预订
yùdìng
To make a reservation in Chinese, you say 预订 (yùdìng).
The term 预订 is used when you are booking services or goods, such as hotel rooms or tickets.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 预订 is composed of 预 (yù), meaning 'in advance' and 订 (dìng), meaning 'to book or order'.
Which one should you use?
While 预订 (yùdìng) is used for booking services or goods like hotel rooms or tickets, 预留 (yùliú) is used for 'reserving' or 'setting aside' a physical space or a specific amount of something.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 预约 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts for various reservation scenarios.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 了 (le) after 预订 (yùdìng) to form 预订了 indicates that the reservation has already been successfully made.
How do you pronounce it?
yùdìng
Did you know?
- The character 预 (yù) is also used in the word for 'forecast' 预测 (yùcè), linking the idea of making a reservation to the idea of predicting the future.
- In some Chinese contexts, the word 订 (dìng) can also mean 'to subscribe' to a magazine or service, showing that 'booking' and 'subscribing' share the same linguistic root.
- While 预订 is used for bookings, the word 预约 (yùyuē) specifically implies a 'promise' or 'agreement' between two people, which is why it is the standard term for booking a doctor's appointment.
Examples in context
- 我想预订一张火车票。I would like to make a train ticket reservation.
- 我想在你们餐厅订位。I would like to make a reservation at your restaurant.
- 我想预约一次按摩服务。I would like to make a reservation for a massage service.
- 我需要预约一个房间。I need to make a hotel room reservation.
- 我想预订一个房间。Wǒ xiǎng yùdìng yī gè fángjiān.I want to make a reservation for a room.
- 请问可以预订座位吗？Qǐngwèn kěyǐ yùdìng zuòwèi ma?May I ask if I can make a reservation for a seat?
- 我已经预订了餐厅。Wǒ yǐjīng yùdìng le cāntīng.I have already made a reservation at the restaurant.
Example conversation
Wei and Zihan are planning their weekend dinner.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，我们要预订餐厅吗？Zǐhán, wǒmen yào yùdìng cāntīng ma?Zihan, should we make a reservation for the restaurant?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，最好现在就预订。Shì de, zuì hǎo xiànzài jiù yùdìng.Yes, it is best to make a reservation now.
- 伟 Wei那我打电话去预订。Nà wǒ dǎ diànhuà qù yùdìng.Then I will call to make a reservation.
- 梓涵 Zihan好，谢谢你，伟。Hǎo, xièxiè nǐ, Wěi.Okay, thank you, Wei.
