Greetings
你好 / Nǐ hǎo
nee HOW
Hello. Nanjing dialect is a Jianghuai Mandarin variety — closer to standard Mandarin than Shanghainese, but with distinctive tones you will notice within a week.
Culture
城墙 / Chéngqiáng
chung-CHYANG
The city wall. Nanjing's Ming wall is the longest surviving city wall in the world and large stretches are walkable on top — the city's best free amenity.
梧桐 / Wútóng
woo-TONG
The plane trees that line Nanjing's boulevards, planted in their tens of thousands in the Republican era. They are a genuine civic obsession here and cutting one is a scandal.
夫子庙 / Fūzǐ miào
foo-dzuh MYOW
The Confucius Temple district on the Qinhuai river — the historic examination quarter, now the busiest tourist area in the city.
Daily life
临时住宿登记 / Línshí zhùsù dēngjì
lin-shr JOO-soo DENG-jee
Temporary residence registration at the police station within 24 hours of moving into a private flat. Requested again at every later immigration step.
居留许可 / Jūliú xǔkě
joo-lyoh SHYOO-kuh
Residence permit — what actually lets you live here. The visa in your passport is only an entry document.
火炉 / Huǒlú
hwor-LOO
'Furnace' — Nanjing is traditionally counted among China's furnace cities for its summer heat. Locals use the word about their own city with resignation.
Food
盐水鸭 / Yánshuǐ yā
yen-shway YAH
Salt-water duck — Nanjing's signature dish, poached and served cold. The city eats an extraordinary quantity of duck in every form.
Work
考研 / Kǎoyán
kow-YEN
The postgraduate entrance examination. In a city with this many universities, the whole calendar bends around exam season and you will hear about it constantly.
发票 / Fāpiào
fah-PYOW
Official tax invoice. Needed for rent if you claim the expatriate housing exemption, and for anything you expense.
Emergency
110 / 120 / 119 / 122
yāo-yāo-líng…
Police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119, traffic accidents 122. Four separate lines rather than one emergency number.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.