Say it in Chinese
How to say I have a reservation in Chinese
Updated
I have a reservation in Chinese is 我有预订. Say it first at the hotel desk if you booked online. The next question is often about a Chinese ID card. Answer 我是外国人 (I’m a foreigner), and the receptionist asks for your passport instead.
The phrase
- 我wǒI
- 有yǒuhave
- 预订yù dìngreservation
What it means
我有预订 means “I have a reservation”. 我 is “I”, 有 is “have” and 预订 is “a booking”. It works at hotels, and at restaurants or tea houses that take bookings.
You do not need to name the booking site. The receptionist asks for your documents and finds the booking.
How to say it
Say wǒ yǒu yù dìng. wǒ and yǒu dip. yù and dìng fall.
In fast speech you will often hear wó yǒu, because the first of two dipping tones rises. 我 and 有 are two separate words, so the game writes wǒ yǒu. Both are understood.
ü in yù is like “ee” said with rounded lips.
The pinyin shows how people really say it, the same as in the game.
When to use it
-
At the hotel desk
Walk up and say 我有预订. The receptionist asks for ID, finds your booking, and may ask you to look into a camera.
-
When they ask for an ID card
身份证 is the Chinese national ID card. Staff ask for it out of habit. Say 我是外国人 (I’m a foreigner) and hand over your passport.
-
At a restaurant or tea house
Places that take bookings may ask 您有预订吗 (do you have a reservation)? If you booked, answer 我有预订. If not, say how many people you are.
Other ways to say it
The other things you say at the hotel desk in the game.
- 我是外国人 (wǒ shì wài guó rén) I'm a foreigner
Say it when a receptionist asks for a Chinese ID card. They switch to your passport.
- 谢谢 (xiè xie) Thank you
Say it when you get your room card.
- 晚上好！ (wǎn shang hǎo!) Good evening!
Say it first if you arrive at night.
What people say back
- 我有预订 (wǒ yǒu yù dìng) I have a reservation
The receptionist asks 您好，办理入住吗 (hello, checking in)?
They may say 好的。身份证出示一下。 (hǎo de. shēn fèn zhèng chū shì yí xià.) OK. Please show your ID card. (She asks for a Chinese ID card out of habit, without looking up.) - 我是外国人 (wǒ shì wài guó rén) I'm a foreigner
She asks for the ID card again.
They may say 哦，不好意思！护照给我一下。 (ò, bù hǎo yì si! hù zhào gěi wǒ yí xià.) Oh, sorry! Give me your passport, please. (Now she asks for your passport.) - 谢谢 (xiè xie) Thank you
Check-in is done and you have your room card.
They may say 不客气，晚安！ (bú kè qi, wǎn ān!) You're welcome. Good night!
Common mistakes
-
An answer that does not fit
The receptionist asks again in other words. In the game she says 不好意思，您有预订吗 (sorry, do you have a reservation)? That gives you a second chance.
-
A copy of your passport
Hotels in China register foreign guests from the original passport. A photo or photocopy is usually not accepted.
-
A hotel that cannot take foreigners
Some smaller hotels in China cannot register foreign guests. Booking sites often say if a hotel accepts foreigners. Check before you go.
Where it comes up in the game
The first night
You reach the hotel late at night. The receptionist asks if you are checking in. You say 我有预订. She asks for an ID card without looking up. You say 我是外国人. She says sorry and asks for your passport.
Taking things out of your pocket
At the desk, things come out of your pocket when you say their names. Say 护照 (passport) and your hand takes it out. Say the wrong thing and she tells you it is not that one.
Later in the week
A tea house asks 您有预订吗? You show your passport again at the police station and at the high-speed train station.
Questions
How do you say I have a reservation in Chinese?
I have a reservation in Chinese is 我有预订. Say it at the hotel desk if you booked online.
What do I say at hotel check-in in China?
At hotel check-in in China, say 我有预订 (I have a reservation). If you are asked for a 身份证 (Chinese ID card), say 我是外国人 (I’m a foreigner) and give your passport.
Why does the hotel ask for my ID card?
Hotels in China register every guest. Most guests are Chinese citizens who check in with a national ID card, 身份证. Staff ask for it out of habit. Foreign guests use a passport.
How do you say passport in Chinese?
Passport in Chinese is 护照. Both syllables fall.
Does 我 change its tone in 我有预订?
我 often rises in fast speech, so you hear wó yǒu. That is because 我 and 有 both dip. They are separate words, so many textbooks write wǒ yǒu.
Do I need my original passport to check in to a hotel in China?
Hotels in China need your original passport to register you. Some also take a photo of your face at the desk.