dēngjì: 登记 - To Register, To Check In, To Record

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese verb 登记 (dēngjì), which means “to register” or “to check in.” This comprehensive guide explains its core meaning, cultural significance, and practical use in everyday situations like hotel and airport check-ins, marriage registration, and signing up for events. Discover the difference between 登记 (dēngjì) and similar words like 注册 (zhùcè) to use it correctly and confidently in modern China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dēngjì
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To officially record information or one's presence on a list or in a system.
• In a Nutshell: 登记 (dēngjì) is the standard Chinese word for any formal act of getting your name or details put on a list. Think of it as “officially noting down.” Whether you're checking into a hotel, registering for a conference, or entering your details at a reception desk, 登记 is the verb you need. It implies a formal, systematic process, moving you from an unknown visitor to a recognized participant or guest.

• 登 (dēng): This character's original meaning is “to ascend,” “to climb,” or “to step up.” Imagine someone stepping up to a platform or a counter.
• 记 (jì): This character means “to record,” “to note,” or “to remember.” The radical on the left (言) means “speech” or “words.”
• The combination 登记 (dēngjì) beautifully illustrates the action: you “step up” (登) to have your information “recorded” (记). This creates the modern meaning of formally registering.

In Chinese society, there is a strong emphasis on documentation, process, and maintaining clear records. The act of 登记 (dēngjì) is a tangible manifestation of this cultural value. It's more than just “signing up”; it's a formal entry into a system, whether that system is a hotel's guest list, a government database, or a company's visitor log. This can be contrasted with the more casual idea of “signing up” in some Western contexts. For example, you might casually “sign up” for an email newsletter online, but you would 登记 (dēngjì) to become a formal member of a club or to attend an official event. The term carries a weight of officiality and mutual acknowledgment. This is deeply connected to broader concepts like the household registration system (户口 (hùkǒu)), where every citizen's information is formally registered with the government from birth. Therefore, for a learner, understanding that 登记 (dēngjì) implies a formal, structured process is key to grasping its cultural feel.

登记 (dēngjì) is a high-frequency word used in many official and semi-official contexts. It is generally neutral in connotation and formal in tone.

• At Hotels and Airports: This is one of the most common uses. You 登记 (dēngjì) when you check in at a hotel. The check-in counter at an airport is a 登记柜台 (dēngjì guìtái). (Note: The act of boarding the plane itself is 登机 (dēngjī)).
• Government and Official Procedures: A crucial step for getting married in China is the 结婚登记 (jiéhūn dēngjì) or marriage registration. Similarly, registering a business or a vehicle involves a formal 登记 process.
• Events and Institutions: You would 登记 your name when arriving for a conference, visiting an office building, or registering for a course (报名登记 - bàomíng dēngjì).
• As a Noun: While primarily a verb, it can also refer to the act of registration itself, as in “registration is over there.”

• Example 1:
  • 请在这里登记您的姓名和电话号码。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng zài zhèlǐ dēngjì nín de xìngmíng hé diànhuà hàomǎ.
  • English: Please register your name and phone number here.
  • Analysis: A classic, polite instruction you'd hear at a reception desk or when entering an event. 请 (qǐng) makes it a polite request.
• Example 2:
  • 我们下午三点才能在酒店登记入住。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xiàwǔ sān diǎn cái néng zài jiǔdiàn dēngjì rùzhù.
  • English: We can only check in at the hotel at 3 PM.
  • Analysis: 登记入住 (dēngjì rùzhù) is a set phrase for “to check in” at a hotel. 入住 (rùzhù) literally means “to enter and live.”
• Example 3:
  • 他们上个月去民政局办理了结婚登记。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen shàng gè yuè qù mínzhèngjú bànlǐle jiéhūn dēngjì.
  • English: They went to the Civil Affairs Bureau last month to handle their marriage registration.
  • Analysis: This shows 登记 used in a highly official context. 办理 (bànlǐ) means “to handle” or “to process,” and it's often paired with 登记.
• Example 4:
  • 会议的登记处在一楼大厅。
  • Pinyin: Huìyì de dēngjì chù zài yī lóu dàtīng.
  • English: The registration desk for the conference is in the lobby on the first floor.
  • Analysis: Here, 登记处 (dēngjì chù) functions as a noun, meaning “registration place/desk.”
• Example 5:
  • 所有访客都必须在前台登记。
  • Pinyin: Suǒyǒu fǎngkè dōu bìxū zài qiántái dēngjì.
  • English: All visitors must register at the front desk.
  • Analysis: 必须 (bìxū) means “must,” indicating that registration is a mandatory procedure.
• Example 6:
  • 你登记参加马拉松比赛了吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ dēngjì cānjiā mǎlāsōng bǐsàile ma?
  • English: Have you registered for the marathon?
  • Analysis: A common question form. Here, it's used similarly to “sign up for,” but with a slightly more formal feel than the more casual 报名 (bàomíng).
• Example 7:
  • 这是我的登记确认信。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ de dēngjì quèrènxìn.
  • English: This is my registration confirmation letter.
  • Analysis: 登记 can be used to modify other nouns, acting like an adjective. 登记确认信 (dēngjì quèrènxìn) is “registration confirmation letter.”
• Example 8:
  • 新生登记从明天早上九点开始。
  • Pinyin: Xīnshēng dēngjì cóng míngtiān zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn kāishǐ.
  • English: New student registration starts at 9 AM tomorrow morning.
  • Analysis: 新生 (xīnshēng) means “new student.” This is a typical announcement you'd see at a school or university.
• Example 9:
  • 如果您想投票，就必须先进行选民登记。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nín xiǎng tóupiào, jiù bìxū xiān jìnxíng xuǎnmín dēngjì.
  • English: If you want to vote, you must first complete voter registration.
  • Analysis: 进行…登记 (jìnxíng…dēngjì) is a formal way to say “to carry out registration.” 选民 (xuǎnmín) means “voter.”
• Example 10:
  • 在机场，我们先去登记行李，然后才过安检。
  • Pinyin: Zài jīchǎng, wǒmen xiān qù dēngjì xínglǐ, ránhòu cái guò ānjiǎn.
  • English: At the airport, we first go to check in our luggage, and only then do we go through security.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows the sequence of events at an airport. 登记行李 (dēngjì xínglǐ) specifically means “to check in luggage.”

• 登记 (dēngjì) vs. 注册 (zhùcè): This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
  • 登记 (dēngjì) is for registering your presence or for a service, often temporary. Think: checking into a hotel, registering for a single conference, signing a visitor log.
  • 注册 (zhùcè) is for creating a more permanent status or account. Think: registering an account on a website, registering a company, registering as a student at a university for a four-year degree. Incorrect: 我要登记一个微信账号 (Wǒ yào dēngjì yí ge Wēixìn zhànghào). Correct: 我要注册一个微信账号 (Wǒ yào zhùcè yí ge Wēixìn zhànghào).
• 登记 (dēngjì) vs. 登机 (dēngjī): A classic “false friend” based on similar Pinyin.
  • 登记 (dēngjì) - to register (fourth tone “jì”). This happens at the check-in counter.
  • 登机 (dēngjī) - to board a plane (first tone “jī”). This happens at the gate.
  • Listening carefully to the tone is crucial to avoid misunderstanding at the airport.
• 登记 (dēngjì) vs. 挂号 (guàhào):
  • In a hospital context, the specific term for registering to see a doctor (i.e., getting a number and getting in the queue) is 挂号 (guàhào). You 挂号 first, then see the doctor. 登记 might be used in a more general sense for being admitted to the hospital for a longer stay.

• 注册 (zhùcè) - To register (an account, a company). More permanent than 登记.
• 报名 (bàomíng) - To sign up, to enter one's name (for a test, a class, a competition). Often more focused on participation.
• 登机 (dēngjī) - To board an airplane. A common point of confusion due to similar pronunciation.
• 登录 (dēnglù) - To log in, to sign on (to a website, app, or computer system).
• 记录 (jìlù) - A record (noun); to record (verb). The “记” in 登记 is related to this.
• 挂号 (guàhào) - The specific term for registering at a hospital to see a doctor.
• 户口 (hùkǒu) - The official household registration system in China, the ultimate form of 登记.
• 登记处 (dēngjì chù) - Registration office/desk.
• 登记表 (dēngjì biǎo) - Registration form.