You are preparing to relocate and need to buy tickets in Mandarin Chinese. This page gives you three realistic speaking exercises at a ticket counter. You will practise the exact phrases from the lessons: asking for a single ticket to the city centre, requesting a return ticket to the airport with a return time, and asking how much a ticket costs. Each exercise includes a follow-up turn so you can rehearse the whole exchange, not just one line. You will speak aloud, check what you communicated, and build confidence for real counter conversations.
Preparation: Know your ticket type and destination before you speak
Before you approach a ticket counter, decide two things: where you are going and whether you need a single or return ticket. In Mandarin, a single ticket is 单程票 (dān chéng piào) and a return ticket is 往返票 (wǎng fǎn piào). Your destination goes into the pattern 一张到 + place + 的票 (yì zhāng dào + place + de piào), meaning 'one ticket to ...'. For example, 一张到市中心的票 (yì zhāng dào shì zhōng xīn de piào) is 'one ticket to the city centre'. If you need a return, say 我要一张去机场的往返票 (wǒ yào yì zhāng qù jī chǎng de wǎng fǎn piào) and be ready to give a return time with 回程是 + time (huí chéng shì + time). Practise saying the place name clearly and slowly. If the place name is long, break it into syllables. Also prepare the price question 多少钱？ (duō shao qián) and the polite repeat request 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn). Knowing these chunks before you speak reduces hesitation and helps the clerk follow you.
Handling the harder turn: when the clerk asks a question you did not expect
The hardest moment at a ticket counter is when the clerk asks something you have not rehearsed. Common questions include 去哪儿？ (qù nǎr?, 'Where to?'), 单程票吗？ (dān chéng piào ma?, 'A one-way ticket?'), or 回程是什么时候？ (huí chéng shì shén me shí hou?, 'When is the return trip?'). If you catch the key word, answer with a full phrase. For 去哪儿？, say 我要去市中心 (wǒ yào qù shì zhōng xīn). For 单程票吗？, say 对，单程票 (duì, dān chéng piào) or 不，往返票 (bù, wǎng fǎn piào). If you do not understand, do not freeze. Use 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) to ask them to repeat, or repeat your own request more slowly. You can also point to a written place name on your phone. The goal is not to answer perfectly but to keep the exchange moving. After you answer, ask 多少钱？ to bring the conversation back to a phrase you control. This keeps you active and gives you time to process the next turn.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
我要一张票。
I want one ticket.
wǒ yào yì zhāng piào
一张到市中心的票，谢谢。
One ticket to the city center, please.
yì zhāng dào shì zhōng xīn de piào, xiè xie
我要去市中心。
I want to go to the city center.
wǒ yào qù shì zhōng xīn
多少钱？
How much is it?
duō shao qián
我要一张去机场的往返票。
I want a round-trip ticket to the airport.
Wǒ yào yī zhāng qù jīchǎng de wǎngfǎn piào.
回程是明天下午三点。
The return trip is tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Huíchéng shì míngtiān xiàwǔ sān diǎn.
往返票多少钱？
How much is a round-trip ticket?
Wǎngfǎn piào duōshao qián?
我要一张单程票。
I want a one-way ticket.
Wǒ yào yī zhāng dānchéng piào.
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好，我要一张到市中心的票，谢谢。
Hello, I want one ticket to the city center, please.好的。单程票吗？
Okay. A one-way ticket?对，单程票。多少钱？
Yes, a one-way ticket. How much is it?五块。
Five yuan.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Buying a single ticket to the city centre
You are at a ticket window in a busy station. You need one single ticket to the city centre. The clerk looks at you and waits. You have your money ready and you know the phrase 一张到市中心的票，谢谢.
Your task: Say aloud: 你好，我要一张到市中心的票，谢谢。 (Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào yì zhāng dào shì zhōng xīn de piào, xiè xie.) Then ask 多少钱？ (duō shao qián?) and wait for the price. When you hear the price, repeat it back to confirm, for example 五块？ (wǔ kuài?).
Buying a return ticket to the airport with a return time
You are moving and need to go to the airport tomorrow, but you will come back the same day. At the ticket counter, you need a return ticket. You know the return time is tomorrow at 3 p.m. The clerk is ready to help.
Your task: Say aloud: 你好，我要一张去机场的往返票。回程是明天下午三点。 (Nǐ hǎo, wǒ yào yì zhāng qù jī chǎng de wǎng fǎn piào. Huí chéng shì míng tiān xià wǔ sān diǎn.) Then ask 往返票多少钱？ (wǎng fǎn piào duō shao qián?) and listen for the price.
Asking the price and handling an unclear answer
You are at an information desk. You want to know how much a ticket to Beijing costs before you decide to buy. The clerk speaks quickly. You are not sure you heard the price correctly.
Your task: Say aloud: 请问，到北京的票多少钱？ (Qǐng wèn, dào Běi jīng de piào duō shao qián?) When the clerk answers, if you do not catch it, say 请再说一遍。 (Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.) Then repeat the price question 多少钱？ to confirm.
Common questions
I keep mixing up 单程票 and 往返票. How can I remember which is which?
单程 (dān chéng) means 'one way' and 往返 (wǎng fǎn) means 'go and return'. Picture 单 as a single line and 往返 as a loop that goes back. Say each word aloud five times with a gesture: one finger for 单程票, a circular hand motion for 往返票.
What if the clerk uses a word I do not know, or I miss the price?
You do not need to understand every word. Focus on the key words you know: place names, numbers, 单程, 往返, and 多少钱. If you are lost, say 请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yí biàn) or repeat 多少钱？ to confirm the price. You can also show the place name on your phone.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: buy a single ticketChecked September 2026
- chinese: buy a return ticketChecked September 2026
- chinese: ask for the price of a ticketChecked September 2026
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Take today's Chinese into a conversation with a Yapr AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr