您的房卡已经续好了 (Your hotel card has been extended)

René flew done to Kunming on the weekend. He had just returned to his hotel after a late morning breakfast of 米线 mǐxiàn (rice noodles). When he finally got back to his room around eleven, he noticed a small card placed on a table next to his bed:

酒店工作人员就应提醒您续卡，因为房卡在退房当天12点会自动失效

René began translating as best he could:

The staff of the hotel would like to remind you that check out time is 12 0’clock noon. If you have not 续卡 your card will no longer be valid [lit: will automatically fail’].

René wasn’t too sure of the meaning of 续卡 xùkǎ (lit: ‘to continue or extend card’), but guessed it meant that if he had only paid for one day—and he had arrived the night before—he would have to go downstairs to pay for another night and have his card ‘continued’ or ‘extended.’

He went downstairs to the front desk with his card and said:

你好，我想续我的房卡
Nǐhǎo, wǒ xiǎng xù wǒde fángkǎ.
Hi, I’d like to extend my card [for another day]

René could have also said the following:

1. 我还想住一个晚上
Wǒ hái xiǎng zhù yige wǎnshang.

2. 我还想住一宿
Wǒ hái xiǎng zhù yìxiǔ.

I would like to stay another night.

The young girl at the counter returned the card to René and said:

您的房卡已经续好了
Nínde fángkǎ yǐjing xùhǎo le.
Your card has been extended [for another night].

Just as René was about to get into the lift to return to his room his thought of the expression 续杯 （xùbēi） "unlimited refills" of Coke or coffee in fast food outlets such as McDonalds.