At the Airport in China: Phrases for Arrivals and Getting Out
The first hour after you land sets the tone for the trip, and it is the hour when your Chinese is weakest. Immigration asks short questions, the baggage belt has no English announcements, and the SIM card booth closes earlier than the arrivals hall empties.
These phrases get you from the plane to a car or a metro without a translation app open the whole way. Read the pinyin aloud, keep your passport and address handy, and the rest is queueing.
Useful phrases
- 请问，入境检查在哪里？Excuse me, where is immigration control?
Staff rarely point far; they wave you toward the next hall. Follow the people coming off your plane and you will end up at the same counters.
- 需要填表吗？Do I need to fill in a form?
Most Western passport holders walk through without a landing card now, but keep your hotel name and address in your phone in case an officer asks for it.
- 这是我的护照和签证。This is my passport and visa.
Hand the passport open on the photo page. If your visa is a separate slip, keep that page ready so you are not flicking through pages at the counter.
- 行李提取在哪里？Where is the baggage claim?
The signs read 行李提取 or show a suitcase icon, and the belt is usually one level below the counters. Belt numbers are called out in Mandarin first.
- 我的行李丢了。My luggage is lost.
Go to the baggage service desk before you exit the hall. A report filed while you are still airside is far easier to chase than one filed from your hotel.
- 哪里可以换钱？Where can I change money?
Airport counters work but the rate is poor. A branch of Bank of China in the city is better, and some ATMs take foreign cards while many do not.
- 哪里可以买电话卡？Where can I buy a SIM card?
You need your passport to register one. China Mobile and China Unicom booths in arrivals sell tourist SIMs, but the staff often pack up by early evening.
- 洗手间在哪里？Where is the restroom?
Signs use 洗手间 or 卫生间. Carry tissues with you, because dispenser paper runs out in Chinese airports more often than you would expect.
- 出口在哪里？Where is the exit?
Follow the 出口 signs with the running-figure icon. Taxis and the metro sit on different levels, so decide which one you want before you walk out.
- 出租车在哪里？Where are the taxis?
Use the official rank, not the men calling you to one side. At Beijing Capital it sits on the arrivals level and the queue moves quickly.
- 我要去这个地址。I need to go to this address.
Show the address in Chinese characters on your phone. A pinned map is faster than spelling out a street name to a driver.
- 去市区多少钱？How much to the city center?
Ask before you get in. Some airports run a flat fare; otherwise expect the meter plus the highway toll for the airport expressway entrance.
- 机场有地铁吗？Does the airport have a metro?
Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong both run metro lines into the city. Shanghai also has the Maglev from Pudong, which covers the run at 300 km/h.
Quick cultural tip
Terminals, two-way queues and the information desk
Big airports split international and domestic flights across terminals, and Beijing's newer Daxing airport sits well south of the city. Check which one your ticket uses before you plan the onward ride; a plane ticket that says 北京 does not tell you whether you land at Capital or Daxing.
The information desk (问询处) is your best stop for a paper metro map and a working SIM, and staff there usually manage enough English. Queues here often move in two directions at once, so keep your place rather than drifting back and letting someone step in front.