Lesson 12: Travel and Tourism
Build the vocabulary and grammar needed for travel situations: booking accommodation, navigating transport, and describing journeys using 从...到 and related patterns.
Overview
Travel is one of the most practical communication domains at the intermediate level. This lesson covers the vocabulary for airports, hotels, and tourist sites, along with three key grammar patterns for describing travel routes and experiences. The 从...到 (from...to) structure is central to route descriptions, while 经过 and 路过 are essential for mentioning stops and passing through.
Learning Objectives
- Use 从...到 to describe travel routes and distances
- Distinguish between 经过 (passing through a place) and 路过 (happening to pass by)
- Describe travel plans using 打算 and 计划
- Handle practical travel vocabulary for accommodation, transportation, and sightseeing
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | verb/noun | to travel for leisure; tourism | 去旅游 |
| 景点 | jǐngdiǎn | noun | tourist attraction, scenic spot | 有名的景点 |
| 导游 | dǎoyóu | noun | tour guide | 请导游带路 |
| 预订 | yùdìng | verb | to book, to reserve | 预订酒店 |
| 行李 | xíngli | noun | luggage, baggage | 托运行李 |
| 护照 | hùzhào | noun | passport | 出示护照 |
| 签证 | qiānzhèng | noun | visa | 申请签证 |
| 经过 | jīngguò | verb | to pass through, to go via | 经过北京 |
| 路过 | lùguò | verb | to pass by (incidentally) | 路过这里 |
| 从...到 | cóng...dào | prep | from...to | 从上海到北京 |
| 出发 | chūfā | verb | to depart, to set off | 明天出发 |
| 抵达 | dǐdá | verb | to arrive (formal) | 抵达目的地 |
| 风景 | fēngjǐng | noun | scenery, landscape | 风景很美 |
| 目的地 | mùdìdì | noun | destination | 到达目的地 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: 从...到 — From...To (Route and Distance)
Structure: 从 + Origin + 到 + Destination + Verb phrase
从...到 describes movement between two points. It can express routes (from city to city), time spans (from morning to night), or ranges (from easy to difficult). The verb phrase following the structure describes what happens on that journey.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 从北京到上海坐高铁要五个小时。 | Cóng Běijīng dào Shànghǎi zuò gāotiě yào wǔ ge xiǎoshí. | Taking the high-speed rail from Beijing to Shanghai takes five hours. |
| 她每天从家到公司要走二十分钟。 | Tā měitiān cóng jiā dào gōngsī yào zǒu èrshí fēnzhōng. | Every day she walks twenty minutes from home to the office. |
| 这次旅行从北京经过西安，最后到成都。 | Zhè cì lǚxíng cóng Běijīng jīngguò Xī'ān, zuìhòu dào Chéngdū. | This trip goes from Beijing through Xi'an, finally arriving in Chengdu. |
Common mistake: Omitting the verb of travel. 从北京到上海 by itself is a noun phrase, not a sentence. Add a verb: 从北京到上海要五小时 (takes five hours) or 我从北京到上海了 (I traveled from Beijing to Shanghai).
Pattern 2: 经过 vs. 路过
Structure: 经过 + Place (intentional route) / 路过 + Place (incidental passing)
经过 means passing through a place as part of a planned route. 路过 means coincidentally passing by a place without it being the goal. 经过 often appears in itineraries, while 路过 appears in casual conversation to explain how something was seen or noticed.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我们的路线经过三个省。 | Wǒmen de lùxiàn jīngguò sān ge shěng. | Our route passes through three provinces. |
| 我今天路过一家新开的餐厅，看起来很不错。 | Wǒ jīntiān lùguò yī jiā xīn kāi de cāntīng, kàn qǐlái hěn bùcuò. | Today I happened to pass by a newly opened restaurant, it looks pretty good. |
| 火车经过武汉时可以看到长江。 | Huǒchē jīngguò Wǔhàn shí kěyǐ kàndào Cháng Jiāng. | When the train passes through Wuhan you can see the Yangtze River. |
Common mistake: Using 经过 for accidental encounters. If you were just passing by without a plan to go there, 路过 is more natural. Using 经过 implies it was part of a deliberate route.
Pattern 3: 打算/计划 + V — Travel Plans
Structure: Subject + 打算/计划 + Verb Phrase (+ 呢/了)
打算 (dǎsuàn) and 计划 (jìhuà) both mean "to plan to," but 打算 is more informal and personal, while 计划 can also be a noun (a plan). Both express intentions about future travel.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我打算暑假去云南旅游。 | Wǒ dǎsuàn shǔjià qù Yúnnán lǚyóu. | I plan to travel to Yunnan during the summer vacation. |
| 他们计划明年去欧洲旅行。 | Tāmen jìhuà míngnián qù Ōuzhōu lǚxíng. | They plan to travel to Europe next year. |
| 你这个周末打算去哪里？ | Nǐ zhège zhōumò dǎsuàn qù nǎlǐ? | Where do you plan to go this weekend? |
Common mistake: Using 想 and 打算 interchangeably. 想 expresses a wish or desire, which may or may not become a plan. 打算 implies a more concrete intention. 我想去Paris (I'd love to go to Paris) vs. 我打算下个月去Paris (I'm planning to go to Paris next month).
Dialogue
A: 听说你上周去了西安？怎么样？ Tīng shuō nǐ shàng zhōu qù le Xī'ān? Zěnmeyàng? I heard you went to Xi'an last week? How was it?
B: 很棒！我从北京坐高铁，经过郑州，大概五个小时就到了。 Hěn bàng! Wǒ cóng Běijīng zuò gāotiě, jīngguò Zhèngzhōu, dàgài wǔ ge xiǎoshí jiù dào le. Wonderful! I took the high-speed rail from Beijing, passing through Zhengzhou, and arrived in about five hours.
A: 你去了哪些景点？ Nǐ qù le nǎxiē jǐngdiǎn? Which tourist attractions did you visit?
B: 主要去了兵马俑和城墙。路过鼓楼的时候还买了一些特产。 Zhǔyào qù le Bīngmǎyǒng hé chéngqiáng. Lùguò Gǔlóu de shíhou hái mǎi le yīxiē tèchǎn. Mainly went to the Terracotta Warriors and the city wall. When I happened to pass by the Drum Tower I also bought some local products.
A: 你有没有请导游？一个人旅游语言方面有问题吗？ Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu qǐng dǎoyóu? Yī ge rén lǚyóu yǔyán fāngmiàn yǒu wèntí ma? Did you hire a tour guide? Did you have language difficulties traveling alone?
B: 没有，我用手机翻译搞定了大部分。预订酒店的时候有一点麻烦，但还好。 Méiyǒu, wǒ yòng shǒujī fānyì gǎodìng le dàbùfen. Yùdìng jiǔdiàn de shíhou yǒu yīdiǎn máfán, dàn hái hǎo. No, I handled most things with my phone translator. Booking the hotel was a bit tricky, but it was OK.
A: 你打算什么时候再去？ Nǐ dǎsuàn shénme shíhou zài qù? When do you plan to go again?
B: 我打算明年从上海出发，经过杭州，然后去黄山，最后到成都。 Wǒ dǎsuàn míngnián cóng Shànghǎi chūfā, jīngguò Hángzhōu, ránhòu qù Huángshān, zuìhòu dào Chéngdū. I plan to depart from Shanghai next year, pass through Hangzhou, then go to Huangshan, and finally arrive in Chengdu.
Practice
Exercise 1: Complete the route
Write sentences using 从...到 based on these cues:
- 北京 / 上海 / 高铁 / 5小时
- 家 / 公司 / 骑车 / 20分钟
- 中国 / 越南 / 飞机 / 3小时
Exercise 2: 经过 or 路过?
Choose the correct verb:
- 我们的旅行路线___广州，然后到达香港。
- 我今天___超市，就顺便买了一些水果。
- 火车___这个小城市的时候，风景非常美。
Exercise 3: Travel planning
Write 3-4 sentences describing a trip you plan to take. Use 打算, 从...到, and 经过.
Cultural Note
China's high-speed rail network (高铁, gāotiě) has transformed domestic travel and altered how Chinese people think about distances. A journey that once took 10 hours now takes 2-3 hours, reshaping weekend travel culture and regional economies. Cities along high-speed rail routes have seen tourism surge. The phrase 从...到...坐高铁要几个小时 (taking high-speed rail from X to Y takes X hours) has become a standard way to conceptualize geographical distance in modern Chinese conversation, replacing older measurements of distance based on driving or train travel.