Taxis and directions in Chinese: phrases with pinyin
You are in a city in China and need to get to the train station. You hail a taxi on the street and use simple Chinese to tell the driver where to go and how to pay.
How the conversation starts
张师傅 (Zhang Shifu) · taxi driver
Take a taxi to the train station
What you do
- Tell the driver you want to go to the train station
- Ask how much the fare is
- Say you will pay by scanning the QR code
What to say
- 我去火车站。Wǒ qù huǒchē zhàn.I'm going to the train station.
- 多少钱？Duōshao qián?How much is it?
- 我扫码付。Wǒ sǎo mǎ fù.I'll pay by scanning the code.
- 谢谢！Xièxie!Thank you!
Take a taxi to People's Square
You hail a taxi on the street in Shanghai and get in. You want to go to People's Square (人民广场). Most people pay the driver by scanning a QR code.
What you do
- Tell the driver where you're going
- Ask how long the ride takes
- Pay by scanning the QR code
What to say
- 我去人民广场。Wǒ qù Rénmín Guǎngchǎng.I'm going to People's Square.
3 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Taxi: a longer way and a receipt
You take a taxi in Shanghai to People's Square (人民广场) for a meeting, and you're in a bit of a hurry. Your phone's map says Yan'an Road (延安路) would be shorter, but the driver goes another way. You need a receipt (发票) for your company.
What you do
- Say where you're going and that you're in a hurry
- The route looks longer on your map: ask about it politely
- Pay and ask for a receipt
What to say
- 师傅，去人民广场，我有点赶时间。Shīfu, qù Rénmín Guǎngchǎng, wǒ yǒudiǎn gǎn shíjiān.People's Square, please. I'm in a bit of a hurry.
4 more sentences in this lesson, in the app.
Now say it out loud
In Kaiko, 张师傅 (Zhang Shifu) answers you out loud in Chinese, and a coach corrects you as you go.