预定

• Pinyin: yù dìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 预 = 予 + 页 (give + page/head — advance notice, in advance); 定 = 宀 + 正 (roof + upright — to settle, fix firmly)

Meaning

To book; to reserve; to pre-order; to schedule in advance. Making arrangements for something before it occurs or becomes available.

Used for reserving seats, hotel rooms, restaurant tables, tickets, and also for pre-ordering products not yet released. Slightly less formal than 预订 (which emphasises a formal booking contract). In planning contexts, 预定 can also mean 'scheduled/planned' as in 预定时间 (scheduled time) or 预定目标 (predetermined goal). Common in business, travel, and retail contexts.

Examples

1. 节假日前，热门景区的民宿和酒店往往提前数月就已预定一空。 Before holidays, popular scenic areas' homestays and hotels are often fully reserved months in advance.
2. 限量周边开放预定后四十分钟就售罄，二手价随即暴涨，引发争议。 The limited-edition merchandise sold out within forty minutes of opening for reservation, and resale prices quickly surged, causing controversy.
3. 大型工程对关键材料和设备提前预定、锁价，可降低波动风险并稳住工期。 For large projects, reserving and locking in prices for key materials and equipment in advance can reduce volatility risk and keep the schedule stable.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, commerce, planning, retail

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 名额有限，参会者必须在通道关闭前完成身份认证和座位预定。(Spots are limited, so attendees must complete identity verification and seat reservation before the registration channel closes.)
• 这款新旗舰手机发布后就开放预定，首批用户可获优先发货和一年延保。(This new flagship phone opened for pre-order after launch, and the first batch of users can get priority shipping and a one-year extended warranty.)

Don't Say

• 我预定要去北京 — 预定 is for booking concrete reservations or pre-orders; for stating a plan or intention, use 打算 (plan to), 准备 (prepare to), or 计划 (plan) instead; 预定去北京 would sound like you've booked a trip, not merely decided to go

Origin & History

预 (in advance — 予 to give + 页 head/page, classical: to give a preliminary reading/notice) + 定 (to settle/fix — 宀roof + 正 upright, to settle firmly). Together: to fix/settle in advance.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal