The purpose of the Hotel Module (HTL) is to provide you with the linguistic skills you need to be able to stay in a hotel and enjoy its services. Before starting the? Hotel Module, you should have at least completed the Money Module. The Hotel Module may, of course, be done at any later point in the course.

When you have finished this module you should be able to: Ask to reserve a room. Specify whether it will be a single or double, with or without air conditioning, with or without heat. Ask about room rates. Understand questions about whether you want a television in your room, whether you need valuables stored, whether you want a guide. Find out whether Western or Chinese food is served in the hotel restaurant. Find out what hours meals are served in the hotel dining room. Ask your room attendant for additional blankets or pillows. Ask to have clothes laundered or cleaned. Ask for tourist guidebooks. Ask for the bill and settle your account.

lǚguǎn; This word is used to refer to small inns and hotel. However, it is not used in the names of hotels. A: Nǐ zhù lǚguan ma? Do you stay in an hotel? B: Shì, wǒ zhùzai Běijīng Fàndiàn. Yes, I stay in the Běijīng hotel. qǔchulai: This is a compound verb meaning “to fetch”, “to get”, “to pick up”. xiūxi xiuxi: You've seen one syllable verbs reduplicated, like kànkan and děngyideng. Here you see a two syllable verb reduplicated. The effect is the same. It makes the action more tentative, casual. “Rest a little bit”.

A conversation between an American businessman, Mr. White (Huáitè) and the guide meeting him at Peking's Capital Airport: After clearing customs: At the room

It is the policy in the PRC that most visitors be accompanied by a bilingual guide throughout most of their trip. The traveler is met, either by a local party representative, or by some other person responsible for his safety and travel arrangements.

yàoshi; “If”. The word yàoshi is what is called a movable before or after the subject, but in any case before the verb in the sentence. This is also true of word like zuotian, míngnian. Yàoshi tā bú qù, yě bū qù, wǒmen yě bú qù. If he doesn’t go, we won’t go either. Nǐ yàoshi jīntian wǎhshang niàn shū, wǒmen míngtiàn wǎnshang qù kàn diànyǐng. If you study tonight, we'll go to a movie tomorrow night. Jīntian tā méi chī zǎodian. He didn’t eat breakfast today. Wǒ míngtiàn bù lái shàng kè. I’m not coming to class tomorrow. diànlíng: “Electric bell”. This word can refer to a buzzer or a bell. è: '“To be hungry”. In the sentence, Nín è le ba., the state verb è occurs with the marker le for new situations. The result is a phrase meaning “you've become hungry, I suppose” or “you're hungry now, I suppose.” The verb indicates what the state is and the marker le indicates that the state is new.

tì: This is a prepositional verb meaning “for”, in the sense of “in place of”. Lǐ Xiānsheng jīntian tì Wáng Xiānsheng jiao shū. Mr Lǐ is teaching class for Mr. Wáng today. Shànghǎi xiànzài yídìng hěn rè le ba!: Notice that three adverbs precede the verb in this sentence: xianzài, yídìng, hěn. The verb in this sentence, rè “to be hot”, is a state verb. The marker le indicates a new situation, a change of state; “It has become hot”. fēiji piào: In the Money Module you saw the word piào used to mean “bill” or “note”. Here it means “ticket”.

A conversation between an American and her guide.

kāishuǐ: This can mean “boiling water” or “boiled water”. Liǎng kāishuǐ means “boiled water which has been cooled”. Wǒ bù xiǎng dào cāntīng qù chǐ fan le: the marker le used in this indicates a new situation. The speaker has changed her mind. Usually she takes her meals in the dining room, but today she doesn’t want to leave her room. shuixǐ: This verb means “to wash, to launder”. But it is only used in a situation where it contrasts with gānxǐ “to dry clean”. Usually the one syllable verb xǐ, “to wash”, is used.

A conversation between Miss Smith and the hotel attendant she has just rung for from her room.

kōng: The adjectival verb kōng, “to be vacant, empty” is used here to modify the noun, fángjiān, “room”. dānrénde / shuāngrénde: The marker de in each of these phrases indicates that they are modifying something. The modified word (fángjiān) is omitted, however. -jiān: This is the counter for “rooms”. nuānqi: Literally this word means “warm air”. Yǒu nuǎnqide fángjiān is “a room which has heat”. jiào: This is the prepositional verb “to cause” (someone to do or be something). In the sentences below, gāoxing is the adjectival verb “to be nappy”, shēngqi is the adjectival verb “to be mad”. Tā jiào wǒ bú gaoxing. He made me unhappy. Tā jiào wǒ shēngqi. He made me angry. Tā jiào wǒ zuò zhèijiàn shi. He had me do this. -de shíhou: When this follows any verb, verb phrase or sentence, the expressions means “when something was done”. Niàn dàxuéde shíhou, wǒ zhùzai yíge péngyou jiā. When I was in college, I lived at a friend’s house. cǎisè: This word refers to colors in general and is used to meaning “colored” or “colorful”. Yánse is used to refer specifically to one color at a time. Back at the desk after seeing the room.

A conversation between Mr. Phillips and a desk attendant in a small Taipei Hotel.

kèren: Literally this word means “guests” but its translation changes depending on the context. In a hotel situation, it means “(paying) guests”. In a shopping situation, it means “customer”. shěngde: This may translated as “to avoid”, “lest”, or “so that (something) won’t have to happen”. Here are some examples. Wǒ xiān qù kànyikàn nèige fángzi, shěngde ni qù le. I’ll first go and look at the house, so that you won't have to go. Nǐ wangle mǎi niúnǎi. Wǒ tì ni qù mǎi yìpíng, shěngde nǐ zài qù le. You forgot to buy milk. I’ll go buy a bottle for you, so that you won’t have to go again. Wǒ jǐntian hǎo le. Wǒ kéyi zìjǐ qù le, shěngde nǐ máfan. I’m better today. I can go myself, and save you the trouble. bǎnlai bǎnqu: The verb “to move(something)” is bān. The verbs lái and qù may follow it to indicate the direction in which something is moved. As directional endings, lái and qù are toneless. zhào: This is a prepositional verb meaning “according to”. Zhào tāde yìsi zuò. Do it according to his idea. Zhào ta shuō, zhèige shìqing hěn rongyi. According to what he says, this matter is very easy.

A conversation between an American man and a desk attendant in Taipei.

jiù shi: When the adverb jiù is used with the verb shì, it emphasizes what follow. In this usage, jiù has been translated as “precisely”, “exactly”, “just”. zài: This is the word for “again” when talking about future actions.[You is the word for again” when talking about past actions.] Qǐng ni zài lái. Please come again. Bié zài shuō ba. Don’t say that again. In the sentence ...wǒ zài gěi ni ná yige, the conversational translation “I’ll get you another” masks the true functions of zài in the sentence. A more literal translation might be “I’ll again get you one.” yóulǎn shǒucè: “tourist guidebook”. Yóulǎn is the verb “to go sightseeing”. Shǒucè is the noun “handbook”. bìchúli / chōutìli: The word for “closet” is bìchú. The word for “drawer” is chǒutì. The syllable -lǐ means “inside”. It may be added to a noun in a locational phrase to allow that noun to function as a place word and to indicate the precise location “inside”. When used as a locational ending, --lǐ is toneless. You'll find more about locational endings in Unit 2 of the Transportation Module. gěi... dǎ diànhuà: The word for “phone call” is diànhuà. The phrase “to make a phone call” is dǎ diànhuà. To say that a phone call is made to someone in particular, use the prepositional verb gěi followed by the name, then the phrase dǎ diànhuà. Nǐ gěi shéi dǎ diànhuà? Who are you calling? Wǒ zuotian gěi mǔqin dǎ diànhuà le. I called mother yesterday.

A conversation between an American woman and the hotel attendant taking her to her room.

suàn zhang: Suàn is the verb “to calculate”. Zhàng is the word for “accounts” or “debts”. guò: This is the verb “to pass”, either physically, as in Guòle lùkǒur, wàng yòu zǒu. “After you've passed the intersection, go to the right.”, or temporally, as in Guò jitian, zài shuō ba. “Wait a few days, then talk about it.”

A conversation between an American and a desk clerk in a hotel in Taiwan.