New here? This is lesson 103 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
Hotel problems in Simplified Chinese
At a Taipei hotel, your key card fails, the air conditioner is broken, and street noise keeps you awake.
Yi-Jun's room faces the road, and each retelling makes the traffic sound louder.
Learn to report what is wrong, ask for a room change, and request extra towels. You will also practise explaining that you are locked out.
Use polite questions with hotel staff, then follow the small problems as the story grows.
By the end of this lesson
Report hotel room problems, ask to change rooms, request extra towels, and explain that you are locked out.
- 我的房卡不能用My room key doesn't work.
- 空调坏了The air conditioner is broken.
- 房间太吵了The room is too noisy.
- 可以帮我换房间吗？Can you change my room for me?
- 可以多给我两条毛巾吗？Can I have two more towels?
- 我进不去房间了I can't get into my room.
Scene — a noisy hotel night
Maya and Yi-Jun are staying at a Taipei hotel. Maya has trouble with her key card and air conditioner, while Yi-Jun's room faces the street and is noisy.
At the front desk, they report the problems and ask for help. Yi-Jun's story about the traffic grows with every retelling.
Learn — report a room problem
These six lines help you explain common hotel problems and ask staff for practical help.
Notice the polite question forms when you request a room change or extra towels.
我的房卡不能用
My room key doesn't work.
When to use it: Use this to tell hotel staff that your key card is not working.
不能用 describes something that cannot function; it does not say the key is lost.
空调坏了
The air conditioner is broken.
When to use it: Use this to report a broken air conditioner.
了 marks the changed state: the air conditioner has become broken.
房间太吵了
The room is too noisy.
When to use it: Use this to complain about noise in your room.
太 before an adjective means that something is too much; 了 describes the current situation.
可以帮我换房间吗？
Can you change my room for me?
When to use it: Use this polite question to ask hotel staff for a different room.
可以…吗？ makes a polite question; 帮我 says who benefits from the request.
可以多给我两条毛巾吗？
Can I have two more towels?
When to use it: Use this polite question to ask for two additional towels.
条 is the measure word used here for towels.
我进不去房间了
I can't get into my room.
When to use it: Use this to tell hotel staff that you are locked out.
Learn this as one way to say you’re locked out.
Story — trouble at the hotel
Maya and Yi-Jun stop at the hotel desk to report a few problems. The clerk listens and offers practical help.
Yi-Jun's street-facing room is noisy, and her version of the story gets bigger as the night goes on.
Maya不好意思，请问？Excuse me, may I ask?- Hotel clerk怎么了？What's wrong?
- Maya我的房卡不能用。My room key doesn't work.
- Hotel clerk好，我帮你看看。Okay, I'll take a look for you.
- Maya空调坏了。The air conditioner is broken.
Yi-Jun房间太吵了。The room is too noisy.- Yi-Jun我的房间面对大马路，车声一整晚没停。My room faces a main road, and the traffic noise never stopped all night.
- Yi-Jun可以帮我换房间吗？Can you change my room for me?
- Hotel clerk可以，我帮你换一间。Sure, I'll change your room.
- Maya可以多给我两条毛巾吗？Can I have two more towels?
- Hotel clerk好，等一下送过去。Sure, I'll bring them over in a moment.
- Yi-Jun我进不去房间了。I can't get into my room.
- Hotel clerk我来帮你开门。I'll come help you open the door.
- Yi-Jun我跟你说，外面根本像在开演唱会。I'm telling you, outside was basically like a concert.
- Maya谢谢。Thank you.
Practice — ask for help
Try ten exercises to report problems, make requests, and understand the right response.
Choose the line that fits the situation, then check why the other choices do not work.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
我的房卡不能用
Build the line
Build the line
The air conditioner is broken.
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
The room is too noisy.
房间____吵了
What do you say?
What do you say?
Your room is noisy. Ask the hotel clerk to change it.
Match the pairs
Simplified Chinese
我的房卡不能用Drop the English here空调坏了Drop the English here房间太吵了Drop the English here可以帮我换房间吗？Drop the English hereEnglish
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Pick the reply
Hotel clerk says:
Pick the reply
需要毛巾吗？
Do you need towels?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are outside your room and cannot get back in. Tell the clerk.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Pick the reply
Hotel clerk says:
Pick the reply
我帮你换好了。
I've changed your room for you.
And you reply with:
Say it — talk to hotel staff
You are Maya at the hotel desk. Listen to the clerk, then say the line that reports your problem or makes your request.
Speak clearly and politely. Yi-Jun's noisy-room story is getting bigger, but keep your requests simple and practical.
- Maya walks to the hotel desk after her key card stops working.
- Hotel clerk怎么了？What's wrong?
- Maya (you)Tell the clerk that your room key doesn't work.
Tell the clerk that your room key doesn't work.
我的房卡不能用
My room key doesn't work.
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 我的房卡不能用 | My room key doesn't work. | |
| 空调坏了 | The air conditioner is broken. | |
| 房间太吵了 | The room is too noisy. | |
| 可以帮我换房间吗？ | Can you change my room for me? | |
| 可以多给我两条毛巾吗？ | Can I have two more towels? | |
| 我进不去房间了 | I can't get into my room. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Review today's useful hotel lines in Yak Cards.
Practise the requests aloud so you can use them when a hotel problem comes up.
Open Yak Cards