Asking About Public Transport Near an Apartment in Mandarin Chinese
Learn to ask if there is a metro station or bus stop near an apartment, and understand distance expressions in Mandarin Chinese. Perfect for elementary learners.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you are looking for an apartment in a Chinese-speaking city, one of the first questions you will want to ask is about public transport. This lesson teaches you how to ask 'Is there a metro station nearby?' and how to understand the answer about distance. You will learn key vocabulary for metro, bus stop, and nearby, as well as how to ask 'Is it far?' and 'How far is it?' By the end, you will be able to have a simple conversation about transport access when renting or viewing an apartment. The focus is on practical, spoken Mandarin for everyday situations.
By the end, you can…
- ask if there is a metro station or bus stop near an apartment.
- ask and understand how far a transport stop is from the apartment.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
附近有地铁站吗？
Is there a metro station nearby?
fùjìn yǒu dìtiě zhàn ma?
Use this when you want to know if a metro station is in the vicinity. '附近' means 'nearby' and '地铁站' means 'metro station'.
附近有公交站吗？
Is there a bus stop nearby?
fùjìn yǒu gōngjiāo zhàn ma?
Similar to the metro question, but for bus stops. '公交站' is the common term for bus stop.
远吗？
Is it far?
yuǎn ma?
A short question to ask if a place is far. You can use it after someone mentions a location.
走路要多久？
How long does it take to walk?
zǒulù yào duōjiǔ?
Ask this to find out walking time. '走路' means 'to walk', '要' indicates 'take', and '多久' means 'how long'.
很近，走路五分钟。
It's very close, a five-minute walk.
hěn jìn, zǒulù wǔ fēnzhōng.
A typical answer. '很近' means 'very close', and '走路五分钟' means 'five minutes on foot'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask if something exists nearby, use the pattern: 附近有 + [place] + 吗？ (fùjìn yǒu + [place] + ma?). For example, 附近有地铁站吗？ (Is there a metro station nearby?) and 附近有超市吗？ (Is there a supermarket nearby?). The word 有 (yǒu) means 'have' or 'there is'. Adding 吗 (ma) at the end turns the statement into a yes/no question. To answer, you can say 有 (yǒu) for 'yes, there is' or 没有 (méiyǒu) for 'no, there isn't'. If you want to be more specific, you can say 有，很近 (yǒu, hěn jìn) meaning 'Yes, it's very close'.
When to use it
Use these questions when you are viewing an apartment, talking to a landlord or agent, or asking a friend about a neighborhood. It's polite to start with a greeting like 你好 (nǐ hǎo) before asking. For example: 你好，附近有地铁站吗？ (Hello, is there a metro station nearby?). If you want to ask about distance, you can follow up with 远吗？ (Is it far?) or 走路要多久？ (How long to walk?). The answer might be 很近，走路五分钟 (Very close, a five-minute walk) or 有点远，要坐公交 (A bit far, you need to take a bus). Listen for 近 (jìn, close) and 远 (yuǎn, far).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好，附近有地铁站吗？
Hello, is there a metro station nearby?nǐ hǎo, fùjìn yǒu dìtiě zhàn ma?有，很近，走路五分钟。
Yes, it's very close, a five-minute walk.yǒu, hěn jìn, zǒulù wǔ fēnzhōng.公交站呢？远吗？
What about a bus stop? Is it far?gōngjiāo zhàn ne? yuǎn ma?公交站也不远，走路三分钟。
The bus stop is not far either, a three-minute walk.gōngjiāo zhàn yě bù yuǎn, zǒulù sān fēnzhōng.A little context goes a long way
In Chinese cities, metro stations are often a key factor in choosing an apartment. When asking about distance, Chinese speakers typically refer to walking time rather than exact meters. A 'five-minute walk' is considered very close. Also, the term '地铁' (dìtiě) is standard for metro or subway in mainland China, while in Taiwan people say '捷運' (jiéyùn). Be aware of this regional difference if you are in Taiwan.
One thing to watch for
Using '是' (shì) instead of '有' (yǒu) to ask about existence, e.g., 附近是地铁站吗？
Try this instead: In Chinese, to ask if something exists, use '有' (yǒu), not '是' (shì). The correct question is 附近有地铁站吗？ (Is there a metro station nearby?). '是' is used for identification, like 这是地铁站 (This is a metro station).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Is there a bus stop nearby?' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
附近有公交站吗？
This uses the pattern 附近有 + place + 吗. '公交站' means bus stop. You could also say 附近有公交车吗？ but 公交站 is more specific to the stop.
2If someone says '走路十分钟', what does it mean?
Show a sample answer
It means 'a ten-minute walk'.
'走路' means walk, '十分钟' means ten minutes. So it indicates the walking time is ten minutes. This is a common way to express distance.
3How would you answer '远吗？' if the place is not far?
Show a sample answer
不远。
'不远' means 'not far'. You can also say 很近 (very close) or 走路五分钟 (five-minute walk). All are valid depending on how much detail you want to give.
To ask about public transport near an apartment, use 附近有地铁站吗？ or 附近有公交站吗？. To understand distance, listen for 近 (close) and 远 (far), and ask 走路要多久？ for walking time.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Chinese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr