Taking a Taxi
beginner坐出租车
Get where you need to go — hailing a cab, giving directions, and handling fares in Chinese.
40 words14 phrases2 dialogues~20 min study time
Vocabulary
40 words — click any row for an example sentence
Getting a Taxi
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 出租车 | chūzūchē | taxi | noun |
| 打车 | dǎchē | to hail a taxi | verb |
| 司机 | sījī | driver | noun |
| 叫车 | jiàochē | to call a car / book a ride | verb |
| 滴滴 | Dīdī | DiDi (ride-hailing app) | noun |
| 网约车 | wǎngyuēchē | ride-hailing car | noun |
| 上车 | shàngchē | to get in (a vehicle) | verb |
| 下车 | xiàchē | to get out (of a vehicle) | verb |
Directions
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 左转 | zuǒzhuǎn | turn left | verb |
| 右转 | yòuzhuǎn | turn right | verb |
| 直走 | zhízǒu | go straight | verb |
| 路口 | lùkǒu | intersection | noun |
| 红绿灯 | hónglǜdēng | traffic light | noun |
| 前面 | qiánmiàn | ahead / in front | noun |
| 后面 | hòumiàn | behind / at the back | noun |
| 到了 | dào le | arrived / we are here | phrase |
| 停 | tíng | to stop | verb |
| 掉头 | diàotóu | to make a U-turn | verb |
Destinations
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 目的地 | mùdìdì | destination | noun |
| 地址 | dìzhǐ | address | noun |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport | noun |
| 火车站 | huǒchēzhàn | train station | noun |
| 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | hotel | noun |
| 公司 | gōngsī | company / office | noun |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | hospital | noun |
Payment
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 多少钱 | duōshao qián | how much (money) | phrase |
| 计价器 | jìjiàqì | taxi meter | noun |
| 打表 | dǎbiǎo | to use the meter | verb |
| 收据 | shōujù | receipt | noun |
| 找零 | zhǎolíng | change (money returned) | noun |
| 现金 | xiànjīn | cash | noun |
| 微信支付 | Wēixìn zhīfù | WeChat Pay | noun |
| 支付宝 | Zhīfùbǎo | Alipay | noun |
Problems
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 堵车 | dǔchē | traffic jam | noun |
| 绕路 | ràolù | to take a detour | verb |
| 导航 | dǎoháng | GPS navigation | noun |
| 走错了 | zǒu cuò le | went the wrong way | phrase |
| 近路 | jìnlù | shortcut | noun |
| 等一下 | děng yíxià | wait a moment | phrase |
| 快一点 | kuài yìdiǎn | a bit faster | phrase |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
师傅，去机场。
Shīfu, qù jīchǎng.
Driver, to the airport.
Telling the driver your destination when you get in.
请打表。
Qǐng dǎbiǎo.
Please use the meter.
Ensuring the driver turns on the meter instead of negotiating a price.
到了请告诉我。
Dào le qǐng gàosu wǒ.
Please let me know when we arrive.
Useful when you are unfamiliar with the area.
请在这里停车。
Qǐng zài zhèlǐ tíngchē.
Please stop here.
Asking the driver to pull over at your desired location.
可以开快一点吗？我赶时间。
Kěyǐ kāi kuài yìdiǎn ma? Wǒ gǎn shíjiān.
Can you drive a bit faster? I'm in a hurry.
Politely asking the driver to speed up.
大概要多长时间？
Dàgài yào duō cháng shíjiān?
About how long will it take?
Asking for an estimated arrival time.
请走高速。
Qǐng zǒu gāosù.
Please take the expressway.
Requesting the highway route, which may be faster but has tolls.
我要去这个地址。
Wǒ yào qù zhège dìzhǐ.
I want to go to this address.
Showing the driver an address on your phone.
可以开发票吗？
Kěyǐ kāi fāpiào ma?
Can I get an invoice?
Requesting an official invoice, often needed for business reimbursement.
请把后备箱打开。
Qǐng bǎ hòubèixiāng dǎkāi.
Please open the trunk.
Asking the driver to open the trunk for your luggage.
这附近有没有地铁站？
Zhè fùjìn yǒu méiyǒu dìtiězhàn?
Is there a subway station nearby?
Asking the driver about nearby public transport options.
不用找零了，谢谢。
Búyòng zhǎolíng le, xièxie.
Keep the change, thanks.
Tipping by telling the driver to keep the change.
师傅，能不能绕过这条路？
Shīfu, néng bù néng ràoguò zhè tiáo lù?
Driver, can we go around this road?
Suggesting an alternate route to avoid traffic or construction.
请开慢一点，不着急。
Qǐng kāi màn yìdiǎn, bù zháojí.
Please drive slower, no rush.
Asking the driver to slow down when they are driving too fast.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
To the Airport
A passenger gets into a taxi and needs to go to the airport. They discuss the route and estimated time.
Speaker A
师傅您好，请去首都机场。
Speaker B
好的，走高速还是走普通路？
Speaker A
走高速吧，我赶时间。大概要多久？
Speaker B
不堵车的话，大概四十分钟。
Speaker A
好的。到了机场请在T2航站楼停。
Speaker B
没问题。请系好安全带。
Speaker A
好的，谢谢师傅。
Speaker B
到了，一共一百二十块。
Cultural note: In China, it is common to address taxi drivers as 师傅 (shīfu), which is a respectful term that literally means "master" or "skilled worker." Passengers often discuss the route before departing, especially for airport trips where toll roads may be involved.
Traffic Jam
A passenger and driver are stuck in heavy traffic and discuss taking an alternate route.
Speaker B
前面堵车很严重，我们可能要等很久。
Speaker A
有没有别的路可以走？
Speaker B
可以绕一下，走旁边的小路，但是会远一点。
Speaker A
没关系，只要快就行。
Speaker B
好，我打开导航看看最快的路线。
Speaker A
谢谢师傅，辛苦了。
Cultural note: Traffic congestion is extremely common in Chinese cities. The phrase 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) literally means "you have worked hard" and is a polite way to express appreciation for someone's effort. Saying this to a taxi driver is a warm and respectful gesture.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Taking a Taxi Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
21 of 40 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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