Travel & Holidays in Chinese 旅行
lǚxíng
Travel in Chinese is 旅行 (lǚ xíng).
Also searched for as: travel holiday, vacation, trip, tourism.
Where can transport take you? 20 essential travel & holidays words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for travel in Chinese is 旅行 (lǚ xíng), though in everyday conversation you'll hear 旅游 (lǚ yóu) just as often, especially for sightseeing trips. These words help you talk about your 假期 (jià qī), holiday, plan a 行程 (xíng chéng), itinerary, choose between joining a tour group and going it alone, and chat about the 景点 (jǐng diǎn) you've seen. They're ideal for the classic question after any break: where did you go?
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 旅行 | lǚ xíng | to travel |
| 旅游 | lǚ yóu | tourism; to tour |
| 假期 | jià qī | holiday |
| 放假 | fàng jià | to have a holiday |
| 出国 | chū guó | to go abroad |
| 景点 | jǐng diǎn | tourist attraction |
| 导游 | dǎo yóu | tour guide |
| 参观 | cān guān | to visit (a place) |
| 拍照 | pāi zhào | to take photos |
| 照片 | zhào piàn | photo |
| 行程 | xíng chéng | itinerary |
| 游客 | yóu kè | tourist |
| 纪念品 | jì niàn pǐn | souvenir |
| 风景 | fēng jǐng | scenery |
| 背包 | bēi bāo | backpack |
| 签证 | qiān zhèng | visa |
| 预订 | yù dìng | to book |
| 自由行 | zì yóu xíng | independent travel |
| 跟团 | gēn tuán | to join a tour group |
| 攻略 | gōng lüè | travel guide (tips) |
Usage tips
- 旅行 (lǚ xíng) leans towards the journey itself, while 旅游 (lǚ yóu) suggests sightseeing and tourism; both work for 'go on holiday', as in 去云南旅游 (qù Yún nán lǚ yóu).
- Public holidays are described with 放假 (fàng jià), e.g. 国庆节放七天假 (Guó qìng jié fàng qī tiān jià), and the week-long breaks around National Day and Spring Festival are peak times when 景点 (jǐng diǎn) get extremely crowded.
- Before a trip many Chinese travellers read 攻略 (gōng lüè), user-written guides full of tips on routes, food and tickets; searching a place name plus 攻略 is a quick way to find practical advice.
Common mistakes
- Using 参观 (cān guān) for visiting people → 参观 is for places such as museums and factories; for friends or relatives say 去看朋友 (qù kàn péng you) or the more formal 拜访 (bài fǎng).
- Translating 'I went on holiday' word for word as 我去了假期 → say 我去旅游了 (wǒ qù lǚ yóu le) or, if you just mean time off, 我放假了 (wǒ fàng jià le).
Mini dialogue
- A假期你去哪儿玩了？Jià qī nǐ qù nǎr wán le?Where did you go over the holiday?
- B我去云南旅游了，是自由行。Wǒ qù Yún nán lǚ yóu le, shì zì yóu xíng.I went travelling in Yunnan, on my own rather than with a group.
- A不跟团不累吗？Bù gēn tuán bù lèi ma?Wasn't it tiring without a tour group?
- B还好，出发前我看了很多攻略。Hái hǎo, chū fā qián wǒ kàn le hěn duō gōng lüè.Not really, I read loads of travel tips before setting off.
- A风景怎么样？给我看看你的照片吧。Fēng jǐng zěn me yàng? Gěi wǒ kàn kan nǐ de zhào piàn ba.What was the scenery like? Show me your photos.
Example sentences
- 我很喜欢一个人旅行。I really enjoy travelling alone.
- 暑假我们去云南旅游。We're going on a trip to Yunnan in the summer holidays.
- 假期你去哪儿玩了？Where did you go during the holiday?
- 国庆节我们放假七天。We get seven days off for National Day.
- 这是她第一次出国。It's her first time going abroad.
- 这个城市有很多景点。This city has lots of tourist attractions.
- 导游带我们参观了故宫。The tour guide showed us round the Forbidden City.
- 明天我们去参观博物馆。Tomorrow we're visiting the museum.
- 这里可以拍照吗？Can I take photos here?
- 给我看看你的照片。Show me your photos.
- 我们的行程安排得很满。Our itinerary is packed.
- 周末游客特别多。There are loads of tourists at the weekend.
- 我给妈妈买了一个纪念品。I bought a souvenir for my mum.
- 这里的风景太美了！The scenery here is stunning!
- 他背着背包去爬山。He went hiking with his backpack.
- 我的签证下来了。My visa has come through.
- 我已经预订了酒店。I've already booked the hotel.
- 我们这次选择自由行。We've chosen independent travel this time.
- 跟团旅游比较省心。Joining a tour group is less hassle.
- 出发前我看了很多攻略。I read lots of travel tips before setting off.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Travel & holidays speaking island has 8 everyday questions about travel & holidays to prepare your own answers to.