Making Plans
beginner约会安排
Learn how to invite friends, accept or decline invitations, and schedule outings in Chinese — from casual hangouts to group plans.
36 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
36 words — click any row for an example sentence
Inviting
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 要不要 | yào bú yào | do you want to / how about | phrase |
| 一起 | yīqǐ | together | adverb |
| 有没有空 | yǒu méiyǒu kòng | are you free / do you have time | phrase |
| 有时间 | yǒu shíjiān | to have time | phrase |
| 约 | yuē | to invite / to arrange to meet / to make an appointment | verb |
| 请 | qǐng | to invite / to treat (someone) | verb |
| 邀请 | yāoqǐng | to invite / invitation | verb |
| 出去玩 | chūqù wán | to go out and have fun | verb |
| 叫 | jiào | to call / to invite (someone to join) | verb |
Accepting
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 好啊 | hǎo a | sure / sounds good | phrase |
| 没问题 | méi wèntí | no problem | phrase |
| 太好了 | tài hǎo le | great / wonderful | phrase |
| 我很想去 | wǒ hěn xiǎng qù | I really want to go | phrase |
| 行 | xíng | okay / that works | adjective |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can / okay / that is fine | verb |
Declining
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不好意思 | bù hǎo yìsi | sorry / excuse me / I feel bad | phrase |
| 下次吧 | xià cì ba | next time / let us do it another time | phrase |
| 有事 | yǒu shì | to have something to do / to be busy | verb |
| 没办法 | méi bànfǎ | cannot help it / there is no way | phrase |
| 改天 | gǎitiān | another day / some other time | adverb |
| 来不了 | lái bù liǎo | cannot come | verb |
| 忙 | máng | busy | adjective |
Scheduling
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 什么时候 | shénme shíhou | when / what time | phrase |
| 在哪儿见 | zài nǎr jiàn | where to meet | phrase |
| 几点 | jǐ diǎn | what time / what o'clock | phrase |
| 地点 | dìdiǎn | location / meeting place | noun |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | noun |
| 安排 | ānpái | to arrange / plan / arrangement | verb |
| 定 | dìng | to decide / to fix / to set | verb |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet (face to face) | verb |
| 迟到 | chídào | to be late | verb |
| 取消 | qǔxiāo | to cancel | verb |
| 推迟 | tuīchí | to postpone | verb |
| 聚会 | jùhuì | gathering / get-together / party | noun |
| 提前 | tíqián | in advance / ahead of time | adverb |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient | adjective |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
周末有没有空？一起出去玩吧。
Zhōumò yǒu méiyǒu kòng? Yīqǐ chūqù wán ba.
Are you free this weekend? Let us go out together.
A casual invitation to hang out on the weekend.
你说个时间和地点吧。
Nǐ shuō ge shíjiān hé dìdiǎn ba.
You suggest a time and place.
Letting the other person decide the details.
我们在地铁站见吧。
Wǒmen zài dìtiě zhàn jiàn ba.
Let us meet at the subway station.
Suggesting a common meeting point.
那就这么定了！
Nà jiù zhème dìng le!
Then it is settled!
Confirming the plan after agreeing on details.
到时候我再联系你。
Dào shíhou wǒ zài liánxì nǐ.
I will contact you when the time comes.
Promising to confirm details later.
算我一个！
Suàn wǒ yī ge!
Count me in!
Enthusiastically agreeing to join a plan.
不好意思，那天我有安排了。
Bù hǎo yìsi, nà tiān wǒ yǒu ānpái le.
Sorry, I already have plans that day.
Politely declining an invitation.
要不换个时间？
Yàobù huàn ge shíjiān?
How about changing to a different time?
Suggesting a reschedule when the proposed time does not work.
你先去吧，我可能晚到一会儿。
Nǐ xiān qù ba, wǒ kěnéng wǎn dào yīhuìr.
You go first. I might arrive a little late.
Letting someone know you will be late.
这次就不去了，下次一定去。
Zhè cì jiù bú qù le, xià cì yīdìng qù.
I will skip this time. I will definitely go next time.
Declining while promising to join the next event.
你帮我问一下大家都去不去。
Nǐ bāng wǒ wèn yīxià dàjiā dōu qù bú qù.
Help me ask everyone if they are going.
Coordinating a group outing through one person.
我到了，你在哪儿？
Wǒ dào le, nǐ zài nǎr?
I am here. Where are you?
Texting or calling when you arrive at the meeting point.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Planning a Weekend Outing
Two friends, Xiǎo Lín and Xiǎo Huáng, are making plans for the weekend in a WeChat conversation.
Speaker A
小黄，这个周末你有空吗？我想出去玩。
Speaker B
周六上午有事，下午就有空了。你想去哪儿？
Speaker A
要不要去爬山？最近天气挺好的。
Speaker B
好啊！去哪个山？我们要不要叫几个朋友一起去？
Speaker A
去香山吧，不太远。对，把小陈和小美也叫上。
Speaker B
我问一下他们。我们几点见？在哪儿集合？
Speaker A
周六下午一点在地铁站门口见？大家坐地铁过去。
Speaker B
好的，那就这么定了！我现在就去群里通知大家。
Cultural note: In China, plans among friends are often organized through WeChat group chats (群 qún). One person typically takes the lead in coordinating logistics like time and meeting place. Group outings on weekends, especially to parks and scenic spots, are very popular social activities.
Declining and Rescheduling
Xiǎo Zhào invites Xiǎo Sūn to dinner, but Xiǎo Sūn cannot make it and suggests another time.
Speaker A
小孙，明天晚上有没有空？我请你吃饭。
Speaker B
明天啊……不好意思，明天晚上我要加班，去不了。
Speaker A
没关系。那后天呢？后天你方便吗？
Speaker B
后天可以！你想去哪儿吃？
Speaker A
公司附近新开了一家四川菜馆，听说很不错，去试试？
Speaker B
我最喜欢川菜了！几点去？要不要叫别人一起？
Speaker A
就我们两个吧，我有事想跟你聊聊。六点半下班以后直接去？
Speaker B
好的，六点半见！我提前订个位子。
Cultural note: When declining an invitation in China, it is common to give a reason (even a vague one like "有事" — I have something to do) and then express willingness to reschedule. Simply saying "no" without explanation can feel abrupt. Offering to treat someone to a meal (请客 qǐngkè) is a common way to strengthen friendships and is also used when someone wants to discuss something important in a relaxed setting.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Making Plans Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
25 of 36 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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