Xiaoyu is taking the metro for the first time in this city. A member of staff explains the line and the fare.
Xiaoyu
请问，到人民广场的票多少钱？
Qǐngwèn, dào Rénmín guǎngchǎng de piào duōshao qián ?
Excuse me, how much is a ticket to People's Square?
A member of staff
四块。请在那边买。
Sì kuài. Qǐng zài nàbian mǎi.
Four yuan. Buy it over there.
Xiaoyu
我要两张。坐几号线？
Wǒ yào liǎng Zhāng. Zuò jǐ hàoxiàn ?
I would like two. Which line do I take?
A member of staff
一号线，三站就到了。
Yī hàoxiàn, sān zhàn jiù dào le.
Line 1, it is only three stops.
Xiaoyu
要换车吗？
Yào huàn chē ma ?
Do I have to change?
A member of staff
不用换，一号线就到。
Bù yòng huàn, yī hàoxiàn jiù dào.
No need to change, Line 1 takes you straight there.
Xiaoyu
从哪儿进去？
Cóng nǎr jìnqù ?
Where do I go in?
A member of staff
右边进，左边出。
Yòubian jìn, zuǒbian chū.
In on the right, out on the left.
Xiaoyu
知道了，谢谢您！
Zhīdào le, xièxie nín !
I see, thank you very much!
A ticket is counted in 张, like a sheet of paper, a table, a bed or a photograph: anything that presents a surface. 两张票 is two tickets. The measure word is never skipped between the number and the noun, and getting it wrong is heard immediately.
一号线, 二号线, 十四号线: the Chinese metro names its lines with a figure followed by 号线. The question is therefore asked with 几号线, never with 什么线. Stations keep their names, and that is what you give at the ticket window.
要换车吗 asks whether you have to change. The negative answer is not 不要换, which would mean "I do not want to change", but 不用换, "there is no need". 要 meaning "must" is negated by 不用; 要 meaning "to want" is negated by 不要. The same character, two negatives.
