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How to open a bank account in China (what to say)

You need a Chinese bank card to make WeChat Pay fully work. Bring passport, phone number, and patience — the form has boxes even locals can't explain.

What you'll say

Tap play to hear it. Everything on this page runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Heads-up: the voice you hear here is your browser’s built-in Mandarin — the app sounds considerably better. On iPhone it uses Apple’s enhanced and premium system voices, plays at real conversational speed, and has a slow mode for practising.

This device has no Chinese voice installed, so audio can’t play here. The app doesn’t have that problem — it uses the Mandarin voices built into iOS.

我要开一个银行账户。
Wǒ yào kāi yí ge yínháng zhànghù.
I'd like to open a bank account.
开账户/开卡 — 'open an account/card'. Take a number ticket (取号) at the entrance first.
我有工作签证和居留许可。
Wǒ yǒu gōngzuò qiānzhèng hé jūliú xǔkě.
I have a work visa and residence permit.
Banks often want proof of residence/work. Requirements vary by branch — genuinely.
可以绑定微信支付吗?
Kěyǐ bǎngdìng Wēixìn zhīfù ma?
Can I link it to WeChat Pay?
绑定 (bǎngdìng) = to bind/link. The whole point of the mission.

1 more phrase in this situation — plus the real-speed audio for all 4, the listening drill, and the camera. Six situations are free in the app; this one is part of Pro.

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What they'll say back

This is the part nobody teaches. Real Mandarin comes back fast and blunt, so hear it at natural speed first.

Press play before you read. In the app, anything you miss comes back slower and then again later, until you catch it at full speed.

They say
请填一下这张表,签名在这里。
Qǐng tián yíxià zhè zhāng biǎo, qiānmíng zài zhèlǐ.
Please fill in this form — sign here.
You can answer
这一栏写什么?
Zhè yì lán xiě shénme?
What do I write in this field?
They say
设置一个六位数密码。
Shèzhì yí ge liù wèi shù mìmǎ.
Set a six-digit PIN.
You can answer
好了,设置好了。
Hǎo le, shèzhì hǎo le.
Done — it's set.

Other situations in Admin & banking

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