Clarifying Repair Turnaround Time in Mandarin Chinese: Key Phrases for Timing and Follow-Up
Learn to ask when a repair will be ready and arrange a pickup time in Mandarin. Master phrases like 今天能取吗, 明天下午, 加急, 大概多久, and 我等你电话 for polite repair interactions.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
When you drop off a broken item—a phone, a watch, a pair of shoes—at a neighborhood repair shop in a Chinese-speaking area, one of the first practical questions is: when will it be ready? This lesson teaches you how to ask about turnaround time clearly and politely, and how to respond to the staff's answers. You will learn to use time expressions such as 今天能取吗 (can I pick it up today?), 明天下午 (tomorrow afternoon), and 加急 (rush order). You will also practice asking 大概多久 (how long roughly?) and saying 我等你电话 (I'll wait for your call). The focus is on real, reusable sentence patterns for a repair context, so you can handle the conversation with confidence and without misunderstandings.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a repair can be completed and picked up today.
- understand and use time expressions like tomorrow afternoon or rush order.
- ask approximately how long a repair will take.
- tell the staff that I will wait for their phone call.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
今天能取吗？
Can I pick it up today?
Jīntiān néng qǔ ma?
Use this when you want to know if the repair will be done by the end of today. It is direct but polite with the question particle 吗. Note that 取 (qǔ) is the standard verb for picking up a repaired item.
明天下午
tomorrow afternoon
míngtiān xiàwǔ
A specific time expression. You can use it to ask: 明天下午能取吗？(Can I pick it up tomorrow afternoon?) or as an answer to when something will be ready.
加急
rush order; to expedite
jiājí
Use this to ask if a faster service is possible. For example: 可以加急吗？(Can you rush it?) 加急 is a verb-object compound (literally 'add urgency'); it can stand alone as a request. This may involve an extra fee; ask about that separately.
大概多久？
How long roughly?
dàgài duōjiǔ?
A polite way to ask for an estimated time. It is softer than asking for an exact deadline.
我等你电话。
I'll wait for your call.
Wǒ děng nǐ diànhuà.
Say this when you are leaving your contact number and expect the staff to call you when the repair is done.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask about pickup time, use the pattern: [Time expression] + 能取吗？ For example, 今天能取吗？(Can I pick it up today?) or 明天下午能取吗？(Can I pick it up tomorrow afternoon?) If you want to ask how long it will take, use 大概多久？ You can also combine it: 大概多久能取？(Roughly how long until I can pick it up?) To ask for a faster service, say 可以加急吗？(Can you rush it?) 加急 is a verb-object compound (literally 'add urgency'); it can stand alone as a request. When you are ready to leave, say 我等你电话。 to indicate you will wait for their call.
When to use it
Use these phrases right after you explain the problem and the staff has confirmed they can repair it. Start with 大概多久？ to get a general estimate. If the answer is too long for you, ask 可以加急吗？ If you need it by a certain time, ask 今天能取吗？ or 明天下午能取吗？ If the staff says they will call you, respond with 好的，我等你电话。 This shows you understand and agree. Avoid demanding a specific time if the shop is busy; instead, use 大概多久？ to keep the tone polite.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
师傅，这个手机屏幕坏了，能修吗？
Master, this phone screen is broken. Can you repair it?Shīfu, zhège shǒujī píngmù huài le, néng xiū ma?能修。大概需要两三天。
It can be repaired. It will take about two or three days.Néng xiū. Dàgài xūyào liǎng sān tiān.今天能取吗？我明天要用。
Can I pick it up today? I need to use it tomorrow.Jīntiān néng qǔ ma? Wǒ míngtiān yào yòng.今天不行。可以加急，明天下午能取。
Not today. We can rush it; you can pick it up tomorrow afternoon.Jīntiān bùxíng. Kěyǐ jiājí, míngtiān xiàwǔ néng qǔ.好的，加急多少钱？
Okay, how much is the rush fee?Hǎo de, jiājí duōshao qián?加急费二十块。修好了我打电话给你。
The rush fee is twenty yuan. I'll call you when it's fixed.Jiājí fèi èrshí kuài. Xiū hǎo le wǒ dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ.好，我等你电话。
Okay, I'll wait for your call.Hǎo, wǒ děng nǐ diànhuà.A little context goes a long way
In Chinese repair shops, addressing the technician as 师傅 (shīfu) is a common sign of respect and is appropriate for both men and women. When discussing time, Chinese speakers often give approximate answers rather than precise deadlines. Asking 大概多久？ is perfectly normal and not considered vague. If you need something urgently, 加急 is understood, but be prepared to pay an extra fee. Always confirm the total cost before agreeing to a rush service. Leaving your phone number and saying 我等你电话 is standard practice; the shop will call you when the item is ready.
One thing to watch for
Using 快一点 (kuài yīdiǎn) to mean 'rush it' in a repair context.
Try this instead: 快一点 means 'a bit faster' and can sound like you are telling the staff to hurry up, which may be rude. For a rush service, use 加急 (jiājí). For example, ask 可以加急吗？ (Can you rush it?) instead of 快一点修 (fix it faster).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you ask if you can pick up your repaired item today?
Show a sample answer
今天能取吗？
This uses the time expression 今天 (today) with 能取吗 (can pick up?). It is a direct and polite question. You could also ask 今天能拿吗？ but 取 is more common for picking up a repaired item.
2What phrase means 'I'll wait for your call'?
Show a sample answer
我等你电话。
This is a set phrase used when you expect someone to call you. It is appropriate in repair contexts when you leave your number. A slightly more formal version is 我等您的电话, using 您 for respect.
3How do you ask 'roughly how long?' in Chinese?
Show a sample answer
大概多久？
大概 means 'roughly' and 多久 means 'how long'. Together they form a polite inquiry about duration. You can also say 大约多久, but 大概 is more common in speech.
When discussing repair time, use 大概多久？ to get an estimate, 今天能取吗？ or 明天下午能取吗？ to ask about pickup, and 加急 to request faster service. End with 我等你电话 to show you will wait for their call. Always confirm any extra fees for rush orders.
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