Places in Town in Chinese 城里的地方
chénglǐ de dìfang
Place in Chinese is 地方 (dì fang).
Also searched for as: places, places around town, town, shops and buildings.
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城里的地方 (chéng lǐ de dì fang) simply means 'places in town', and these are the names of the buildings and services you're most likely to need, from the 银行 (yín háng), bank, to the 医院 (yī yuàn), hospital. Many share a final character that tells you what kind of place it is: 店 (diàn) for shops, 馆 (guǎn) for halls and venues, and 局 (jú) for official offices.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 银行 | yín háng | bank |
| 邮局 | yóu jú | post office |
| 医院 | yī yuàn | hospital |
| 商场 | shāng chǎng | shopping centre |
| 广场 | guǎng chǎng | square; plaza |
| 博物馆 | bó wù guǎn | museum |
| 体育馆 | tǐ yù guǎn | sports hall; stadium |
| 电影院 | diàn yǐng yuàn | cinema |
| 警察局 | jǐng chá jú | police station |
| 加油站 | jiā yóu zhàn | petrol station |
| 便利店 | biàn lì diàn | convenience store |
| 药店 | yào diàn | pharmacy |
| 寺庙 | sì miào | temple |
| 市中心 | shì zhōng xīn | city centre |
| 步行街 | bù xíng jiē | pedestrian street |
Usage tips
- Combine 在 (zài) with a position word to say where a place is, as in 药店在银行旁边 (yào diàn zài yín háng páng biān), the pharmacy is next to the bank.
- In the evenings many town squares, 广场 (guǎng chǎng), fill with people doing 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ), square dancing, a popular group exercise.
- 警察局 (jǐng chá jú) is understood everywhere, but on the mainland a local police station is usually called 派出所 (pài chū suǒ).
Common mistakes
- Adding 在 after 去, as in 我去在银行; 去 (qù) takes the place directly, so say 我去银行 (wǒ qù yín háng).
- Reading 银行 as yín xíng; 行 is háng here, so it's 银行 (yín háng), while xíng is the reading in 步行街 (bù xíng jiē), pedestrian street.
Mini dialogue
- A请问，附近有银行吗？Qǐng wèn, fù jìn yǒu yín háng ma?Excuse me, is there a bank nearby?
- B有，在市中心，药店旁边。Yǒu, zài shì zhōng xīn, yào diàn páng biān.Yes, in the city centre, next to the pharmacy.
- A银行几点开门？Yín háng jǐ diǎn kāi mén?What time does the bank open?
- B九点。邮局也在那儿。Jiǔ diǎn. Yóu jú yě zài nàr.Nine o'clock. The post office is there too.
Example sentences
- 银行几点开门？What time does the bank open?
- 我去邮局寄信。I'm going to the post office to send a letter.
- 最近的医院在哪儿？Where's the nearest hospital?
- 周末商场人很多。The mall is packed at weekends.
- 晚上广场上有很多人跳舞。Lots of people dance in the square in the evening.
- 博物馆周一不开门。The museum is closed on Mondays.
- 体育馆里有篮球赛。There's a basketball match at the sports hall.
- 电影院在商场五楼。The cinema is on the fifth floor of the mall.
- 警察局就在附近。The police station is nearby.
- 前面有个加油站。There's a petrol station ahead.
- 便利店二十四小时开门。The convenience store is open 24 hours.
- 药店在银行旁边。The pharmacy is next to the bank.
- 山上有一座寺庙。There's a temple on the mountain.
- 市中心交通很方便。Transport is easy in the city centre.
- 我们去步行街逛逛。Let's go for a stroll down the pedestrian street.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Around town speaking island has 8 everyday questions about around town to prepare your own answers to.