# How to ask for directions and take the metro in China URL: https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/take-the-metro-in-china/ Updated: 2026-11-05 To ask the way in China, say 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si, excuse me), then ask 地铁站在哪里 (dì tiě zhàn zài ná li, where is the metro station). Or show your map and ask 在哪里 (zài ná li, where is it). This page covers stopping a stranger, what people say back, and what happens at the station: the bag check, the gates and the platform. ## What should you expect? Most big Chinese cities have a metro, the 地铁 (dì tiě, metro). Signs in stations and trains are in Chinese and English, and station names are also in pinyin. Street entrances have the city’s metro logo, but they can be hard to spot among shops. That is when people ask the way. Asking a stranger the way is normal in China. Start with 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si, excuse me). People also use friendly words for strangers: 帅哥 (shuài gē, handsome guy) for a young man, 美女 (méi nǚ, beautiful lady) for a young woman, 阿姨 (ā yí, auntie) for a middle-aged woman, and 叔叔 (shū shu, uncle) for a middle-aged man. These are polite, everyday words. At the station entrance, there is a bag check: your bag goes through an X-ray machine, like at an airport but faster. Then come the ticket gates. In many cities, you scan a QR code on your phone to go through. Machines also sell single tickets. ## Step by step From the street to the train. The lines come from the walk to the metro on the second morning of the game. ### 1. Stop someone politely Pick someone who is not rushing. Say “excuse me” and wait for them to look at you. If they wave you off, try the next person. You say: - **不好意思** (bù hǎo yì si): Excuse me - When: Say it to get a stranger’s attention. It means “excuse me” or “sorry”. - They may say: **哎，什么事？** (āi, shén me shì?): Oh? What is it? (They are listening. Some just say 怎么了 (zěn me le, what’s up).) ### 2. Ask where it is Ask for the metro station, or hold up your map and ask “where is it?”. 在哪里 (zài ná li, where is) works for anything: the station, a pharmacy, the toilet. You say: - **地铁站在哪里？** (dì tiě zhàn zài ná li?): Where's the metro station? - When: Ask it to find the metro station. - They may say: **地铁站啊？前面，右转。** (dì tiě zhàn a? qián mian, yòu zhuǎn.): The metro station? Up ahead, turn right. - **在哪里？** (zài ná li?): Where is it? - When: Ask it while you show your map or a photo of the place. ### 3. If they don’t know or can’t stop Many people on the street are visitors too, and some are in a hurry. Thank them and ask someone else. Older locals and shop staff usually know the area best. You will hear: - **不好意思，我也不知道。** (bù hǎo yì si, wǒ yě bù zhī dào.): Sorry, I don't know either. - **我也是来玩的，不知道哎。** (wǒ yě shì lái wán de, bù zhī dào āi.): I'm also here to have fun. I don't know. (They are visiting too.) - **不好意思，我赶时间！** (bù hǎo yì si, wǒ gǎn shí jiān!): Sorry, I'm in a hurry! You say: - **没关系** (méi guān xi): It's OK - When: Say it to mean “that’s OK”. Then try someone else. ### 4. Understand the directions Directions are short: ahead, left or right, straight on. People point as they talk. Repeat the directions back to check you understood. You will hear: - **往那边一直走，然后左转。** (wǎng nà biān yì zhí zǒu, rán hòu zuó zhuǎn.): Go straight that way, then turn left. You say: - **前面，右转** (qián mian, yòu zhuǎn): Up ahead, turn right - When: Say it back to check you heard “up ahead, turn right”. - **谢谢** (xiè xie): Thank you - When: Say it once you know the way. - They may say: **不客气！** (bú kè qi!): You're welcome! ### 5. Through security and the gates Put your bag on the X-ray belt and walk through. At the gates, hold the metro QR code in your app to the reader, or use a ticket. Keep it ready, because you scan again on the way out in most cities. You will hear: - **包放上面。** (bāo fàng shàng mian.): Put your bag up here. (Security staff point to the X-ray belt.) ### 6. On the platform Each train’s direction is shown by its last stop. If someone chats with you while you wait, a short answer is fine. Children are often curious about foreign visitors. You will hear: - **你是中国人吗？** (nǐ shì zhōng guó rén ma?): Are you Chinese? - **我们可以合照吗？** (wǒ men ké yǐ hé zhào ma?): Can we take a photo together? You say: - **我是外国人** (wǒ shì wài guó rén): I'm a foreigner - When: Say it to mean you are not from China. - **可以** (ké yǐ): Can - When: Say it for “yes, you can”. For “sorry, no”, say 不好意思，不行 (bù hǎo yì si, bù xíng, sorry, no). Pinyin is written the way the words are said, tone changes included, the same as in the game. ## Practical tips Metro payment differs from city to city. Check the metro’s own website or app for your city. ### Use a local map app Local map apps such as Amap (Gaode) show metro entrances, exits and walking routes accurately. Set one up before you need it. ### Check the exit before you leave Big stations have many exits, labelled with letters or numbers. The map app or the station map shows which exit is closest. ### Have the place name in Chinese Show the place name in Chinese characters. It avoids confusion over pronunciation, especially with older people. ### Avoid rush hour with luggage Trains in big cities are packed on weekday mornings and evenings. With a suitcase, travel outside those times. ### Drinks and security Security staff may ask about drinks in your bag. A bottle of water is normally fine. ## Where the game practises this In Very Chinese Time in My Life, the second morning starts on a street where your map will not settle and you cannot find the metro. ### Asking the way You stop people with 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si, excuse me) and ask 地铁站在哪里 (dì tiě zhàn zài ná li, where is the metro station), a sentence you build from two parts the first time. A young man with earphones does not know. A tourist with a camera is a visitor too. An office worker is in a hurry. Then an older woman pulling a shopping trolley tells you 前面，右转 (qián mian, yòu zhuǎn, up ahead, turn right). ### Into the station At the gates, you say 手机 (shǒu jī, phone) to take out your phone and scan your way in. ### On the platform A little girl runs up and says 你好 (ní hǎo, hello). She asks if you are Chinese. When you say you are a foreigner, she asks for a photo together. You take it in the game’s photo mode, and she gets a printed copy. Picture from the game: The second morning: looking for someone to ask the way to the metro. What it shows: A tree-lined street in the game in the morning, with shopfronts and flower pots. A card at the bottom reads 不好意思 (Excuse me), ready to stop someone and ask the way. ## Questions ### How do I ask where the metro station is in Chinese? Say 地铁站在哪里 (dì tiě zhàn zài ná li, where is the metro station). Start with 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si, excuse me) to get the person’s attention. ### How do I politely get a stranger’s attention in China? Say 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si, excuse me). In many cities, people also call strangers 帅哥 (shuài gē, handsome guy) for a young man, 美女 (méi nǚ, beautiful lady) for a young woman, or 阿姨 (ā yí, auntie) for a middle-aged woman. These are normal, polite words. ### How do foreigners pay for the metro in China? In many cities, you scan a QR code from a phone app at the gate. Machines also sell single tickets. Which apps and cards work depends on the city, so check the city metro’s website or app before you go. ### Why is there a security check at metro stations in China? It is a routine safety check at every entrance in big cities. Put your bag on the X-ray belt, walk through and pick it up. It takes a few seconds. ### Are metro signs in China in English? Yes. In big cities, metro signs, maps and announcements are in Chinese and English. Station names are also in pinyin. ### What does 前面，右转 mean? 前面，右转 (qián mian, yòu zhuǎn, up ahead, turn right). Two more you will hear: 左转 (zuó zhuǎn, turn left) and 一直走 (yì zhí zǒu, go straight on). ## Related pages - [How to take a high-speed train in China as a foreigner](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/high-speed-train-in-china/): Buying a ticket with your passport, the ID check at the entrance, security, the departure board, finding your car on the platform. - [How to get a taxi or ride-hailing car from an airport in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/taxi-from-airport-in-china/): Turning down drivers at the exit, the taxi rank or a booked car, the driver checking your number, and small talk on the way. - [How to pay by phone in China as a foreign visitor](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/guides/pay-by-phone-in-china/): Linking a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay, the two ways of scanning, and what cashiers ask at the till. - [Chinese for teaching English in China](https://verychinesetimeinmylife.com/for/teaching-english-in-china/): Your school works in English, but daily life outside it is in Chinese: questions from strangers, children, errands and evenings out.