Mandarin HeroTaxis and ride-hailing (滴滴, Dīdī, DiDi) are the easiest way to get around a Chinese city, and the conversation is short and predictable. Here’s everything you need, from Mandarin Hero’s taxi lesson.
Call the driver 师傅
师傅 (shīfu) literally means “master”. It’s how everyone addresses drivers, mechanics and other skilled workers. It’s polite, friendly and never wrong.
Getting in: confirm it’s your ride
With DiDi, the driver checks you’re the right passenger with the last four digits of your phone number, 手机尾号 (shǒujī wěihào):
去国贸的是吧？手机尾号多少？ — Going to Guomao, right? What are the last digits of your phone?
三八五六。 — 3856.
对，上车吧。 — That’s it, hop in.
Read digits one at a time, and remember that 1 is often said 幺 (yāo) in phone numbers.
In a street taxi, show the address and say:
- 师傅，去这个地址。 Shīfu, qù zhège dìzhǐ. — To this address, please.
- 打表吗？ Dǎbiǎo ma? — Do you use the meter?
Phrases for the ride
| Phrase | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 能开一下后备箱吗？ | Néng kāi yíxià hòubèixiāng ma? | Could you open the boot/trunk? |
| 大概要多久？ | Dàgài yào duōjiǔ? | About how long will it take? |
| 能开一下空调吗？ | Néng kāi yíxià kōngtiáo ma? | Could you turn on the air con? |
| 我赶时间，麻烦快一点。 | Wǒ gǎn shíjiān, máfan kuài yìdiǎn. | I’m in a hurry, a bit faster please. |
| 前面路口停就行。 | Qiánmiàn lùkǒu tíng jiù xíng. | Just stop at the next intersection. |
| 就在这儿停吧。 | Jiù zài zhèr tíng ba. | Stop right here, please. |
Notice 就行 (jiù xíng, “is fine”) and 一下 (yíxià, “a bit, briefly”). They soften requests and make you sound natural instead of bossy.
Small talk
Drivers love to chat. Expect this one:
你是哪国人啊？中文说得不错嘛。 — Where are you from? Your Chinese isn’t bad.
荷兰人。还在学呢。 — Dutch. Still learning.
That 嘛 and 呢 are particles doing real work. See 啊, 呢, 吧 and 嘛 explained.
When the driver can’t find you
喂，你在哪儿呢？我在门口没看到你。 — Hello? Where are you? I’m at the entrance and can’t see you.
我在麦当劳门口，穿蓝色衣服。 — I’m outside McDonald’s, wearing blue.
Describing a landmark and what you’re wearing solves this every time.
Getting out and paying
快到了，停在哪个门？ — Nearly there. Which entrance should I stop at?
前面路口停就行，我走过去。 — Just stop at the intersection ahead. I’ll walk.
好嘞。钱在手机上付就行，东西别落下。 — Sure thing. You can pay on your phone. Don’t leave anything behind.
好，谢谢师傅！ — OK, thanks!
With DiDi you pay in the app, and you get the receipt there too: 滴滴的发票在App里开就行.
Before your first ride
- Have your destination written in Chinese to show the driver. Hotel names in English often mean nothing to them.
- Practise saying your phone digits out loud until they come without thinking.
- Learn 师傅, 就行 and 谢谢师傅. That covers most of the ride.