N6e? diąnhuą 5uŻ�
...-N�e`HN�? hłzhąo ńbgq
credit cards telephone office
What does ... mean? passport number
x�ny�ngk�
�O(uaS diąnxłn dąlóu 5uŻ�'Y|i
... sh� sh�nme y�si? hłzhąo hąom�
ńbgq�S
x
travellers cheques the tourist office
.../fĄNHNa`? visa
l�
x�ng zh%2łpiąo �eL�/ehy l�
yóujś �e8n@\
I understand. qi

nzhŁng ~{��
W�
t%2łngded�
ng. extension
more change money
b,T_�a y�nch�ng �^�
duM
Y huąn qi�n bcą"
I don t understand. Public Security Bureau (PSB)
less telephone card
W�
t%2łngbłd�
ng. gM
ng

njś lQ�[@\
sh�
o \ diąnhuą k�
5uŻ�aS
b,T N�a Foreign Affairs Branch
smaller international call
Please write it down. wąish�k
Y�NŃy
gŁng xi�
o �f\ guój� ch�ngtś diąnhuą żVE
��5uŻ�
Q�
ng xi%1łxiąl�i.
bigger collect call
���QNeg QUESTION WORDS
gŁng dą �f'Y du�f

ng fłfŁi diąnhuą ł[ąe�N9ć5uŻ�
Who?
too much/many direct-dial call
NUMBERS Shu�?
Ś?
tąi duM
*YY zh�bM
diąnhuą �vŁb5uŻ�
0 l�ng �
What? fax
1 y%2ł, y

o N,z^ Sh�nme? ĄNHN? Excuse me, where s the nearest ...? chu�nzh
n Ow
2 Łr, li�
ng ŚN,$N What is it? Q�
ng wŁn, zu�j�nde ... ząi n�
r? computer
3 s

n N Sh� sh�nme? /fĄNHN? ���,gŃŹ"v...(WęT?Q? diąnn�
o 5u�
L A N G U A G E
LANGUAGE
508 MANDARIN " " Time & Dates lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MANDARIN " " Transpor t 509
email (often simply called  email ) January I d like a ... boarding pass
diąnz�
yóujiąn 5uP[���N y%2łyuŁ Ng W�
yąo y%2łge ... b��N*N... d
ngj%2ł k�
{v:gaS
internet
February one way ticket left-luggage room
y%2łntŁw�
ng ąVyrQ
ŁryuŁ ŚNg d

nch�ng piąo USzhy j�cśn chł �[X[Y
hłli�nw�
ng łNT�Q (more formal)
March return ticket platform number
online
s

nyuŁ Ng l�ihu� piąo eg�Vhy zhąnt�i hąo Łz�S�S
shąngw�
ng NQ
April platform ticket ticket office
s�yuŁ �Vg zhąnt�i piąo Łz�Shy sh�upiąo chł .UhyY
Where can I get online?
May 1st class ticket timetable
W�
ząi n�
r k%1ły�
shąngw�
ng?
w�
yuŁ "Ng tóud%1łngc

ng 4YI{1� sh�kŁbi�
o �e;Rh�
b(WęT?Q�S�N NQ?
June 2nd class ticket
Can I check my email account?
liłyuŁ mQg
Łrd%1łngc

ng ŚNI{1� Private Transport
W�
ch� y%2łxią z�j�
de email, h�
o ma?
July
hard-seat I d like to hire a ...
b�gNNę�ń]"vemail,}YT?
q%2łyuŁ Ng
y�ngx�/y�ngzu� lx-^/lxż^ W�
yąo zk
y%2łliąng ... b���yNąŹ...
August
soft-seat car
TIME & DATES
b

yuŁ kQg
ru�
nx�/ru�
nzu� oŹ-^/oŹż^ q�ch
}lfŹ
What s the time?
September
hard-sleeper 4WD
J�
di�
n zhM
ng? ąQąpź"?
ji�
yuŁ ]Ng
y�ngw� lxgS s�lśn qk
d�ng 4nŹq��R
... hour ... minute
October
soft-sleeper motorbike
... di�
n ... f
n ...ąp...R
sh�yuŁ ASg
ru�
nw� oŹgS mótuoch
idXbfŹ
3.05
November
bicycle
s

n di�
n l�ng w�
f
n Nąp�
"NR
sh�y%2łyuŁ ASNg
When s the ... bus? z�x�ngch
ę�L�fŹ
When?
December
... b

nch
sh�nme sh�hou l�i?
Sh�nme sh�h�u? ĄNHN�eP?
sh� ŁryuŁ ASŚNg
...�sfŹĄNHN�ePeg? How much is it per day?
now first y%2łti

n duM
sh�
o qi�n? N)YY\ą"?
TRANSPORT
xiąnząi �s(W tóu 4Y How much is it per hour?
Public Transport
today
last y%2łge xi�
osh� duM
sh�
o qi�n? N*N\�eY\ą"?
j%2łnti

n ĘN)Y airport
m� +g How much is the deposit?
tomorrow f
ij%2łch�
ng �Ś:g:W
next y

j%2łn duM
sh�
o qi�n? źbŃęY\ą"?
m�ngti

n f)Y
long-distance bus station
xią N Does this road lead to ...?
yesterday
ch�ngtś q�ch
zhąn ��}lfŹŁz
ZhŁ ti�o lł dąo ...? ŁŹag�ć0R...?
zuóti

n (f)Y
subway (underground)
I want to go to ...
in the morning
d�ti%1ł 0W�"
W�
yąo qł ... road
z�
oshang �e N
subway station
b��S... lł �ć
in the afternoon
d�ti%1ł zhąn 0W�"Łz
The train has been delayed/cancelled. section
xiąw�
NHS
train station
Hu�
ch
w�
ndi�
n le/q�
xi

o le. duąn �k
in the evening
hu�
ch
zhąn kpfŹŁz
kpfŹZfąpąN/�S�mąN street
w�
nshang Zf N
CAAC ticket office ji
/dąji
W�/'YW�
weekend
What time does ... leave/arrive?
zhM
ngguó m�nh�ng sh�upiąo chł No 21
zhM
um� hT+g
... j%2łdi�
n k

i/dąo? ...ąQąp_/0R?
-NżVl*�.UhyY 21 hąo 21�S
boat
Monday
chu�n 9�
x%2łngq%2ły%2ł fgN
intercity bus/coach
Tuesday
ch�ngtś q�ch
��}lfŹ
x%2łngq%2ł Łr fgŚN
local/city bus
Wednesday
gM
ngg�ng q�ch
lQqQ}lfŹ
x%2łngq%2łs

n fg N
minibus
Thursday
xi�
o gM
ngg�ng q�ch
\lQqQ}lfŹ
x%2łngq%2łs� fg�V
microbus taxi
Friday
miąnb

och
, miąnd%2ł bSfŹ,b"v
x%2łngq%2łw�
fg"N
plane
Saturday
f
ij%2ł �Ś:g
x%2łngq%2łlił fgmQ
Also available from Lonely Planet:
Sunday train
Mandarin Phrasebook
x%2łngq%2łti

n fg)Y hu�
ch
kpfŹ
L A N G U A G E
LANGUAGE
lonelyplanet.com GLOSSARY 511
510
ji
 street name chop  a carved name seal that acts as a
ji�  festival signature
j%2łn  see catty n�n  south; the other points of the compass are b%1łi
Glossary
j� niąnb
i  memorial (north), dM
ng (east) and x%2ł (west)
j%2łpiąo  air ticket
ji�
diąn  hotel palatar  Burmese crepe
(C) Cantonese; (T) Tibetan dąxu�  university
jłch�
ng  theatre pedicab  pedal-powered tricycle with a seat to carry
d�ti%1ł  subway
jłn  prefecture passengers
arhat  Buddhist, especially a monk who has achieved dM
ng  east; the other points of the compass are b%1łi
P%2łny%2łn  the official system for transliterating Chinese
enlightenment and passes to nirvana at death; see also (north), n�n (south) and x%2ł (west)
k�
oy

diąn  roast duck restaurant script into roman characters
luóhąn d�ng  cave
karst  denotes the characteristically eroded landscape of p�pa  a plucked string instrument
d�ngwłyu�n  zoo
b

b�
o ch�  eight-treasures tea d�ufu  tofu; beancurd limestone regions, such as the whimsical scenery of Gu�l�n PLA  People s Liberation Army
b�ifąn  rice dzong  Tibetan fort and Y�ngshu� Politburo  the 25-member supreme policy-making
b�iji�
 literally  white alcohol , a type of face-numbing KCR  Kowloon Canton Railway authority of the CCP
rice wine served at banquets and get-togethers �rtóng  children Kham  traditional name for eastern Tibet, encompassing PRC  People s Republic of China
b

ozi  steamed savoury buns with tasty meat filling western S�chu

n prefecture  political subdivision, between a province
b%1łi  north; the other points of the compass are n�n fąndiąn  a hotel or restaurant
Khamba  person from Kham and a county in size
(south), dM
ng (east) and x%2ł (west) f
ng  peak
kM
ngti�o  air-con, heating PSB  Public Security Bureau/Police; the arm of the police
b%2łngu�
n  tourist hotel feng shui  geomancy, literally  wind and water ; the art
kora (T)  pilgrim circuit force set up to deal with foreigners; see also gM
ng

njś
b�x�  mythical, tortoiselike dragon of using ancient principles to maximise the flow of q�, or
kuąi  colloquial term for the currency, yu�n płbł  waterfall
Bodhisattva  one worthy of nirvana but who remains universal energy
kuąizi  chopsticks P�
tM
nghuą  the standard form of the Chinese language
on earth to help others attain enlightenment f
ngj�
ngqk
 scenic area
Kuomintang  Chiang Kaishek s Nationalist Party, now used since the beginning of this century, based on the
B�n  the pre-Buddhist indigenous faith of Tibet, fó  a Buddha
one of Taiwan s major political parties dialect of B%1łij%2łng
pockets of which survive in western S�chu

n
bówłgu�
n  museum g�
ng  harbour
lama  a Buddhist priest of the Tantric or Lamaist school; q�  vital energy (life force) or cosmic currents manipu-
g�  pavilion, temple
a title bestowed on monks of particularly high spiritual lated in acupuncture and massage
CAAC  Civil Aviation Administration of China gompa (T)  monastery
attainment qi�o  bridge
c

nt%2łng  restaurant gM
ng  palace
l�
ob�
ix�ng  common people, the masses q�ch
zhąn  bus station
c�
oyu�n  grasslands gM
ng

njś  Public Security Bureau, police
l�
owąi  foreigners q�gM
ng  exercise that channels q�
catty  unit of weight, one catty (j%2łn) equals 0.6kg gM
ngyu�n  park
li�
ng  see tael q%2łngzh
ns�  mosque
CCP  Chinese Communist Party, founded in Shąngh�
i gM
u  gorge, valley
l�n  forest
in 1921 g�
 valley
l�ng  tomb r�n miąn   burning noodles that are served with onions,
ch�gu�
n  teahouse gu

n  pass
lóu  tower chillies, peanuts, chives and a side serving of sauce
chang (T)  a Tibetan brew made from fermented barley głjk
 former house, home, residence
lł  road r�nm�n  people, people s
Ch�ngch�ng  the Great Wall gwailo (C)  a foreigner; literally meaning a  ghost
l�
gu�
n  hotel Renminbi  literally  people s money , the formal name
ch�  lake, pool person and is interpreted as  foreign devil
luóhąn  Buddhist, especially a monk who has achieved for the currency of China; shortened to RMB
chop  see name chop
enlightenment and passes to nirvana at death; see also arhat
ch�rten  Tibetan stupa, see stupa h�
i  sea; also used to mean lake
lśsh
ng  a reed pipe that features in many festivals in s

nlśn mótuM
ch
 motor tricycle
chuba (T)  cloak Hakka  a Chinese ethnic group
Gu�zhM
u s

nlśnch
 pedal-powered tricycle
chk
zk
q�ch
 taxi Han  China s main ethnic group
s
nl�n  forest
CITS  China International Travel Service; deals with h�  river
mah jong  popular Chinese game for four people, sh

gk
of%1łn  a noodle and seafood, meat or vegetable
China s foreign tourists hś  lake
played with engraved tiles combination put in a casserole pot and fired over a flame
CTS  China Travel Service; originally set up to handle hu

ji

o  wild pepper, used in S�chu

n cuisine
m�o  colloquial term for ji�
o, 10 of which equal one kuąi of rocket-launch proportion
tourists from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and overseas Hu�  ethnic Chinese Muslims
m�
tou  dock sh

n  mountain
Chinese hu�
ch
zhąn  train station
m�iy�
u   No ,  There isn t any ,  We don t have sh

ok�
o  barbecues; skewers of meat wrapped in
ck
n  village hu�
guM
 hotpot
m�n  gate banana leaves and grilled over wood fires
ck
nlu�  villages
Miao  ethnic group living in Gu�zhM
u sh%1łng  province, provincial
IC k�
 IC card (phone card)
mi�o  temple sh�  city
dądąo  boulevard IP k�
 IP card (phone card)
momos  Tibetan dumplings sh�  rock
dąfąndiąn  large hotel
motor tricycle  an enclosed three-wheeled vehicle with sh�ch�
ng  market
dąji
 avenue ji

ng  river
a small motorbike engine, a driver at the front and with sh�kk
 grotto
dąji�
diąn  large hotel ji�
o  see m�o
seats for two passengers in the back sh�upiąochł  ticket office
d�
o  island jiąot�ng  church
MTR  Mass Transit Railway, in Hong Kong shu�
ji�
o  a form of steamed ji�
ozi
dąpłbł  large waterfall ji�
ozi  stuffed dumpling
mł  tomb shu�
kł  reservoir
dąshą  hotel, building j%2łch�
ng  airport
G L O S S A R Y
GLOSSARY
512 GLOSSARY lonelyplanet.com
s�  temple, monastery x%2ł  west; the other points of the compass are b%1łi (north),
s�h�yuąn  traditional courtyard house n�n (south) and dM
ng (east)
stele (stelae)  a stone slab or column decorated with x%2ł  small stream or brook
figures or inscriptions xi�  gorge
stupa  usually used as reliquaries for the cremated xiąn  county
remains of important lamas; always walk around stupas xiąng  statue
clockwise xu%1łsh

n  snow mountain
t�
 pagoda y�n  rock or crag
tael  unit of weight; one tael (li�
ng) equals 37.5g; there yóujś  post office
are 16 tael to the catty yu�n  the Chinese unit of currency; also referred to as
taichi  the graceful, flowing exercise that has its roots in Renminbi or RMB
China s martial arts; also known as tąij�qu�n yu�n  garden
t�n  pool
thugpa (T)  noodles zh

odąisu�
 basic lodgings, a hotel or guesthouse
t�ng  pavilion zh�k�u  discount, eg off room price
tsampa (T)  roasted barley flour (Tibetan) zh�włyu�n  botanic gardens
zhM
ng  central
w�
ngb

 internet caf� ZhM
ngguó  China
w
nqu�n  hot springs z�r�n b�
ohłqk
 nature reserve
GLOSSARY
513
The Authors
DAMIAN HARPER Coordinating author, Gu�
ngx%2ł, Cruising the Yangzi
A growing penchant for taichi and a meandering career in book-
selling (London, Dublin, Paris) persuaded Damian to opt for a
four-year degree in Chinese at London s School of Oriental and
African Studies. A year of study in B%1łij%2łng and employment in Hong Kong
further honed his irrepressible tendencies for wandering, inclinations that
have led Damian to contribute to over a dozen guidebooks for Lonely Planet,
including Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, China, and Malaysia, Singapore &
Brunei. Married with two children, Damian and his family divide their time
between Honor Oak Park in southeast London and China.
MY FAVOURITE TRIP
From Kk
nm�ng (p220), I ll first tour the towns and villages of
the provincial north, and not just the drawcard sights of Dąl�

Ch�ngdĄ
Three
Gorges
(p257) and L�ji

ng (p265), but the lesser-known settlements of Hu�nglóng X�
L�itł
n
Chóngq�ng
�m�i Shł
n
Sh

x%2ł (p277), Sh�tóuch�ng (p278) and Nu�dŁng (p248) before
Sh�tóuch�ng
falling for the Yuanyang Rice Terraces (p323) in the southeast
L�jił
ng
Shł
x� Gu�y�ng K il�
of Yśnn�n. I ll fly to Gu�l�n to spend four days exploring the
Nu�dŁng
Dąl� Sł
njił
ng
Gu�l�n
countryside around Y�ngshu� (p166) before village-hopping
KĄnm�ng
Y�ngshu�
to K�
il�
(p126) in Gu�zhM
u via S

nji

ng (p184). After flying to
Yuanyang
Ch�ngdk
from Gu�y�ng to climb �m�i Sh

n (p378), I ll visit the Rice Terraces
ancient village of Hu�nglóng X%2ł (p372). Chóngq�ng needs to be
visited for an authentic hotpot and a chance to see the ancient
walled village of L�it

n (p456), before contemplating a cruise
through the Three Gorges (p458).
LONELY PLANET AUTHORS
Why is our travel information the best in the world? It s simple: our authors are independent,
dedicated travellers. They don t research using just the internet or phone, and they don t take
freebies in exchange for positive coverage. They travel widely, to all the popular spots and off
the beaten track. They personally visit thousands of hotels, restaurants, caf�s, bars, galleries,
palaces, museums and more  and they take pride in getting all the details right, and telling it
how it is. Think you can do it? Find out how at lonelyplanet.com..
T H E A U T H O R S
� Lonely Planet Publications
514 THE AUTHORS lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com THE AUTHORS 515
TIENLON HO Chóngq�ng CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
Despite growing up speaking Chinese and packing mąntóu in her lunchbox,
Tienlon Ho first visited China at the ripe age of 21. But Chóngq�ng was David Eimer first came to China in 1988 on a break from studying law in London. A freelance journalist
always in her blood. Her father came there as a child with his mother amid for a variety of newspapers and magazines in the UK and Australia, he has lived in B%1łij%2łng since March
the chaos of bombs. Her mother arrived with her father, an airforce officer 2005. He is the co-author of Lonely Planet s Beijing City Guide.
called to defend the capital city. In their stories, Chóngq�ng was almost
mythical. So when she finally saw it herself, Tienlon brought her parents with Steve Fallon studied Chinese at Georgetown University in Washington DC and soon found his way to
her. Together they wandered the precipitous staircases and the cavernous Hong Kong, where he lived for over a dozen years, working for a variety of media and running his own
bomb shelters of her parents memories, and she was captivated by the travel bookshop. Steve is now based in London and gets back to Hong Kong annually. He has written or
city s history and its people s resilience. Tienlon has travelled extensively contributed to more than two dozen Lonely Planet titles, including Hong Kong & Macau and China.
throughout China, worked as a lawyer in Hong Kong, and covered food
and travel for publications including GQ and Time Out. Christopher Pitts studied Chinese in Colorado, Kk
nm�ng and T�in�n, offsetting his years abroad by
working in a Chinese bookstore in San Francisco and as an editor in Berkeley. A chance meeting in a
Taiwanese elevator wound up letting him off in Paris, where he currently lives with his family, Perrine,
Elliot and C�leste. He has written for the Lonely Planet guidebooks China and Shanghai.
EIL�S QUINN Gu�zhM
u & S�chu

n
Eil�s Quinn grew up in Vancouver, Canada where visits to that city s massive
Chinatown developed a lifelong interest in China and foreign languages. A
degree in Chinese studies from Montreal s McGill University finally got her
to the Middle Kingdom for real. When she first landed in Southwest China
to study at Sichuan Normal University, Ch�ngdk
 s airport was a shack and
it took two hours on a rickety bus just to get into the centre of town. Back
in Canada with degrees in German, Russian and Chinese, she resisted the
pull of yet another language degree, opting for journalism instead, and
went on to toil in newsrooms across Canada and in New York City. She s
now a freelance travel writer based in Montr�al and previously authored
the Yśnn�n, Chóngq�ng, Gu�zhM
u and Gu�
ngx%2ł chapters for Lonely Planet s
China guidebook.
KORINA MILLER History, The Culture, Minority Cultures,
Environment, Food & Drink
Korina grew up on Vancouver Island and was lucky enough to have parents
who carted her around North America on a number of occasions, leaving
her with a well-developed sense of wanderlust. At 18 she left home with
her backpack and has been roaming the world ever since. Along the way,
she picked up a degree in Communications from Vancouver s SFU and an
MA in Migration Studies from Sussex University. She first ventured into
China more than a decade ago, researching cooperatives and ecotourism
in Shąngh�
i and L�ji

ng. Her travels in China have since taken her from the
Manchurian border in the north to the Tibetan Plateau in the Southwest.
She has written or contributed to more than a dozen LP books, over half
of which have been China guides.
� Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
restricted. In return, we think it s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
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T H E A U T H O R S
THE AUTHORS