Land in China: SIM, metro, and hotel in one chain
Essential pack for arrival and first steps.
Editorial: Javier Garcia Floriano · Contact
Founder of Chinese Trainer. These lists come from the app's HSK inventory (hanzi, pinyin, band), not from an official exam PDF.
Day one is not sightseeing. It is a chain: 机场 → 手机卡 → 地铁 → 酒店. No data, no 导航; no 导航, and the metro is a drawing. HSK 1 already gives you 你好, 多少钱 and 车站. What closes the day is 办卡, 扫码进站 and 我预订了. This page is a situation pack, not a geography syllabus: the same words as the airport, the China Unicom / Mobile desk, the 闸机 and reception. Chinese Trainer tags each row with HSK; they feed SRS. Save 机场, 手机卡, 地铁 and 酒店 first. 换钱 and 滴滴 are the backup if the metro has shut. A SIM clerk understands 我要手机卡 more than a speech about your European eSIM. 景点 can wait until tomorrow. Eat after the key is in your hand.
Key takeaways
- Day order: passport at 入境, SIM, metro, 入住. 景点 waits until tomorrow.
- 手机卡 wants a passport; 套餐 and 流量 beat the phone brand.
- Metro QR or card; 几号线 toward the 酒店, not downtown by habit.
- 酒店: 预订 + 护照. 换钱 only if QR is not alive yet.
- A Chinese Trainer pack, not an agency itinerary.
Dialogue: airport SIM, metro, then 酒店
One day, three desks. Passport always in hand.
| Speaker | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | 你好，我要办一张手机卡。 | Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào bàn yì zhāng shǒujī kǎ. | Hi, I want a SIM. |
| SIM desk | 护照。要多少流量？ | Hùzhào. Yào duōshao liúliàng? | Passport. How much data? |
| You | 一个套餐，二十个G。多少钱？ | Yí ge tàocān, èrshí ge G. Duōshao qián? | One plan, 20 GB. How much? |
| SIM desk | 一百块。扫码。地铁在那儿。 | Yìbǎi kuài. Sǎo mǎ. Dìtiě zài nàr. | A hundred. Scan. Metro's over there. |
| You | 机场地铁怎么走？可以扫码进站吗？ | Jīchǎng dìtiě zěnme zǒu? Kěyǐ sǎo mǎ jìn zhàn ma? | The airport metro? Can I QR in? |
| Staff | 可以。往前走。几号线看导航。 | Kěyǐ. Wǎng qián zǒu. Jǐ hào xiàn kàn dǎoháng. | Yes. Straight. Check 导航 for the line. |
| You | 我去这个酒店。下一站是哪儿？ | Wǒ qù zhège jiǔdiàn. Xià yí zhàn shì nǎr? | I'm going to this hotel. What's the next stop? |
| PA / you | 看屏幕。到了就下。 | Kàn píngmù. Dào le jiù xià. | Watch the screen. Get off when you're there. |
| You | 你好，我预订了。这是护照。第一次来中国。 | Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yùdìng le. Zhè shì hùzhào. Dì yī cì lái Zhōngguó. | Hi, I booked. Passport. First time in China. |
| Hotel | 欢迎。房间好了。要换钱吗？ | Huānyíng. Fángjiān hǎo le. Yào huàn qián ma? | Welcome. Room's ready. Need to change money? |
| You | 先不换。可以扫码。谢谢。 | Xiān bù huàn. Kěyǐ sǎo mǎ. Xièxie. | Not now. I can scan. Thanks. |
How to use these words
You leave 入境 with the stamp. Do not hunt for 故宫. Hunt for 手机卡 / 电话卡 or a China Unicom / Mobile shop in the terminal. 我要办一张手机卡. Passport. 套餐: ask for 流量, not a minutes speech. If your eSIM already works, skip the queue; if not, this window is the day.
With data, 导航 to the 酒店. Most big airports have 地铁. 机场线 or whatever number is on the board. 扫码 or 买一张卡. 几号线, 下一站, 出口. If the metro has closed, 滴滴: 去这个酒店, show the address. 换钱 is the last resort for an old-queue taxi; a freshly linked WeChat QR usually does it.
At the 酒店 the pack meets travel: 我预订了, 护照, 押金. 第一次来中国 is small talk, not a requirement. If you get lost between terminals, 请问，地铁怎么走 falls back to places. Say the dialogue below in the real order of the day, passport in the same hand as the phone. 景点 can wait until tomorrow. If the SIM desk is shut, grab airport Wi‑Fi and look for 营业厅 at the first metro stop: it often opens later than the terminal. Do not change a fat wad on day one: if WeChat QR already pays, it covers metro and the 便利店.
How this list was built
The published count is 41 rows for this situation after exclusions, not the raw keyword match. We checked this inventory against the HSK bands on chinesetest.cn. HSK is the level tagged on each row. Chinese Trainer is the app whose SRS uses the same rows. first day in China Chinese is the situation this page teaches.
Example sentences
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我要办一张手机卡。 | Wǒ yào bàn yì zhāng shǒujī kǎ. | I want to get a SIM card. |
| 有流量套餐吗？ | Yǒu liúliàng tàocān ma? | Is there a data plan? |
| 机场地铁怎么走？ | Jīchǎng dìtiě zěnme zǒu? | How do I get to the airport metro? |
| 我去这个酒店。 | Wǒ qù zhège jiǔdiàn. | I'm going to this hotel. |
| 可以扫码进站吗？ | Kěyǐ sǎo mǎ jìn zhàn ma? | Can I tap in with QR? |
| 我预订了。这是护照。 | Wǒ yùdìng le. Zhè shì hùzhào. | I have a booking. Here's my passport. |
| 第一次来中国。 | Dì yī cì lái Zhōngguó. | It's my first time in China. |
| 在哪儿换钱？ | Zài nǎr huàn qián? | Where can I change money? |
| 导航到酒店。 | Dǎoháng dào jiǔdiàn. | Navigate to the hotel. |
| 谢谢，再见。 | Xièxie, zàijiàn. | Thanks, bye. |
Word list
41 words in this topic (cleaned list) · HSK 1–3
机场 and arrival
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 机场 | jīchǎng | airport |
| 5 | 到来 | dàolái | to arrive |
2 words · Practice them in the app
手机卡 and data
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 卡 | kǎ / qiǎ | card |
| 2 | 信用卡 | xìnyòngkǎ | credit card |
| 2 | 银行卡 | yínhángkǎ | bank card |
| 3 | 牌 | pái | card |
| 4 | 名片 | míngpiàn | card |
| 5 | 贺卡 | hèkǎ | greeting card |
| 7 | 帖 | tiē | card |
| 7 | 柬 | jiǎn | card |
| 7 | 一卡通 | yīkǎtōng | all-in-one card |
| 7 | 卡片 | kǎpiàn | card |
| 7 | 磁卡 | cíkǎ | magnetic card |
| 7 | 请帖 | qǐngtiě | invitation card |
| 7 | 请柬 | qǐngjiǎn | invitation card |
13 words · Practice them in the app
地铁 and 导航
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 2 | 地铁 | dìtiě | underground railway |
| 2 | 地铁站 | dìtiězhàn | subway station |
| 2 | 方向 | fāngxiàng | direction |
| 6 | 平方米 | píngfāngmǐ | square meter |
| 7 | 导向 | dǎoxiàng | to be oriented towards |
| 7 | 导航 | dǎoháng | to navigate |
| 7 | 指教 | zhǐjiào | to offer advice |
| 7 | 立方米 | lìfāngmǐ | cubic meter |
9 words · Practice them in the app
酒店
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 店 | diàn | shop |
| 1 | 饭店 | fàndiàn | restaurant |
| 2 | 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | wine shop |
| 3 | 旅馆 | lǚguǎn | Hotel |
| 6 | 旅店 | lǚdiàn | inn |
5 words · Practice them in the app
换钱
| HSK | Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 反而 | fǎn'ér | on the contrary |
| 4 | 汇率 | huìlǜ | exchange rate |
| 7 | 一成不变 | yīchéng-bùbiàn | immutable |
| 7 | 反倒 | fǎndào | but on the contrary |
| 7 | 换取 | huànqǔ | to obtain in exchange |
| 7 | 日新月异 | rìxīn-yuèyì | daily renewal |
| 7 | 更衣室 | gēngyīshì | change room |
| 7 | 爆冷门 | bào lěngmén | an upset |
| 7 | 耳目一新 | ěrmù-yīxīn | a pleasant change |
| 7 | 转折 | zhuǎnzhé | shift in the trend of events |
| 7 | 零钱 | língqián | change |
| 7 | 面目全非 | miànmù-quánfēi | nothing remains the same |
12 words · Practice them in the app
Measure words for this topic
张 for 手机卡 and tickets. 个 for 套餐 if you do not know the specific measure. 间 for the room on arrival. 次 in 第一次.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sightseeing before 手机卡 | SIM (or working eSIM) first | No data means no 导航 and no metro QR. 景点 can wait. |
| European eSIM assumed at every airport | Confirm 流量 or 办卡 | Some European eSIMs die at 入境. Keep a 手机卡 plan B. |
| Taxi queue by default at 10:00 | 机场地铁 | By day the airport metro usually wins. 滴滴 is the fallback. |
| 换钱 of a huge amount on day one | QR first, small cash if needed | Cash is extra if WeChat/Alipay already pay. Change a little. |
| Skipping 护照 at the hotel because you showed it at the airport | 护照 again at 入住 | Each desk registers. The 入境 stamp does not replace the hotel. |
FAQ
What do I do in order on day one?
入境, 手机卡 (if needed), metro or 滴滴, hotel 入住. Food if you are hungry. 景点 tomorrow.
Do I need cash?
A little. A 手机卡 and the metro are usually QR. 换钱 a minimum in case an old taxi cannot scan.
Does the pack cover visas?
No. The visa is before you fly. Here we assume 入境 already let you through. 护照 yes, at every desk.
Is HSK 1 enough?
For 我要手机卡, 怎么走 and 我预订了, yes. 套餐 and 流量 sit higher on HSK but you can point at the sign.
How do I practice day one?
Save 手机卡, 地铁 and 酒店 in Chinese Trainer SRS and say the dialogue in airport order. Once out loud, passport in hand.
Practice in the app
The same pack rows feed Chinese Trainer SRS. Start HSK 1–2 free, save 手机卡 and 地铁, and run today's deck before you land.