jiǎnpiàokǒu: 检票口 - Ticket Gate, Boarding Gate

• Keywords: jianpiaokou, 检票口, ticket gate in Chinese, boarding gate Chinese, Chinese train station vocabulary, airport vocabulary in Chinese, travel in China, check ticket Chinese, China high-speed rail.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese travel vocabulary term 检票口 (jiǎnpiàokǒu), meaning “ticket gate” or “boarding gate.” This word is crucial for navigating China's modern airports, high-speed train stations, and event venues. This guide provides a deep dive into its meaning, character breakdown, cultural context, and dozens of practical example sentences to help you travel with confidence.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiǎnpiàokǒu
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: A designated entrance where tickets are checked before passengers are allowed to board a vehicle (like a train or plane) or enter a venue.
• In a Nutshell: 检票口 (jiǎnpiàokǒu) is the physical place you go to have your ticket scanned right before you board. Think of it as the final checkpoint. Its name literally breaks down to “check-ticket-opening,” which perfectly describes its function. You'll see this term on signs and digital displays in every major transportation hub in China.

• 检 (jiǎn): To check, inspect, or examine. The left side radical `木` (mù) means “wood,” and the right side is a phonetic component. You can think of it as carefully examining a wooden object.
• 票 (piào): Ticket. This character's original meaning was a slip or a note. Today, it almost always refers to a ticket for transportation, a movie, or an event.
• 口 (kǒu): Mouth, opening, entrance, or gate. This is one of the simplest characters, a pictograph of an open mouth. Here, it signifies an opening or an entrance.

When combined, 检(check) + 票(ticket) + 口(opening) creates a perfectly logical and descriptive word: the “opening where tickets are checked.”

The 检票口 (jiǎnpiàokǒu) is a central element of the modern Chinese travel experience, which is defined by incredible scale, efficiency, and technology. Unlike the often chaotic or varied systems in some Western countries, the process at a Chinese high-speed rail station is remarkably standardized. In the West, you might simply walk to a platform and have your ticket checked on board the train. In China, the 检票口 serves as a firm barrier between the massive waiting hall (候车室 - hòuchēshì) and the platform (站台 - zhàntái). Passengers wait in the hall until their train is announced, usually 15-20 minutes before departure, at which point they queue up at the designated 检票口 to scan their ID card or ticket. This system manages the flow of thousands of people with clockwork precision, preventing platform overcrowding and ensuring an orderly boarding process. The 检票口 is therefore a symbol of the organized, large-scale, and high-tech nature of public infrastructure in contemporary China.

This term is ubiquitous in travel contexts. You will hear it, see it on signs, and need to find it constantly.

• High-Speed Rail Stations: This is the most common place you'll encounter 检票口. Large electronic boards display the train number, destination, and the corresponding 检票口 number.
• Airports: While 登机口 (dēngjīkǒu) is the more precise term for an airplane's “boarding gate,” 检票口 can be used in a general sense. You might hear an announcement telling passengers to proceed to the gate to have their tickets checked (检票 - jiǎnpiào).
• Subway Stations: The turnstiles where you swipe your card or scan a QR code are a form of 检票口.
• Tourist Attractions & Venues: The entrance to a museum, park, or concert where your ticket is scanned is also a 检票口.

The term is neutral and functional; it has no strong positive or negative connotations.

• Example 1:
  • 请问，G28次的检票口在哪里？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, G-èrbā cì de jiǎnpiàokǒu zài nǎlǐ?
  • English: Excuse me, where is the ticket gate for train G28?
  • Analysis: A classic, essential sentence for any traveler in China. You use this to ask for directions in a train station.
• Example 2:
  • 我们的火车在5号检票口。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de huǒchē zài wǔ hào jiǎnpiàokǒu.
  • English: Our train is at ticket gate number 5.
  • Analysis: A simple statement for telling someone which gate to go to.
• Example 3:
  • 检票口还没开，我们得再等一会儿。
  • Pinyin: Jiǎnpiàokǒu hái méi kāi, wǒmen děi zài děng yīhuǐ'r.
  • English: The ticket gate isn't open yet, we have to wait a little longer.
  • Analysis: This explains the situation of arriving at the gate too early. `还没开 (hái méi kāi)` means “not yet open.”
• Example 4:
  • 请大家带好车票和身份证，到检票口排队。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng dàjiā dài hǎo chēpiào hé shēnfènzhèng, dào jiǎnpiàokǒu páiduì.
  • English: Everyone please have your tickets and ID cards ready, and line up at the ticket gate.
  • Analysis: This is a typical announcement you might hear in a train station. `排队 (páiduì)` means “to queue up.”
• Example 5:
  • 离检票开始还有十五分钟。
  • Pinyin: Lí jiǎnpiào kāishǐ hái yǒu shíwǔ fēnzhōng.
  • English: There are still fifteen minutes until ticket checking begins.
  • Analysis: Note this sentence uses the verb `检票 (jiǎnpiào)`. The action happens at the `检票口 (jiǎnpiàokǒu)`.
• Example 6:
  • 快点儿！我们快赶不上火车了，检票口要关了！
  • Pinyin: Kuài diǎnr! Wǒmen kuài gǎn bu shàng huǒchē le, jiǎnpiàokǒu yào guān le!
  • English: Hurry up! We're about to miss the train, the ticket gate is about to close!
  • Analysis: A frantic, common scenario for anyone running late. `要关了 (yào guān le)` means “is about to close.”
• Example 7:
  • 自动检票口无法识别我的护照，我需要找工作人员。
  • Pinyin: Zìdòng jiǎnpiàokǒu wúfǎ shíbié wǒ de hùzhào, wǒ xūyào zhǎo gōngzuò rényuán.
  • English: The automatic ticket gate can't recognize my passport, I need to find a staff member.
  • Analysis: A practical sentence for foreigners traveling in China, as sometimes passports need manual checking. `自动 (zìdòng)` means “automatic.”
• Example 8:
  • 电子显示屏上写着我们的检票口是12B。
  • Pinyin: Diànzǐ xiǎnshìpíng shàng xiě zhe wǒmen de jiǎnpiàokǒu shì shí'èr B.
  • English: The electronic display screen says our ticket gate is 12B.
  • Analysis: Shows how you get information in a modern station. `电子显示屏 (diànzǐ xiǎnshìpíng)` is the “electronic display screen.”
• Example 9:
  • 他在检票口跟我告别，然后就上车了。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài jiǎnpiàokǒu gēn wǒ gàobié, ránhòu jiù shàngchē le.
  • English: He said goodbye to me at the ticket gate, and then got on the train.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the gate as a location for a personal moment, showing its role as a point of separation.
• Example 10:
  • 电影院的检票口就在大厅的右边。
  • Pinyin: Diànyǐngyuàn de jiǎnpiàokǒu jiù zài dàtīng de yòubian.
  • English: The cinema's ticket gate is just on the right side of the lobby.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the term's usage outside of train stations, for places like movie theaters or other venues.

• `检票口 (jiǎnpiàokǒu)` vs. `登机口 (dēngjīkǒu)`: This is the most important distinction.
  • `检票口` is the general term, but it's used most often for trains.
  • `登机口 (dēngjīkǒu)` specifically means “boarding gate” for airplanes. `登机 (dēng jī)` literally means “to board a plane.” While you can technically call a boarding gate a type of `检票口`, no one does. In an airport, always look for the `登机口`.
• A Place vs. An Action: Remember, `检票口` is a noun (a place). The verb is `检票 (jiǎnpiào)`.
  • Incorrect: 我需要检票口我的票。 (Wǒ xūyào jiǎnpiàokǒu wǒ de piào.) - I need to ticket-gate my ticket.
  • Correct: 我需要在检票口 检票。 (Wǒ xūyào zài jiǎnpiàokǒu jiǎnpiào.) - I need to check my ticket at the ticket gate.

• 登机口 (dēngjīkǒu) - The specific term for an airplane's “boarding gate.” The direct equivalent in an airport.
• 检票 (jiǎnpiào) - The verb “to check tickets.” This is the action that happens at the `检票口`.
• 安检 (ānjiǎn) - Security check. The place you go before the waiting hall and ticket gate.
• 站台 (zhàntái) - Platform. The area next to the tracks where you wait for and board the train. You access it through the `检票口`.
• 候车室 (hòuchēshì) - Waiting room (for a train). The large hall where you wait before your gate opens.
• 候机厅 (hòujītīng) - Waiting hall / Departure lounge (for a plane).
• 售票处 (shòupiàochù) - Ticket office/counter. Where you buy tickets.
• 入口 (rùkǒu) - Entrance. A more general term for any way in.
• 出口 (chūkǒu) - Exit. The opposite of `入口`.
• 车票 (chēpiào) - Ticket (for a land vehicle like a train or bus).