Asking cute stranger out to a date: Agreeing on a day, time and place

🇨🇳 我有事 is a vague, face-saving way to decline. It doesn't necessarily mean no forever, but if it keeps coming up, take the hint.

💬 Time words usually go at the start of the sentence or right after the subject, never at the end as in English. 我星期六有事 is just as correct.

💬 Sunday breaks the number pattern: it's 星期天 (xīng qī tiān) or 星期日 (xīng qī rì), not "day seven".

💬 行 (xíng) works like 可以 for "does it work?" but sounds a bit more casual. Answer yes with just 行.

💬 Chinese goes from big to small: part of the day first, then the hour. Swap in 上午十点 "10 a.m." or 晚上七点 "7 p.m.".

💬 Tack 好吗？ onto any suggestion to make it a gentle "okay?". For example: 我们走吧，好吗？ "Let's go, okay?".

💬 在哪儿 "where" comes before the action, the reverse of English. The same pattern gives 在哪儿吃？ "Where shall we eat?"

🇨🇳 Station exits are numbered or lettered, so for a first meeting name the exit, e.g. A口 "Exit A", to avoid hunting for each other.

💬 旁边 (páng biān) goes after the place it's next to: 地铁站旁边 is "next to the subway station".

💬 个 after a verb makes the action sound quick and casual, like "just add". Compare 吃个饭 "grab a bite".

💬 吧 at the end softens a suggestion into "let's…", and 那 at the start means "in that case". Try 那我们走吧 "Let's go, then".

🇨🇳 Swapping WeChat is how nearly everyone in China keeps in touch, and it's the normal next step after a yes. Usually one person shows a QR code and the other scans it.

🇨🇳 Adding someone on WeChat means one person shows their QR code and the other scans it. Offering to scan is the natural way to keep things moving.

💬 Read it as (bú kè qi): the last syllable is light and toneless in everyday speech.

💬 Put any time before 见 to say "see you then": 明天见 "see you tomorrow", 三点见 "see you at three".