How to pay utilities in China (and what to say in a blackout)

The power just died mid-shower, or a mysterious paper appeared on your door. Utilities in China are prepaid more often than you'd expect — here's the vocabulary.

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.

我家停电了。

Wǒ jiā tíngdiàn le.

My home's power is out.

停电 power out, 停水 (tíngshuǐ) water out, 停气 (tíngqì) gas out. Same pattern, same despair.

是不是电费用完了？

Shì bu shì diànfèi yòng wán le?

Did the electricity credit run out?

Many meters are PREPAID. No warning, just darkness. Usually the answer is yes.

在哪里交电费？

Zài nǎlǐ jiāo diànfèi?

Where do I pay the electricity bill?

Usually in WeChat/Alipay: 生活缴费 (shēnghuó jiǎofèi, 'life payments'). Scan your bill with the Scan tab.

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

你在支付宝上充一下电费就好了。

Nǐ zài Zhīfùbǎo shàng chōng yíxià diànfèi jiù hǎo le.

Just top up your electricity on Alipay and it'll be fine.

You can answer

好的，需要户号吗？在哪里找？

Hǎo de, xūyào hùhào ma? Zài nǎlǐ zhǎo?

OK — do I need the account number? Where do I find it?

They say

今天下午小区统一停水，晚上恢复。

Jīntiān xiàwǔ xiǎoqū tǒngyī tíngshuǐ, wǎnshang huīfù.

The compound's water is off this afternoon — back tonight.

You can answer

知道了，谢谢通知。

Zhīdào le, xièxie tōngzhī.

Got it — thanks for letting me know.

Other situations in Home & apartment

Something's broken — texting the landlord Talking with your ayi The compound security guard The upstairs neighbor situation