SIM cards & Wi-Fi in Chinese 手机卡和流量
shǒujī kǎ hé liúliàng
SIM card in Chinese is 手机卡 (shǒu jī kǎ).
Also searched for as: SIM card in Chinese, mobile data in Chinese, Wi-Fi password in Chinese, top up my phone, phone plan.
Getting your phone online when you land. 15 essential SIM cards & Wi-Fi words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Getting online is one of the first jobs when you land in China. A SIM card is 手机卡 (shǒu jī kǎ), while mobile data is 流量 (liú liàng), literally 'flow amount'. You'll also need 套餐 (tào cān) for a phone plan and 实名认证 (shí míng rèn zhèng), the real-name verification every new number requires. These words get you through the shop counter, the top-up screen and the inevitable hunt for the Wi-Fi password.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 手机卡 | shǒu jī kǎ | SIM card |
| 办卡 | bàn kǎ | to get a card; sign up for a card |
| 中国移动 | Zhōng guó Yí dòng | China Mobile |
| 营业厅 | yíng yè tīng | service centre (of a phone company) |
| 套餐 | tào cān | phone plan; package |
| 流量 | liú liàng | mobile data |
| 话费 | huà fèi | phone credit; phone bill |
| 充值 | chōng zhí | to top up |
| 实名认证 | shí míng rèn zhèng | real-name verification |
| 信号 | xìn hào | signal |
| 无线网 | wú xiàn wǎng | Wi-Fi; wireless network |
| 密码 | mì mǎ | password |
| 连不上 | lián bu shàng | can't connect |
| 热点 | rè diǎn | hotspot |
| 验证码 | yàn zhèng mǎ | verification code |
Usage tips
- Chinese people usually say 办卡 (bàn kǎ) rather than 买卡 (mǎi kǎ), because 办 is the verb for anything involving forms and ID; you also 办套餐 (bàn tào cān) to sign up for a plan.
- To get a card, go to a 营业厅 (yíng yè tīng) of one of the three big mainland carriers, 中国移动 (Zhōng guó Yí dòng), 中国联通 (Zhōng guó Lián tōng) or 中国电信 (Zhōng guó Diàn xìn), and bring your passport.
- 话费 (huà fèi) originally meant call charges but is now used for your phone balance in general, so topping up is 充话费 (chōng huà fèi), which you can do in Alipay or WeChat.
Common mistakes
- Translating 'I can't connect' as 我不能连接 (wǒ bù néng lián jiē) sounds stiff and textbook-like; say 连不上 (lián bu shàng), as in 我连不上网 (wǒ lián bu shàng wǎng).
- Mixing up 密码 (mì mǎ), a password you set and keep, with 验证码 (yàn zhèng mǎ), the one-time code sent by text; when an app is waiting for a code, ask about the 验证码.
- Saying 不信号 for 'no signal': nouns are negated with 没 (méi), so say 没信号 (méi xìn hào) or 没有信号 (méi yǒu xìn hào).
Mini dialogue
- A你好，我想办一张手机卡。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng bàn yī zhāng shǒu jī kǎ.Hello, I'd like to get a SIM card.
- B好的，请给我看一下护照，要先做实名认证。Hǎo de, qǐng gěi wǒ kàn yī xià hù zhào, yào xiān zuò shí míng rèn zhèng.Sure, can I see your passport? We need to do real-name verification first.
- A有没有流量多一点的套餐？Yǒu méi yǒu liú liàng duō yī diǎn de tào cān?Do you have a plan with a bit more data?
- B这个套餐流量多，打电话也够用。Zhè ge tào cān liú liàng duō, dǎ diàn huà yě gòu yòng.This plan has lots of data and plenty of call time.
- A好，就办这个。以后在哪儿充值？Hǎo, jiù bàn zhè ge. Yǐ hòu zài nǎr chōng zhí?Great, I'll take that one. Where do I top up later?
- B在支付宝或者微信上都可以充值。Zài Zhī fù bǎo huò zhě Wēi xìn shàng dōu kě yǐ chōng zhí.You can top up on Alipay or WeChat.
Example sentences
- 我想办一张手机卡。I'd like to get a SIM card.
- 办卡需要带护照。You need your passport to get a card.
- 中国移动的营业厅在哪儿？Where's the China Mobile shop?
- 这个营业厅几点关门？What time does this service centre close?
- 这个套餐每个月多少钱？How much is this plan a month?
- 我的流量快用完了。I've almost used up my data.
- 我的话费不多了。I'm running low on credit.
- 在支付宝上就可以充值。You can top up on Alipay.
- 办卡要先做实名认证。You have to do real-name verification to get a card.
- 地下室没有信号。There's no signal in the basement.
- 这里有无线网吗？Is there Wi-Fi here?
- 请问WiFi密码是多少？What's the Wi-Fi password, please?
- 我的手机连不上网。My phone can't get online.
- 你能开个热点给我吗？Could you turn on your hotspot for me?
- 我一直没收到验证码。I still haven't received the verification code.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The SIM cards & Wi-Fi speaking island has 8 everyday questions about SIM cards & Wi-Fi to prepare your own answers to.