Simplified Chinese - Taxi Rides

Lesson 111 of 156

Simplified Chinese taxi scene with passenger and driver discussing routes and payment; close-up on polite phrases for taxi rides.

Goal: Useful phrases for getting around by car

Free Simplified Chinese lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to ride? This short lesson helps you handle common taxi moments: checking time and cost, asking the driver to wait or stop, and taking care of payment. Keep it relaxed — these are polite, natural lines you can use right away.

Level A2: In Lesson 111 you’ll practice useful taxi phrases (ask about cost and time, request stops or waiting, confirm payment and receipts, and politely set route or speed preferences). This CEFR-aligned pack focuses on short, polite frames you can say in a cab or ride-hail. Expect listening, quick practice, and chances to speak aloud.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Learn polite, practical taxi phrases for daily A2 travel.
  • Ask about cost (大概要多少钱？ Dàgài yào duōshǎo qián?) and time (大概要多久？ Dàgài yào duōjiǔ?).
  • Request stops, waiting, and route/speed preferences politely (e.g., 麻烦在这儿停一下。 Máfan zài zhèr tíng yíxià.).
  • Check payment and receipts (可以刷卡吗？ Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma? / 可以给我发票吗？ Kěyǐ gěi wǒ fāpiào ma?).
Passenger in a taxi checking the route and asking about cost and time in Simplified Chinese; a city skyline through the window.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

___要另外收费吗？

___ yào lìngwài shōufèi ma?

Is there an extra charge for ___?

Meaning: Is there an extra charge for ___?

When to use: Ask about extra fees like luggage, tolls, or waiting time.

Tip: Sometimes learners omit the item (e.g., just say “要另外收费吗？” — add the item to be clear).

司机，行李要另外收费吗？

Sījī, xínglǐ yào lìngwài shōufèi ma?

Driver, is there an extra charge for luggage?
过路费要另外收费吗？

Guòlù fèi yào lìngwài shōufèi ma?

Will the tolls be charged extra?

麻烦开慢一点

Máfan kāi màn yìdiǎn.

Please slow down a little.

Meaning: Please slow down a little.

When to use: Ask the driver to drive more carefully or comfortably.

前面路不太好，麻烦开慢一点。

Qiánmiàn lù bù tài hǎo, máfan kāi màn yìdiǎn.

The road ahead isn’t great, please slow down a little.
我有点晕车，麻烦开慢一点，好吗？

Wǒ yǒudiǎn yūnchē, máfan kāi màn yìdiǎn, hǎo ma?

I feel a bit carsick — please slow down a little, okay?

大概要多少钱

Dàgài yào duōshǎo qián?

How much will it cost?

Meaning: How much will it cost?

When to use: Ask before or during the ride to estimate the fare.

去机场大概要多少钱？

Qù jīchǎng dàgài yào duōshǎo qián?

About how much will it cost to the airport?
从这里到火车站大概要多少钱？

Cóng zhèlǐ dào huǒchēzhàn dàgài yào duōshǎo qián?

Roughly how much from here to the train station?

大概要多久

Dàgài yào duōjiǔ?

How long will it take?

Meaning: How long will it take?

When to use: Ask about travel time during the ride or before starting the trip.

现在路上堵吗？大概要多久？

Xiànzài lùshang dǔ ma? Dàgài yào duōjiǔ?

Is the road jammed now? How long will it take?
去会场大概要多久？我要安排时间。

Qù huìchǎng dàgài yào duōjiǔ? Wǒ yào ānpái shíjiān.

How long to the venue? I need to plan my time.

麻烦在这儿停一下。

Máfan zài zhèr tíng yíxià.

Can you stop here, please?

Meaning: Can you stop here, please?

When to use: Ask the driver to stop briefly at a specific spot.

麻烦在这儿停一下，我下车拿东西。

Máfan zài zhèr tíng yíxià, wǒ xià chē ná dōngxi.

Please stop here a moment; I need to get something from the car.
前面下雨了，麻烦在这儿停一下，我下车走一小段。

Qiánmiàn xià yǔ le, máfan zài zhèr tíng yíxià, wǒ xià chē zǒu yì xiǎoduàn.

It's raining ahead — please stop here and I'll walk a short distance.

麻烦等我一下

Máfan děng wǒ yíxià.

Can you wait a minute, please?

Meaning: Can you wait a minute, please?

When to use: Ask the driver to wait briefly while you do something quick.

我去取行李，麻烦等我一下。

Wǒ qù qǔ xínglǐ, máfan děng wǒ yíxià.

I'm going to get my luggage — please wait for me a moment.
朋友迟到了，麻烦等我一下好吗？

Péngyǒu chídào le, máfan děng wǒ yíxià hǎo ma?

My friend is late — could you wait a moment, please?

可以刷卡吗

Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?

Can I pay by card?

Meaning: Can I pay by card?

When to use: Check if the driver accepts bank cards instead of cash.

对不起，我没有现金，可以刷卡吗？

Duìbuqǐ, wǒ méiyǒu xiànjīn, kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?

Sorry, I have no cash — can I pay by card?
请问可以刷卡吗，还是只收现金？

Qǐngwèn kěyǐ shuākǎ ma, háishì zhǐ shōu xiànjīn?

May I pay by card or is it cash only?

可以给我发票吗？

Kěyǐ gěi wǒ fāpiào ma?

Can I have a receipt, please?

Meaning: Can I have a receipt, please?

When to use: Ask for an official receipt (发票) after payment.

打车公司需要报销，可以给我发票吗？

Dǎchē gōngsī xūyào bàoxiāo, kěyǐ gěi wǒ fāpiào ma?

My company needs expense receipts — can you give me a receipt?
请问可以给我发票吗？我需要一张发票。

Qǐngwèn kěyǐ gěi wǒ fāpiào ma? Wǒ xūyào yì zhāng fāpiào.

Could you give me a receipt? I need one invoice.

您是来接___的吗？

Nín shì lái jiē ___ de ma?

Are you here for ___?

Meaning: Are you here for ___?

When to use: Confirming a driver or ride — polite way to check if they’re picking up a specific person.

Tip: Avoid using only first names without context in formal pick-ups; adding a title or full name is clearer.

您好，您是来接王先生的吗？

Nín hǎo, nín shì lái jiē Wáng xiānsheng de ma?

Hello — are you here to pick up Mr. Wang?
司机先生，您好，您是来接Anna的吗？

Sījī xiānsheng, nín hǎo, nín shì lái jiē Anna de ma?

Driver, hello — are you here for Anna?

麻烦走最快的路线。

Máfan zǒu zuì kuài de lùxiàn.

Please take the fastest route.

Meaning: Please take the fastest route.

When to use: Tell the driver you prefer the quickest way (use 麻烦 to be polite).

我赶时间，麻烦走最快的路线。

Wǒ gǎn shíjiān, máfan zǒu zuì kuài de lùxiàn.

I'm pressed for time — please take the fastest route.
如果可以，麻烦走最快的路线，不要绕远。

Rúguǒ kěyǐ, máfan zǒu zuì kuài de lùxiàn, bú yào rào yuǎn.

If possible, please take the fastest route and don’t go around.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna meets her pre-booked driver outside her hotel and they confirm details for the ride to the airport.

Driver and passenger talking in a cab: the passenger asks the driver to stop, wait, slow down, and requests a receipt in Simplified Chinese.

What route does Anna ask the driver to take?

Portrait of Anna in a Simplified Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

您好，您是来接我的吗？

Nín hǎo, nín shì lái jiē wǒ de ma?

Hello — are you here for me?

Portrait of David in a Simplified Chinese lesson dialogue

David

是的，Anna，请上车。要去机场对吗？

Shì de, Anna, qǐng shàng chē. Yào qù jīchǎng duì ma?

Yes, Anna — please get in. Going to the airport, right?

Portrait of Anna in a Simplified Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

对，麻烦走最快的路线。我赶飞机。

Duì, máfan zǒu zuì kuài de lùxiàn. Wǒ gǎn fēijī.

Yes — please take the fastest route. I'm catching a flight.

Portrait of David in a Simplified Chinese lesson dialogue

David

好的。大概要多久？

Hǎo de. Dàgài yào duōjiǔ?

Okay. How long roughly?

Portrait of Anna in a Simplified Chinese lesson dialogue

Anna

大概要四十五分钟。还有，我可以刷卡吗？

Dàgài yào sìshíwǔ fēnzhōng. Hái yǒu, wǒ kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?

About 45 minutes. Also, can I pay by card?

Portrait of David in a Simplified Chinese lesson dialogue

David

可以的。到了请说一声，麻烦在这儿停一下。

Kěyǐ de. Dào le qǐng shuō yì shēng, máfan zài zhèr tíng yíxià.

Yes. When we arrive say so — please stop here.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

How do you politely ask the driver to take the fastest route?

Which phrase asks if you can pay with a bank card?

You need the driver to wait while you grab something quick. Which is best?

Which question asks for an estimate of the fare?

Anna says: 'Can you stop here, please?'

到了航站楼外，Anna 对司机说："___"

Anna asks: 'Are the tolls charged extra?'

快到收费站了，Anna 想知道过路费是否要额外付："过路费___"

I tell the driver: 'Please wait for me a moment.'

我要下车去取行李，跟司机说："___"

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

___要另外收费吗？

___ yào lìngwài shōufèi ma?

Is there an extra charge for ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

麻烦开慢一点

Máfan kāi màn yìdiǎn.

Please slow down a little.

Say this phrase out loud:

大概要多少钱

Dàgài yào duōshǎo qián?

How much will it cost?

Say this phrase out loud:

大概要多久

Dàgài yào duōjiǔ?

How long will it take?

Say this phrase out loud:

麻烦在这儿停一下。

Máfan zài zhèr tíng yíxià.

Can you stop here, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

麻烦等我一下

Máfan děng wǒ yíxià.

Can you wait a minute, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

可以刷卡吗

Kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?

Can I pay by card?

Say this phrase out loud:

可以给我发票吗？

Kěyǐ gěi wǒ fāpiào ma?

Can I have a receipt, please?

Say this phrase out loud:

您是来接___的吗？

Nín shì lái jiē ___ de ma?

Are you here for ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

麻烦走最快的路线。

Máfan zǒu zuì kuài de lùxiàn.

Please take the fastest route.