yùdìng: 预定 - To Book, Reserve, Schedule, Predetermine

• Keywords: yuding, yu ding, 预定, 预订, reserve Chinese, book Chinese, how to make a reservation in Chinese, schedule in Chinese, pre-order Chinese, predetermined, predestined
• Summary: Learn how to use “预定” (yùdìng), one of the most essential Chinese verbs for daily life. “Yùdìng” means “to book” or “to reserve,” and is your go-to word for reserving a hotel room, booking a flight, or pre-ordering a new product. It can also mean “to schedule” or describe something as “predetermined,” making it a versatile term for both practical tasks and abstract ideas. This guide breaks down its meaning, usage, and cultural context for beginner learners.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yùdìng
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To set or decide in advance; to book, reserve, or predetermine.
• In a Nutshell: “预定” (yùdìng) is all about “fixing something in advance.” Think of it as the action of locking something in for the future. Most often, you'll use it to book tangible things like a train ticket or a table at a restaurant. Less frequently, but just as correctly, it can describe a plan or outcome that has already been decided upon, like a meeting scheduled for a specific time or a story's predetermined ending.

• 预 (yù): This character means “in advance,” “beforehand,” or “to prepare.” It acts as a prefix for many words that involve foresight or preparation, like `预测 (yùcè)` meaning “to predict” and `预览 (yùlǎn)` meaning “to preview.”
• 定 (dìng): This character means “to decide,” “to fix,” “to settle,” or “stable.” It implies a sense of certainty and finality.
• When you combine them, 预 (in advance) + 定 (to fix/decide) creates the logical meaning of “to fix in advance.” This perfectly captures the essence of making a reservation or establishing a set schedule.

While “预定” is primarily a practical term, its usage reflects aspects of modern Chinese life. Planning and securing resources in advance are highly valued, especially in a country with a large population. The most intense example of this is booking train tickets for the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). This is a national event where hundreds of millions of people travel home. The process of 预定火车票 (yùdìng huǒchē piào), booking train tickets, is incredibly competitive and technologically driven. Success requires speed, planning, and a bit of luck, making the ability to “预定” a crucial life skill. On a more philosophical level, the term can touch upon the concept of 预定的命运 (yùdìng de mìngyùn), or a “predetermined destiny.” While not a common daily topic, it shows the word's range from the mundane (booking a KTV room) to the metaphysical. This contrasts with the strong Western emphasis on absolute free will, highlighting a cultural nuance where fate or a predetermined path can be a more accepted concept in storytelling or casual philosophy.

This is the primary use of `预定`. You can use it for almost any service or item you need to secure ahead of time.

• Hotels: `预定酒店 (yùdìng jiǔdiàn)` - To book a hotel
• Flights/Trains: `预定机票/火车票 (yùdìng jīpiào/huǒchē piào)` - To book a plane/train ticket
• Restaurants: `预定座位 (yùdìng zuòwèi)` or `预定桌子 (yùdìng zhuōzi)` - To reserve a seat/table

In e-commerce, `预定` is the standard term for pre-ordering an item before its official release date.

• Example: `预定新款手机 (yùdìng xīnkuǎn shǒujī)` - To pre-order the new model phone.

This usage is more formal and slightly more abstract. It refers to a plan or result that has been set.

• Example: `会议预定在周五下午。(Huìyì yùdìng zài zhōuwǔ xiàwǔ.)` - The meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
• Example: `我们按照预定的路线前进。(Wǒmen ànzhào yùdìng de lùxiàn qiánjìn.)` - We are advancing according to the predetermined route.

• Example 1:
  • 我想预定一个双人房，住两个晚上。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng yùdìng yīgè shuāngrénfáng, zhù liǎng gè wǎnshàng.
  • English: I'd like to book a double room for two nights.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, practical sentence you would use when calling a hotel. It's direct and clear.
• Example 2:
  • 你好，我想预定今晚七点，四人桌。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng yùdìng jīnwǎn qī diǎn, sì rén zhuō.
  • English: Hello, I'd like to reserve a table for four at 7 PM tonight.
  • Analysis: A standard phrase for making a restaurant reservation. `四人桌 (sì rén zhuō)` literally means “four-person table.”
• Example 3:
  • 去北京的机票我已经预定好了。
  • Pinyin: Qù Běijīng de jīpiào wǒ yǐjīng yùdìng hǎo le.
  • English: I've already booked the plane tickets to Beijing.
  • Analysis: The particle `好 (hǎo)` after the verb indicates the action has been completed successfully. `预定好了` means “successfully booked.”
• Example 4:
  • 这本新书现在可以预定了，下个月发货。
  • Pinyin: Zhè běn xīn shū xiànzài kěyǐ yùdìng le, xià gè yuè fāhuò.
  • English: This new book is available for pre-order now and will ship next month.
  • Analysis: This shows how `预定` is used in the context of e-commerce and pre-ordering products.
• Example 5:
  • 我们需要提前预定音乐会的门票吗？
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào tíqián yùdìng yīnyuèhuì de ménpiào ma?
  • English: Do we need to book the concert tickets in advance?
  • Analysis: `提前 (tíqián)` means “in advance,” and while it's slightly redundant with `预定`, it's very common to use them together for emphasis.
• Example 6:
  • 抱歉，今天的所有座位都已经被预定了。
  • Pinyin: Bàoqiàn, jīntiān de suǒyǒu zuòwèi dōu yǐjīng bèi yùdìng le.
  • English: Sorry, all the seats for today have already been reserved.
  • Analysis: This uses the passive voice with `被 (bèi)` to show that the seats “have been reserved” by other people.
• Example 7:
  • 我们的旅行计划是完全按照预定的行程进行的。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de lǚxíng jìhuà shì wánquán ànzhào yùdìng de xíngchéng jìnxíng de.
  • English: Our travel plan proceeded exactly according to the scheduled itinerary.
  • Analysis: Here, `预定` acts as an adjective modifying `行程 (xíngchéng)`, meaning “scheduled itinerary.” This demonstrates the “predetermined” meaning of the word.
• Example 8:
  • 他似乎相信一切都是预定好的，我们无法改变。
  • Pinyin: Tā sìhū xiāngxìn yīqiè dōu shì yùdìng hǎo de, wǒmen wúfǎ gǎibiàn.
  • English: He seems to believe that everything is predetermined and we can't change it.
  • Analysis: This is an example of the more philosophical use of `预定` to talk about fate or destiny.
• Example 9:
  • 会议预定于上午十点开始，请大家准时参加。
  • Pinyin: Huìyì yùdìng yú shàngwǔ shí diǎn kāishǐ, qǐng dàjiā zhǔnshí cānjiā.
  • English: The meeting is scheduled to start at 10 AM, please attend on time.
  • Analysis: A formal and common usage in business or official settings. The character `于 (yú)` is a formal way to say “at” or “on” (for time/place).
• Example 10:
  • 如果您不预定，假期期间可能找不到房间。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nín bù yùdìng, jiàqī qījiān kěnéng zhǎo bu dào fángjiān.
  • English: If you don't book in advance, you might not be able to find a room during the holiday period.
  • Analysis: A practical warning that emphasizes the importance of `预定`. `找不到 (zhǎo bu dào)` is a common resultative complement meaning “can't find.”

This is a very subtle point that even native speakers often ignore. Both are pronounced `yùdìng`.

• 预定 (yùdìng): Uses `定` (to decide/fix). It can mean “to book” but also carries the broader meaning of “to schedule” or “predetermine.” It's more about *setting* something.
• 预订 (yùdìng): Uses `订` (to order/subscribe). This is technically more accurate for commercial transactions where you are *ordering* a service or product (like a hotel room, a ticket, or a book).
• Mistake to Avoid: Don't stress about it. In modern spoken and written Chinese, they are used almost interchangeably for booking and reserving. While `预订` might be more “correct” for a hotel, you will see `预定` used constantly. As a learner, you can use either for booking and be understood perfectly.

This is a much more important distinction for learners.

• 预定 (yùdìng): Used to reserve a thing, a space, or a seat. (e.g., a room, a ticket, a table, a product).
• 预约 (yùyuē): Used to schedule an appointment with a person or service. (e.g., a doctor, a lawyer, a hairdresser, a consultant, a car mechanic). `约 (yuē)` means “to make an appointment.”
• Common Mistake: Saying `我想预定一个医生 (Wǒ xiǎng yùdìng yīgè yīshēng)`. This is incorrect. You don't “reserve a doctor” like a book.
• Correct Usage: `我想跟医生预约一下 (Wǒ xiǎng gēn yīshēng yùyuē yīxià)`. (I'd like to make an appointment with the doctor.)

• 预订 (yùdìng) - A nearly identical synonym, technically more specific to commercial orders but often used interchangeably with `预定`.
• 预约 (yùyuē) - To make an appointment (with a person), not to reserve a thing.
• 安排 (ānpái) - A broader term meaning “to arrange” or “to plan.” You `安排` a schedule, and as part of that schedule, you might `预定` a flight.
• 订 (dìng) - The single character “to order” or “to book,” often used alone in compounds like `订票 (dìngpiào)` (to book a ticket) or `订房 (dìngfáng)` (to book a room).
• 预售 (yùshòu) - Pre-sale. A noun or verb related to selling items before their official launch.
• 取消 (qǔxiāo) - To cancel. The direct antonym of `预定`. You would `取消预定 (qǔxiāo yùdìng)` to cancel a reservation.
• 酒店 (jiǔdiàn) - Hotel. A common place that you `预定`.
• 座位 (zuòwèi) - Seat. A common thing you `预定` at a restaurant, theater, or on a train.
• 行程 (xíngchéng) - Itinerary. A plan that can be `预定` (scheduled) in advance.