Combining them, 订票 (dìng piào) literally means “to book a ticket,” a straightforward and logical compound word.
In the West, booking a ticket is a routine task. In China, 订票 is a culturally significant act, almost a national sport, especially surrounding major holidays. The most intense period is the 春运 (Chūnyùn), the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, which is the largest annual human migration on Earth. During this time, hundreds of millions of people travel home for family reunions. The process of 订票 becomes incredibly competitive. This has given rise to the related term 抢票 (qiǎng piào), which means “to snatch or grab tickets,” reflecting the high-speed, high-stakes battle that occurs the moment tickets go on sale online. Unlike the relatively stable pricing and availability in Western countries, successfully completing the act of 订票 for a major Chinese holiday journey is a source of great relief and even pride. It's the critical first step in fulfilling the deeply ingrained cultural value of returning home and maintaining family bonds. This single term encapsulates the logistical challenge and emotional importance of travel in modern China.
订票 is a daily-life term used in neutral, standard contexts. Its usage has overwhelmingly shifted from physical ticket counters to digital platforms.
The term itself is neither formal nor informal and can be used with friends, family, or travel agents.
The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 订票 (dìng piào) and 买票 (mǎi piào). They are not always interchangeable.
Common Mistake:
Think of 订票 as the reservation step and 买票 as the purchase step. For online booking of flights, the two actions happen simultaneously, so you might hear people use 买票 colloquially, but 订票 is more precise for the online “booking” process.