Customer Reviews

Chinese at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just returned after 6 weeks in China. This book is excellent in terms of the useful words and phrases that it lists for virtually every situation you might encounter. It also has a nice little dictionary section at the back (both English-Chinese as well as Chinese-English) that comes in handy. HOWEVER, it badly needs an update in terms of the descriptions and "tips" that it provides regarding things like travel, currency, food, taxis, shopping etc. If you're buying this book - and I certainly recommend it as a handy phrase book - I strongly suggest that you ignore all the tips and advice it provides you. You're better off getting something else that is more up-to-date for this.

I've done international business with China for 20 years, speak some Mandarin, and I carry this book in my passport/airline ticket folder. My general Chinese is pretty good, but this book is invaluable. The tips and hints are also extremely insightful, and I heartily recommend it to anyone traveling to China or Taiwan for the first or the hundredth time.

This book was an incredible resource for me as I toured through China this summer, studying the language and culture. I kept it in my pocket everywhere I went until it finally wore down and broke apart. But have no fear, I taped it back up and let it work some more Chinese magic. The book is organized into sections such as "Meeting People" and "Shopping" and "At the Doctor" that will help you with more than enough information, from vocabulary to suggested travel iteraries to understanding of the indigenous culture. I just lost my copy in the New York Subway so I'm gonna get another. «Ü¦nªº®Ñ!

While I was traveling around China last summer, I was never without this phrase book. I brought several dictionaries and phrase books with me and, in the end, this one was the most helpful. On a day when I didn't have much room in my pack, this was the book I always made room for. That being said, no phrase book is going to be perfect, so, when I could spare the space in my bag, I would also pack a pocket-sized Chinese dictionary to supplement this phrase book.

One improvement that I would suggest for this item is that it could really use some more blank notes pages. I mostly eat vegetarian food when I can and, as I learned the pinyin and characters for the different veggies I wanted to order, I had trouble cramming my notes into the small bit of blank space in this book.

Overall, this book was very useful and definitely saved my butt on more than one occasion!

This book is an excellent resource for both the tourist and the student. Carry this handy reference around China or keep it within arm's length as you study the language at home -- you'll be reaching for it often in either case.