Chinese for Moving House: Finding Movers, Packing, and Settling In

The first step in any move is finding help. Key vocabulary: 搬家 (bān jiā) — move house, 搬家公司 (bān jiā gōng sī) — moving company, 搬家师傅 (bān jiā shī fu) — mover (polite), 找搬家公司 (zhǎo bān jiā gōng sī) — look for a moving company. Platforms to search: 58同城 (wǔ bā tóng chéng) — 58.com, the most popular classifieds platform, 货拉拉 (huò lā lā) — Lalamove, popular for small moves, 快狗打车 (kuài gǒu dǎ chē) — Kuaigou Dache, another moving-van app.

Starting a conversation with a moving company: 你好，我想搬家 (nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng bān jiā) — Hello, I want to move. 请问你们有搬家服务吗 (qǐng wèn nǐ men yǒu bān jiā fú wù ma) — Do you offer moving services? Key questions to ask: 你们怎么收费 (nǐ men zěn me shōu fèi) — How do you charge? 是按小时还是按车 (shì àn xiǎo shí hái shì àn chē) — Is it by the hour or by the truck? 包括几个搬家师傅 (bāo kuò jǐ gè bān jiā shī fu) — How many movers are included? 要不要额外收费 (yào bù yào é wài shōu fèi) — Are there extra charges?

Moving costs in China vary widely. Pricing models: 按小时收费 (àn xiǎo shí shōu fèi) — charged by the hour, 按距离收费 (àn jù lí shōu fèi) — charged by distance, 一口价 (yī kǒu jià) — fixed price, 起步价 (qǐ bù jià) — base fare or starting price. Key cost questions: 一个小时多少钱 (yī gè xiǎo shí duō shǎo qián) — How much per hour? 一车多少钱 (yī chē duō shǎo qián) — How much per truckload? 有最低消费吗 (yǒu zuì dī xiāo fèi ma) — Is there a minimum charge?

Extra fees to ask about: 楼层费 (lóu céng fèi) — floor surcharge (often extra if no elevator), 电梯 (diàn tī) — elevator, 没有电梯 (méi yǒu diàn tī) — no elevator. 大件物品加费 (dà jiàn wù pǐn jiā fèi) — surcharge for large items like pianos or large appliances. 拆装费 (chāi zhuāng fèi) — disassembly and reassembly fee. 打包费 (dǎ bāo fèi) — packing fee (if they provide packing service). Negotiation phrases: 能不能便宜一点 (néng bù néng pián yi yī diǎn) — Can it be a little cheaper? 我朋友推荐的 (wǒ péng yǒu tuī jiàn de) — My friend recommended you (soft negotiation). 长期合作 (cháng qī hé zuò) — long-term cooperation (for office moves).

Packing materials and supplies: 纸箱 (zhǐ xiāng) — cardboard box, 大箱子 (dà xiāng zi) — large box, 小箱子 (xiǎo xiāng zi) — small box, 胶带 (jiāo dài) — packing tape, 气泡膜 (qì pào mó) — bubble wrap, 保鲜膜 (bǎo xiān mó) — cling wrap (used for wrapping furniture), 记号笔 (jì hào bǐ) — marker pen, 标签 (biāo qiān) — label.

Fragile and valuable items: 易碎品 (yì suì pǐn) — fragile items, 请轻拿轻放 (qǐng qīng ná qīng fàng) — please handle with care, 贵重物品 (guì zhòng wù pǐn) — valuables, 这个要小心 (zhè ge yào xiǎo xīn) — be careful with this. Room labels for boxes: 卧室 (wò shì) — bedroom, 客厅 (kè tīng) — living room, 厨房 (chú fáng) — kitchen, 卫生间 (wèi shēng jiān) — bathroom, 书房 (shū fáng) — study. Useful phrases: 这个箱子里是书，很重 (zhè ge xiāng zi lǐ shì shū, hěn zhòng) — This box has books, very heavy. 把标签贴在上面 (bǎ biāo qiān tiē zài shàng miàn) — Stick the label on top.

Directing the movers: 请把这个搬出去 (qǐng bǎ zhè ge bān chū qù) — Please move this out. 这个放在那边 (zhè ge fàng zài nà biān) — Put this over there. 先搬大的，再搬小的 (xiān bān dà de, zài bān xiǎo de) — Move the big items first, then the small ones. 搬的时候小心门框 (bān de shí hou xiǎo xīn mén kuàng) — Be careful of the door frame when moving. 这个不能压 (zhè ge bù néng yā) — Don't put anything on top of this.

Furniture and appliance names: 沙发 (shā fā) — sofa, 床 (chuáng) — bed, 床垫 (chuáng diàn) — mattress, 桌子 (zhuō zi) — table, 椅子 (yǐ zi) — chair, 衣柜 (yī guì) — wardrobe, 冰箱 (bīng xiāng) — refrigerator, 洗衣机 (xǐ yī jī) — washing machine, 空调 (kōng tiáo) — air conditioner. Disassembly: 这个需要拆开 (zhè ge xū yào chāi kāi) — This needs to be taken apart. 搬家后会装回去吗 (bān jiā hòu huì zhuāng huí qù ma) — Will you reassemble it after the move? At the destination: 搬到几楼 (bān dào jǐ lóu) — Which floor are we moving to? 从电梯走 (cóng diàn tī zǒu) — Go through the elevator. 搬进来 (bān jìn lái) — Move it inside. 放这里就行 (fàng zhè lǐ jiù xíng) — Just put it here.

After the move, the first things to sort out: 水电 (shuǐ diàn) — water and electricity. Key phrases: 水电通了吗 (shuǐ diàn tōng le ma) — Are water and electricity connected? 电费怎么交 (diàn fèi zěn me jiāo) — How do I pay the electricity bill? 水费 (shuǐ fèi) — water bill, 燃气费 (rán qì fèi) — gas bill. Utility payment methods: 支付宝交 (zhī fù bǎo jiāo) — pay via Alipay, 微信交 (wēi xìn jiāo) — pay via WeChat, 去物业交 (qù wù yè jiāo) — pay at the property management office.

Internet and services: 宽带 (kuān dài) — broadband internet, 装宽带 (zhuāng kuān dài) — install broadband, 电信 (diàn xìn) — China Telecom, 联通 (lián tōng) — China Unicom, 移动 (yí dòng) — China Mobile. 路由器 (lù yóu qì) — router, Wi-Fi密码 (Wi-Fi mì mǎ) — Wi-Fi password. Property management: 物业 (wù yè) — property management, 物业管理处 (wù yè guǎn lǐ chù) — property management office. Meeting neighbors: 你好，我是新搬来的 (nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì xīn bān lái de) — Hello, I just moved in. 以后请多关照 (yǐ hòu qǐng duō guān zhào) — Please take care of me from now on (polite new-neighbor phrase). Change of address: 改地址 (gǎi dì zhǐ) — change address, 快递地址 (kuài dì dì zhǐ) — delivery address (important for online shopping!).