Chapter Two: A Roof Over Your Head
1. Four Things You Must Ask When Renting an Apartment in China
If you are soon moving to China or already living there, it is possible that you will need to rent an apartment. For some people, such as English teachers, an apartment might be included in their contract. Students may live in dorms, which is prepared through the school. So, this may not seem relevant to you at first, but knowing how to rent an apartment can come handy and it can’t hurt to be independent. Here is a guide to some of the things you should consider, as well as relevant vocabulary you will need when renting an apartment in China.
Factors you need to consider:
a. 户型 (Hùxíng) Type or size of apartment
You can find apartments to rent online or though real estate agents, which speckle every corner in China.
These intermediaries will put you in contact with the apartment owners. When you go to rent an apartment, the first question that the “房东 (fángdōng) house-owner” or agent will ask is:
Nín xiǎng zū shénme hùxíng de fángzi?
您 想 租 什么 户型 的 房子？
What kind of apartment do you want to rent?
Types of apartments are put in a kind of shortened form:
一室一厅 (Yí shì yì tīng): One bedroom, one living room
两室一厅 (Liǎng shì yì tīng): Two bedrooms, one living room
三室两厅 (Sān shì liǎng tīng): Three bedrooms, two living rooms
All you have to do is reply with this sentence structure:
“我要 + 户型 (Wǒ yào + hùxíng)” I want + type or size of apartment.
For example:
Wǒ yào liǎng shì yì tīng de.
我 要 两 室 一 厅 的。
I want an apartment with two bedrooms and one living room.
b. 家电 (Jiādiàn) Household appliances
Next, you need to consider what kind of appliances you want in your apartment. It is very common in China that the apartment won’t have a dishwasher or dryer. Most newer apartment complexes will have everything else you need, but you still better make sure to ask.
You can ask the home owner about what “家电 (jiādiàn)” are included, this word is the shortened form of “家用电器 (jiāyòng diànqì).” This includes things like a “冰箱 (bīngxiāng) refrigerator,” “空调 (kōngtiáo) air-conditioner,” “热水器 (rèshuǐqì) hot water heater” etc.
So you should ask the apartment-owner:
A: Jiādiàn dōu qíquán ma?
A: 家电 都 齐全 吗？
A: Is there a complete set of household appliances?
B: Kōngtiáo, bīngxiāng, rèshuǐqì… shénme dōu yǒu.
B: 空调、 冰箱、 热水器…… 什么 都 有。
B: Air-conditioning, refrigerator, hot water heater… it has everything.
c. 交通 (Jiāotōng) Transportation
Something you will want to keep in mind is the local “交通 (jiāotōng) transportation.” You should check what subways and bus stops are nearby, as in some areas you may have to walk for 10-15 minutes to find the nearest one. Usually apartments that are located in a more convenient area can be a little more expensive.
A: Zhè lǐ de jiāotōng biànlì ma?
A: 这 里 的 交通 便利 吗？
A: Is the transportation convenient here?
B: Xiǎoqū pángbiān yǒu dìtiězhàn hé gōngjiāozhàn, hěn fāngbiàn.
B: 小区 旁边 有 地铁站 和 公交站， 很 方便。
B: Yes, there is a subway station and a bus station near here, it’s very convenient.
d. 租金 (Zūjīn) Rent
Lastly and perhaps most importantly you will ask about “租金 (Zūjīn) rent.” If you go through a real estate agent, they will tell you the price before you go and see the apartment. Cities like Shanghai and Beijing can have very expensive rent, especially if you live downtown.
Often people will live up to an hour away from work so they can live in a cheaper apartment. You will also have to pay a deposit upon renting the apartment. This cost is usually one month of rent, and the real estate agent’s fee is half of a months rent.
How should you ask the rent?
A: Zhè ge fángzi duōshǎo qián yí gè yuè?
A: 这 个 房子 多少 钱 一个 月？
A: How much does one month of rent cost?
B: Liǎng qiān bā bǎi kuài qián yí gè yuè.
B: 两 千 八 百 块 钱 一 个 月。
B: 2,800 yuan per month.
A: Bāo shuǐdiànfèi ma?
A: 包 水电费 吗？
A: Is the water and electricity fee included in the price?
B: Shì de.
B: 是 的。
B: Yes.
Once you get this lesson down, you will be ready to rent your own apartment in China!
2. Struggling and Saving for a Home
“蜗居 (Wōjū) Dwelling Narrowness” was probably the most popular TV series in 2009. It is about a new couple struggling for buying their first “房子 (fángzi) house.” The script expresses a confusion of all the house-less families—”the speed of saving money never catches up with that of “房价 (fángjià) housing” price’s ”上涨 (shàngzhǎng) rise.” Meanwhile the story puts forward a thought provoking topic: Is it possible for young people ever to own houses given the high flying real estate price? From ancient time to the present, Chinese people have a rooted tradition –they have always wanted to own their own houses. In Chinese people’s mind, if you want to have a family, you’d better own a house first. Now it is quite common for people to take mortgage loans, although everyone knows that it will take them many years to pay off their “房贷 (fángdài) housing loan.” People who have very tight budget but still bought a house with the help of loans are called “房奴 (fángnú) mortgage slaves.”
Chinese tradition of owning a house leads to more and more mortgage slaves in China nowadays.
生词 (Shēngcí) Vocabulary
1. 房价 (Fángjià) n. Housing price.
The character “房 (fáng)” means house and “价 (jià)” means price.
Example:
Fángjià búduàn de shàngzhǎng, zhēn ràng rén dānxīn.
房价 不断 地 上涨， 真 让 人 担心。
Housing prices are continuously rising, which made us worried.
2. 房奴 (Fángnú) n. Mortgage slaves.
The character “房 (fáng)” means house and “奴 (nú)” means slave.
Example:
Zhōngguó chūxiàn le yuèláiyuèduō de fángnú.
中国 出现 了 越来越多 的 房奴。
There are more and more mortgage slaves in China.
3. 房子 (Fángzi) n. House.
4. 上涨 (Shàngzhǎng) v. To rise.
5. 房贷 (Fángdài) n. Housing loan.
3. How to Make Hotel Reservations in China
Conversation
Fúwùyuán: Nín hăo! Zhúyuán fàndiàn.
服务员： 您 好！ 竹园 饭店。
Waiter: Hello. This is the Zhuyuan Hotel.
Lì Bèi kǎ: Nín hăo, wŏ xiăng yùdìng yígè biāozhŭnjiān.
丽 贝 卡：您 好，我 想 预订 一个 标准间。
Rebecca: Hello, I’d like to reserve a standard room.
Fúwùyuán: Nín yào dìng nă tiān de?
服务员： 您 要 订 哪 天 的？
Waiter: When do you want the reservation for?
Lì Bèi kǎ: Cóng bĕn yuè shíwǔ hào dào èr’shí sān hào.
丽 贝 卡：从 本 月 15 号 到 23 号。
Rebecca: From the 15th to the 23rd of this month.
Fúwùyuán: Duì bù qĭ, shíwǔ hào de biāozhŭnjiān yĭjīng méiyŏu le.
服务员： 对 不 起， 15 号 的 标准间 已经 没有 了。
Waiter: Sorry, there are no standard rooms available on the 15th.
Lì Bèi kǎ: Dānrénjiān yŏu ma? Zĕnme shōufèi?
丽 贝 卡：单人间 有 吗？ 怎么 收费？
Rebecca: Is there a single room? What’s the price?
Fúwùyuán: Yŏu. Dānrénjiān sān bǎi.
服务员： 有。 单人间 300。
Waiter: Yes. 300 yuan for a single room.
Lì Bèi kǎ: Wŏ yào yí gè dānrénjiān ba.
丽 贝 卡：我 要 一 个 单人间 吧。
Rebecca: OK, a single room, please.
Fúwùyuán: Hăode, qǐng liú yí xià nín de xìngmíng hé diànhuà.
服务员： 好的， 请 留 一 下 您 的 姓名 和 电话。
Waiter: May I have your name and phone number, please?
Lì Bèi kǎ: Wŏ jiào Lì bèi kă.Shĭ mì sī, wŏ hái méiyŏu diànhuà.
丽 贝 卡：我 叫 丽贝卡.史密斯，我 还 没有 电话。
Rebecca: My name is Rebecca Smith. I don’t have telephone yet.
Fúwùyuán: Méi guān xi, nín dāngtiān guòlái jiù kéyĭ le.
服务员： 没 关 系，您 当天 过来 就 可以了。
Waiter: That’s fine. Just check into our hotel on the 15th.
Lì Bèi kǎ: Xièxie!
丽贝卡：谢谢！
Rebecca: Thank you!
Fúwùyuán: Bú kè qi. Zàijiàn!
服务员： 不 客 气！再见！
Waiter: You’re welcome. See you later!
Lì Bèi kǎ: Zàijiàn!
丽 贝 卡：再见！
Rebecca: See you!
Additional Expressions
双人间 (Shuāngrénjiān): Double room.
单人间 (Dānrénjiān): Single room.
普通套房 (Pŭtōng tàofáng): General suite.
商务套房 (Shāngwù tàofáng): Business suite.
Hotel Types in China
There are three types of hotels in China. They are Fandian (Jiudian, Binguan), Lvguan and Zhaodaisuo.
Fandian, Jiudian and Binguan are high quality hotels with better facilities and services. The quality of the facilities and services of such hotels will determine whether they are star rated hotels or non-star rated hotels. Lvguan are mid-range hotels providing accommodations for the general public at reasonable rates. Zhaodaisuo are usually run by big enterprises, local governments, and universities to provide accommodations for their own guests and their visiting staff from other regions. Gradually, Zhaodaisuo have begun to function as Binguan and provide limited service to the general public.
4. How to Make Sure Your Home Has Good Fengshui?
Deciding not to go with a red sofa, moving a mirror from the bedroom to the living room, changing the position of the bed in your bedroom. These may seem like just simple interior design or decorating decisions, but they may also be part of the ancient Chinese practice of Fengshui. Fengshui, which literally means Wind & Water, is a method of creating good Qi, or energy flow, through changing one’s environment. The name refers to this passage from an ancient book, the Zhangshu, or Book of Burial: “Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.” Thus, Fengshui is the process of choices that focuses on simultaneously moving and retaining Qi in order to improve one’s health, prosperity, and fortune.
While modern and Western applications of Fengshui generally focus on arranging objects within a home, office, or other architecture, Fengshui was originally used to decide on how best to place dwellings, burial sites, or crops. Fengshui has been used for thousand of years, with some of the earliest instances appearing as far back as 4000 BCE. These early forms of Fengshui relied on astronomy in order to make decisions about where to build or settle. Modern Fengshui practitioners utilize the magnetic compass to aid them in arranging spaces.
One of the most common Fengshui techniques is Bagua, or Eight Symbols. The Bagua are eight three-line symbols, often called trigrams, which correspond to different meanings, including the cardinal and ordinal directions, natural elements, and seasons.
For the purposes of Fengshui, the Bagua are placed onto a map or grid, which is then placed over a map of the house or office in question. Since each of the Bagua has a specific meaning and element associated with it, these meanings are used to determine placement of objects and rooms within the space. The five main elements are water, wood, fire, earth and metal. One example of Bagua Fengshui is to avoid having drains within the areas of the house that are associated with wealth, as your wealth will drain away. When used properly, the Bagua map will help parse one’s living or working area into different areas of the resident’s life. By understanding the function of each area, the practitioner can maximize the benefit from each area and avoid creating negative energy or bad luck.
While many skeptics dismiss Fengshui as superstition and folklore, it’s worth noting that many famous structures, whether intentionally or unintentionally, incorporate many of the principles of Fengshui. Additionally, Fengshui practitioners and apologists respond that one need not believe in the existence of Qi in order to benefit from many of its common sense principles. Clearing up clutter around the house and moving dangerous objects away from children’s sleeping areas, for example, are two principles from Fengshui that most anyone would agree are beneficial. Another objection to Fengshui is that of a potential conflict with the practitioner’s religious beliefs. While it is true that advanced Fengshui techniques rely on an understanding of both Qi and Yin and Yang, simple uses of Fengshui for rearranging one’s home and office can be done without conflicting with most religious beliefs. Since the goal of modern Fengshui is harmony through arrangement and placement, it should be compatible with other worldviews.
Those interested in Fengshui will be glad to know that the elementary aspects of Fengshui can quite easily be learned and applied. The tools are as simple as a compass, a measuring tape, and some pen and paper. Now are you ready for some beginning Fengshui tips?
For the bedroom:
Some Fengshui experts believe it is bad luck to have a mirror facing a couple’s bed, or placed anywhere near it, as mirrors can increase opportunities for infidelity.
Sleeping on floors or in bunk beds is also discouraged, as Qi is meant to circulate around the bed as one sleeps. If the areas above and below the bed are obstructed, the Qi is unable to circulate freely, causing health problems or disturbing sleep. Experts also suggest opening doors and windows on a regular basis to allow fresh Qi to enter. No one wants stale Qi circulating around when he or she sleeps.
For the living room:
As much as you may want that red crushed velvet couch, Fengshui practitioners will tell you it’s a big no-no. The color red represents the element of fire, and having a central object like the living room couch represent fire can wreak havoc on your finances, relationships, and even emotional or psychological well being.
Try not to place couches, loveseats, or other major furniture items so that people are consistently seated with their backs against doors or windows, as this can block the flow of Qi in and around your living room.
Some practitioners suggest using color to create a sense of balance, keeping ceilings and other higher objects light-colored, choosing wall colors or furniture that is mid-toned, and accenting floors with darker flooring or rugs. This works to give the home a natural setting, mimicking the lightness of the sky, the neutral, comforting tones of grass and water, and the grounded feel of earth beneath one’s feet.
Since many Fengshui experts also recommend placing small fountains or live or fake plants (so as not to risk the bad Qi involved with dead plants) in your home, the living room would be a good open space to try out this technique.
For the kitchen/dining room:
We all know that fire and water don’t mix. This is why Fengshui theory will tell you it’s not wise to place any water-based appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, even the kitchen sink) directly opposite your stove, as the crashing of the two elements will lead to family disputes.
You’ve probably never thought too much about how the makeup of your dining room table might affect your mental health, but heavy, dense materials like marble or stone can pile pressure on many people’s already stressful lives. If you have enough pressure from your boss, your kids, or the IRS as it is, try opting for a wooden dining room table.
Many Fengshui practitioners like to make sure that views from windows are pleasant and refreshing. What better place to implement this idea than your kitchen sink, where members of the family routinely stare outside while washing the dishes or preparing food?
Now that you have some easy, practical tips based on Fengshui theory, you too can start balancing the Qi in your home.