Texting & dating apps: Making plans to meet by text

🇨🇳 Often sent as the reply to 在吗？. It's a neutral "what's up?", though in other contexts the same words can mean "what's wrong?" if someone seems upset.

💬 请 (qǐng) followed by a person and an activity means "treat someone to it": 请你吃饭 "treat you to a meal".

🇨🇳 Saying 请 signals you intend to pay. Inviting someone this way on a date is clear and polite, and they'll expect you to cover the bill.

💬 Tag 可以吗？ onto any suggestion to soften it into a polite "is that okay?": 明天见，可以吗？ "See you tomorrow, okay?"

💬 Question words stay where the answer would go, so "where" comes before the verb: 在哪儿见 is literally "at where meet". 哪儿 (nǎr) is the northern form, and southerners often write 哪里 (nǎ lǐ).

🇨🇳 Many big cities have a 人民广场, but Shanghai's is a major metro hub. Big stations like this are popular meeting points, so it's wise to name a specific exit.

💬 星巴克 (xīng bā kè) mixes meaning and sound: 星 means "star", and 巴克 approximates "bucks".

💬 几 (jǐ) asks "how many" for small numbers, and 点 means "o'clock". So 几点 is literally "how many o'clock".

💬 The part of the day comes before the hour, the reverse of English "3 pm". Similarly, 上午十点 means "10 am".

💬 Put 怎么样？ after any suggestion to mean "how about...?": 星巴克怎么样？ "How about Starbucks?"

💬 没 (méi) is the "not" that goes with 有, and 没问题 is short for 没有问题. Use the same pattern in 没空 "not free".

💬 了 after a verb marks it as done. In front of another instruction, it works like "once you've...", so you don't need a separate word for "when".

💬 给我 "to me" comes before the verb, not after it as in English. Also 给我打电话 "give me a call".

🇨🇳 WeChat is the default for everything in China, so you'd ask for someone's WeChat rather than their phone number.

💬 Put any time word before 见 to say "see you then": 明天见 "see you tomorrow", 一会儿见 "see you in a bit".

🇨🇳 Sending 晚安 is a common, slightly warm way to end an evening chat. Between people getting to know each other, it can carry a hint of affection.