预约
yùyuē
In Chinese, the word for appointment is 预约 (yùyuē).
预约 is used for professional or service-based appointments, such as booking a doctor, a salon or a restaurant table.
Meaning: arrangement for a meeting, an engagement (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 预 (yù), meaning 'in advance' and 约 (yuē), meaning 'to agree upon' or 'to contract'.
Which one should you use?
预约 (yùyuē) refers to a formal or professional appointment, whereas 约会 (yuēhuì) refers to a social date or a romantic engagement.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 了 (le) after 预约 (yùyuē) can indicate that an appointment has been successfully made or completed.
How do you pronounce it?
yùyuē
Did you know?
- When checking in for a medical or professional appointment, you might hear the term 挂号 (guàhào). This literally translates to 'hanging a number' and refers to the traditional process of registering your name to see a doctor.
- The character 约 (yuē) in 预约 is also used in the word 约束 (yuēshù), which means 'to restrain' or 'to bind'. This reflects the historical concept of an appointment being a binding contract or a promise that restricts one's future actions.
- While English uses 'appointment' for both doctors and business partners, Chinese users often distinguish between 预约 for services and 约见 (yuējiàn) for formal requests to meet a high-ranking official.
Examples in context
- 朱先生的预约在八点半左右。 在那之前，请先在这等待。Mr. Zhu's appointment is around 8:30. Until then, please wait here.This sentence is useful for discussing the time of a 预约.Tatoeba #11380974 by Aphima, translation #11406537 by 21violins
- 我想预约一次面试。I would like to schedule an interview.
- 我们约定在饭店见面。We have an appointment to meet at the restaurant.
- 你今天下午有时间会面吗？Do you have time to meet this afternoon?
- 我们明天上午十点见面，没错吧？We are meeting tomorrow at 10 AM, right?
- 我明天有一个预约。Wǒ míngtiān yǒu yīgè yùyuē.I have an appointment tomorrow.
- 请问您的预约是什么时候？Qǐngwèn nín de yùyuē shì shénme shíhou?May I ask when your appointment is?
Example conversation
Wei is calling a clinic to schedule a visit.
- 伟 Wei你好，我想预约一位医生。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng yùyuē yī wèi yīshēng.Hello, I would like to make an appointment with a doctor.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，伟先生，您什么时候有空？Hǎo de, Wěi xiānshēng, nín shénme shíhòu yǒu kòng?Okay, Mr. Wei, when are you free?
- 伟 Wei周五下午三点可以吗？Zhōuwǔ xiàwǔ sān diǎn kěyǐ ma?Is Friday at 3 p.m. okay?
- 雨婷 Yuting可以，我已经为您记下了预约。Kěyǐ, wǒ yǐjīng wèi nín jì xià le yùyuē.Yes, I have already noted the appointment for you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
