Common service interactions

Ordering at a counter or restaurant usually starts with 我要… ('I'd like…') or the softer 麻烦你，我要… ('excuse me, I'd like…'). At a sit-down restaurant, calling out 服务员 ('waitstaff') or 麻烦一下 to get attention is completely normal and not considered rude, unlike in some dining cultures where it can feel abrupt.

Mobile payment by scanning a QR code (扫码支付, via Alipay or WeChat Pay) is the default almost everywhere, including small vendors and street food stalls; cash is still accepted in most places but functions as a genuine backup rather than the norm in most cities. 可以扫码吗? ('can I scan to pay?') or 可以用微信/支付宝吗? are natural questions if you're unsure.

For taxis and ride-hailing, hailing a cab on the street still works, but ride-hailing apps (滴滴, Didi) are more common in cities now. Drivers may ask 走高速吗? ('take the highway?') for a faster, tolled route versus a slower free one. Showing a pinned location on a map while saying 麻烦到这里 ('please, to here') is a reliable way to communicate a destination without needing perfect pronunciation.

At hotels and other counters, checking in as a foreign visitor usually requires your passport (护照), and 我有预订 ('I have a reservation') gets things moving quickly. Asking for the wifi password is extremely common — Wi-Fi密码是多少? A request softened with 麻烦你/麻烦您 tends to land better than a bare, direct ask in any of these settings.