You finally have everyone together in the perfect place — but somebody has to take the picture.
Start with one short, polite request:
“Excuse me, could you take a photo for us?”
大家终于都到齐了，也找到了一个很漂亮的拍照地点。
如果你想请别人帮忙，可以说：
“Could you take a photo for us?”
意思是：
“你能帮我们拍张照片吗？”
Once they say yes, keep your instructions simple.
Tell them only what matters: the landmark, the orientation, or whether you want one more picture.
“Sure, no problem.”
Great. Hand them the phone and add one detail:
“Could you get the whole building in the picture?”
“Sorry, I’m in a hurry.”
No problem. Smile and say:
“No worries. Thanks anyway.”
10 useful English phrases for taking travel photos
| English | Chinese meaning / 中文 |
|---|---|
| Could you take a photo for us? | 你能帮我们拍张照片吗？ Nǐ néng bāng wǒmen pāi zhāng zhàopiàn ma? |
| Would you mind taking a picture of us? | 您介意帮我们拍张照片吗？ Nín jièyì bāng wǒmen pāi zhāng zhàopiàn ma? |
| Could you get the whole building in the picture? | 能把整座建筑也拍进去吗？ Néng bǎ zhěng zuò jiànzhù yě pāi jìnqù ma? |
| Could you take it horizontally? | 能横着拍吗？ Néng héngzhe pāi ma? |
| Could you take it vertically? | 能竖着拍吗？ Néng shùzhe pāi ma? |
| Could you stand a little farther back? | 能再往后站一点吗？ Néng zài wǎng hòu zhàn yìdiǎn ma? |
| Could you make sure we’re all in the picture? | 能确保我们都在照片里吗？ Néng quèbǎo wǒmen dōu zài zhàopiàn lǐ ma? |
| Could you take one more? | 能再拍一张吗？ Néng zài pāi yì zhāng ma? |
| That’s perfect. Thank you so much! | 太好了，非常感谢！ Tài hǎo le, fēicháng gǎnxiè! |
| Would you like us to take one for you? | 需要我们也帮您拍一张吗？ Xūyào wǒmen yě bāng nín pāi yì zhāng ma? |
Ask, pose, check and thank
Fictional practice dialogue / 实际对话示例
Traveller: “Excuse me, could you take a photo for us?”
旅行者：
“不好意思，您能帮我们拍张照片吗？”
Stranger: “Sure!”
路人：
“当然可以！”
Traveller: “Thanks! Could you get the Temple of Heaven in the background?”
旅行者：
“谢谢！能把天坛也拍进去吗？”
Stranger: “Of course. Ready?”
Traveller: “Yes!”
Stranger: “Here you go.”
Traveller: “That’s great. Thank you so much!”
旅行者：
“太好了，非常感谢！”
Notice the pattern:
ask politely → give one simple detail → pose → check the photo → thank the person.
A useful request you can copy
“Excuse me, could you take a photo for us? Could you get the whole building in the background?”
“不好意思，您能帮我们拍张照片吗？能把整座建筑也拍进去吗？”
Problem → Need → Request
Problem:
We all want to be in the picture.
Need:
We need someone nearby to take the photo.
Request:
“Excuse me, could you take a photo for us?”
问题： 我们都想一起合影。
需要： 我们需要别人帮忙拍照。
请求： “不好意思，您能帮我们拍张照片吗？”
Before you hand over your phone
- Open the camera first.
- Choose photo mode before handing over the phone.
- Give only one or two simple instructions.
- Stand where you want the picture taken.
- Check the photo before the person leaves.
- Say thank you.
Your three-round speaking mission / 三轮口语练习任务
-
Ask / 提问:
“Could you take a photo for us?”
“你能帮我们拍张照片吗？” -
Give one detail / 补充细节:
“Could you get the whole building in the picture?”
“能把整座建筑也拍进去吗？” -
Check and thank / 确认并感谢:
“That’s perfect. Thank you so much!”
“太好了，非常感谢！”
Swap roles. One person is the traveller and one person takes the photo.
Surprise round:
The first photo is blurry.
Say:
“Sorry, could you take one more?”
A few useful answers
Should I say “Can you” or “Could you”?
Both work.
“Could you” sounds slightly softer and is a great choice when asking a stranger for a favour.
Can I ask for more than one photo?
Yes.
After the first photo, say:
“Could you take one more?”
What if someone asks me to take their photo?
Say:
“Sure!”
Then ask:
“Is this okay?”
or
“Would you like another one?”
