I can tell a taxi driver where to go and where to stop, ask in the subway which line it is and where to transfer, and understand which way to go: forward, left, right.
Taxi and subway: where to go and where to turn
Taxi and subway: where to go and where to turn
In a taxi you address the driver as 师傅 (shīfu), a word for both drivers and skilled workers; when you talk about the driver, the word is 司机 (sījī). To say where to go: 师傅，去……(Shīfu, qù……). “Stop at the supermarket” is 在超市停一下 (Zài chāoshì tíng yíxià). The driver will say 到了 (dào le) — “we're here”. You pay in cash or by QR code.
A station is 站 (zhàn): 地铁站 (dìtiězhàn) — subway station, 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) — train station. Subway lines go by number: 2号线 (èr hào xiàn), 4号线 (sì hào xiàn); you ask 坐几号线？(Zuò jǐ hào xiàn?). Changing to another line is 换 (huàn).
Walking directions use 往 (wǎng) — “toward”: 往前走 (wǎng qián zǒu) — go forward, 往左拐 (wǎng zuǒ guǎi) — turn left, 往右拐 (wǎng yòu guǎi) — turn right; 一直走 (yìzhí zǒu) — keep going straight, don't turn. The place comes before the action, not at the end as in English: 在学校往右拐 (Zài xuéxiào wǎng yòu guǎi) — “turn right at the school”.
Common mistakes:
• ×2线 → 2号线 (èr hào xiàn) — a line number always takes 号.
• ×往左拐在书店 → 在书店往左拐 (Zài shūdiàn wǎng zuǒ guǎi) — the place comes before the action.
• ×我坐地铁站 → 我去地铁站 (Wǒ qù dìtiězhàn) or 我坐地铁 (Wǒ zuò dìtiě) — you go to the station, but you ride the subway.
In a taxi
师傅 is how you address the driver; 到了 is the signal that it's time to pay.
| Who | Line | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| you | 师傅，去……(Shīfu, qù……) | Driver, to … |
| driver | 好。(Hǎo.) | OK. |
| you | 在超市停一下。(Zài chāoshì tíng yíxià.) | Stop at the supermarket. |
| driver | 到了。(Dào le.) | We're here. |
The subway and directions
A subway line is called by its number, not by a color or a direction.
| Word | Pinyin | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 地铁站 | dìtiězhàn | subway station |
| 2号线 | èr hào xiàn | line 2 |
| 换 | huàn | transfer |
| 往前走 | wǎng qián zǒu | forward |
| 往左拐 | wǎng zuǒ guǎi | to the left |
| 往右拐 | wǎng yòu guǎi | to the right |
| 一直走 | yìzhí zǒu | straight ahead all the way |
Lesson notes
Taxi and subway: where to go and where to turn
In a taxi you address the driver as 师傅 (shīfu), a word for both drivers and skilled workers; when you talk about the driver, the word is 司机 (sījī). To say where to go: 师傅，去……(Shīfu, qù……). “Stop at the supermarket” is 在超市停一下 (Zài chāoshì tíng yíxià). The driver will say 到了 (dào le) — “we're here”. You pay in cash or by QR code.
A station is 站 (zhàn): 地铁站 (dìtiězhàn) — subway station, 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) — train station. Subway lines go by number: 2号线 (èr hào xiàn), 4号线 (sì hào xiàn); you ask 坐几号线？(Zuò jǐ hào xiàn?). Changing to another line is 换 (huàn).
Walking directions use 往 (wǎng) — “toward”: 往前走 (wǎng qián zǒu) — go forward, 往左拐 (wǎng zuǒ guǎi) — turn left, 往右拐 (wǎng yòu guǎi) — turn right; 一直走 (yìzhí zǒu) — keep going straight, don't turn. The place comes before the action, not at the end as in English: 在学校往右拐 (Zài xuéxiào wǎng yòu guǎi) — “turn right at the school”.
Common mistakes:
• ×2线 → 2号线 (èr hào xiàn) — a line number always takes 号.
• ×往左拐在书店 → 在书店往左拐 (Zài shūdiàn wǎng zuǒ guǎi) — the place comes before the action.
• ×我坐地铁站 → 我去地铁站 (Wǒ qù dìtiězhàn) or 我坐地铁 (Wǒ zuò dìtiě) — you go to the station, but you ride the subway.