In western countries, especially in North America, “automobile culture” has been the way of life for decades. Teenagers often save up for their first car and many Americans have never been on a train or a public bus. Of course, there are exceptions, but for the most part driving is still the normal mode of transportation.
However, what about in China? The Chinese are buying more cars than any other country in the world. A whopping 21 million cars were sold in 2015 and the Chinese have the widest range of automobile brands available to buyers in the world. This means that more and more Chinese are skipping the bus and putting away their bicycles to get “behind the wheel.”
So, with “car culture” quickly coming to China, what Chinese language points do you need to know to survive on the open road? Let’s learn some.
Before you go out, you should know how to get to the destination? how far is it? And how long should it take to the destination? So you may ask:
Nínhǎo, qǐngwèn qù jīchǎng zěnme zǒu？
1. 您好， 请问 去 机场 怎么 走？
How do I get to the airport? (You can change the destination according to your needs.)
Qǐngwèn cóng zhèlǐ dào fúwùzhàn yǒu duō yuǎn?
2. 请问 从 这里 到 服务站 有 多 远？
How far is it from here to the service station?
Qǐngwèn dào huǒchēzhàn yào duōjiǔ?
3. 请问 到 火车站 要 多久？
How long should it take to the railway station?
Sometimes your car may run out of the oil before you get to the destination. So what should you do? You want to know where is the petrol station. How to say that in Chinese?
Qǐngwèn zhè fùjìn yǒu jiāyóuzhàn ma?
4. 请问 这 附近 有 加油站 吗？
Is there a petrol station near here?
When you arrived at the destination after a long journey, you must be tired and want to have a rest, but it’s terrible you can’t find the parking lot, what should you do? Just ask someone.
Qǐng wèn, nǎlǐ kěyǐ tíngchē? / tíngchēchǎng zài nǎr?
5. 请问， 哪里可以 停车？/ 停车场 在 哪儿？
Could you please tell me where is the parking lot?
So, fasten your seat belts, start your engines and hit the road with these valuable Chinese phrases!
Quiz:
1. Where you should go when you’ve run out of petrol?
A. 停车场 (tíngchēchǎng)
B. 加油站 (jiāyóuzhàn)
C. 服务站 (fúwùzhàn)
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