Getting around
地铁
下一站。
Next stop.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Xi'an
China
Xi'an is an old walled city on the Wei River plain, once a capital of several dynasties.
How the language is used
Mandarin is the language of the street, the wall, and the market.
In this city
- Language
- Chinese
- Also heard
- Mostly Chinese
- A local word
- 羊肉泡馍 — A bowl of lamb paomo.
- Writing
- simplified Chinese characters
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
Food
回民街
来一碗羊肉泡馍。
A bowl of lamb paomo.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The counter
城墙
两张票。
Two tickets.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The street
街
你好。
Hello.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
Chinese is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
Around the city wall, the Muslim Quarter, the Bell Tower, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Xi'an can run on four lines: “下一站。”, “来一碗羊肉泡馍。”, “两张票。”, and “你好。”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in simplified Chinese characters.
- 你 is the ordinary you. 您 is the polite one, for older people and in service.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Xi'an, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: 羊肉泡馍. It means A bowl of lamb paomo..
Places you can see
- City Wall — A long Ming wall you can walk around the old centre.
- Muslim Quarter — A dense market of food stalls near the Drum Tower.
- Terracotta Army — The pits lie nearby, outside the urban core, not in the centre.
Food
You eat noodles, breads, and lamb skewers. You order them in Mandarin.
Getting around
The metro serves the walled city. A longer ride reaches the army pits nearby. You ask in Mandarin.
Daily life
You ask the way along the wall and name a dish in the quarter, in Mandarin.
A few everyday phrases
Chinese
| Phrase | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | Nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 谢谢 | Xièxie | Thank you |
| 早上好 | Zǎoshang hǎo | Good morning |
| 我叫… | Wǒ jiào… | My name is… |
