Transportation Vocabulary in Traditional Chinese: 80+ Real-Life Words & Phrases (with Audio)

This list gives you 80+ transportation words and phrases in Traditional Chinese—each with pinyin, meaning, and a real sentence. Tap the audio buttons to hear Taiwan-style Mandarin (zh-TW).

Use it for MRT rides, buses, taxis, trains, airports, and those “where am I?” moments. Bonus: you’ll learn the polite phrases that make strangers magically more helpful.

Must-Know “Get Me There” Words (Visual Cards)

捷運

jiéyùn

MRT / metro (common in Taiwan)

我搭捷運去台北車站。

Wǒ dā jiéyùn qù Táiběi Chēzhàn.

I’m taking the MRT to Taipei Main Station.

公車

gōngchē

bus

這班公車會到西門嗎？

Zhè bān gōngchē huì dào Xīmén ma?

Does this bus go to Ximen?

計程車

jìchéngchē

taxi

麻煩到這個地址，謝謝。

Máfan dào zhège dìzhǐ, xièxie.

Please go to this address, thanks.

火車

huǒchē

train

我們坐火車去花蓮。

Wǒmen zuò huǒchē qù Huālián.

We’re taking the train to Hualien.

高鐵

gāotiě

high-speed rail

高鐵比較快，但也比較貴。

Gāotiě bǐjiào kuài, dàn yě bǐjiào guì.

High-speed rail is faster, but also more expensive.

機車

jīchē

scooter / motorbike (super common in Taiwan)

下雨天騎機車要小心。

Xiàyǔ tiān qí jīchē yào xiǎoxīn.

Be careful riding a scooter on rainy days.

自行車

zìxíngchē

bicycle

這裡可以租自行車嗎？

Zhèlǐ kěyǐ zū zìxíngchē ma?

Can I rent a bike here?

飛機

fēijī

airplane

我的飛機六點起飛。

Wǒ de fēijī liù diǎn qǐfēi.

My flight takes off at six.

Useful Phrases When You’re Actually Outside

請問，最近的捷運站在哪裡？

Qǐngwèn, zuìjìn de jiéyùn zhàn zài nǎlǐ?

Excuse me, where’s the nearest MRT station?

這班車往哪裡？

Zhè bān chē wǎng nǎlǐ?

Where is this vehicle going?

我要到台北車站，怎麼走？

Wǒ yào dào Táiběi Chēzhàn, zěnme zǒu?

I want to get to Taipei Main Station—how do I go?

要轉乘嗎？

Yào zhuǎnchéng ma?

Do I need to transfer?

下一站是哪一站？

Xià yī zhàn shì nǎ yī zhàn?

What’s the next stop?

請問要在哪裡下車？

Qǐngwèn yào zài nǎlǐ xiàchē?

Where should I get off?

我坐錯方向了。

Wǒ zuò cuò fāngxiàng le.

I’m going the wrong direction.

這裡可以刷卡嗎？

Zhèlǐ kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?

Can I tap a card here?

一張到台中的票，謝謝。

Yì zhāng dào Táizhōng de piào, xièxie.

One ticket to Taichung, please.

請幫我叫一台計程車。

Qǐng bāng wǒ jiào yì tái jìchéngchē.

Please help me call a taxi.

到那裡大概多久？

Dào nàlǐ dàgài duōjiǔ?

About how long does it take to get there?

可以在這裡停一下嗎？

Kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ tíng yíxià ma?

Can we stop here for a moment?

我想走路過去。

Wǒ xiǎng zǒulù guòqù.

I want to walk there.

最後一班車幾點？

Zuìhòu yì bān chē jǐ diǎn?

What time is the last train/bus?

Quick Clarity: 搭 vs 坐 (Yes, both mean “to ride”)

Which one should you use?

搭 (dā) is very common for “take” a bus/train/MRT: 搭捷運, 搭公車. 坐 (zuò) is “sit/ride” and also works: 坐火車. If you freeze in public, pick one and commit. Nobody gives out grammar tickets.

Table of Words (Grouped so your brain doesn’t melt)

Tip Tap the audio in each row to practice quickly. Say it once out loud. Quietly is fine. Proudly is also fine.

Stops, Stations, and Places

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
車站	chēzhàn	station	我們在車站見面。 Wǒmen zài chēzhàn jiànmiàn.	Let’s meet at the station.
捷運站	jiéyùn zhàn	MRT station	捷運站出口在那邊。 Jiéyùn zhàn chūkǒu zài nàbiān.	The MRT exit is over there.
公車站	gōngchē zhàn	bus stop	公車站就在便利商店前面。 Gōngchē zhàn jiù zài biànlì shāngdiàn qiánmiàn.	The bus stop is right in front of the convenience store.
月台	yuètái	platform	請到二號月台等車。 Qǐng dào èrhào yuètái děng chē.	Please wait on Platform 2.
出口	chūkǒu	exit	我們在一號出口集合。 Wǒmen zài yīhào chūkǒu jíhé.	Let’s meet at Exit 1.
入口	rùkǒu	entrance	入口在右邊，不是在左邊。 Rùkǒu zài yòubiān, bú shì zài zuǒbiān.	The entrance is on the right, not the left.
轉運站	zhuǎnyùn zhàn	transfer terminal	我們在轉運站換車。 Wǒmen zài zhuǎnyùn zhàn huàn chē.	We transfer at the terminal.
機場	jīchǎng	airport	去機場要提早出門。 Qù jīchǎng yào tízǎo chūmén.	You should leave early for the airport.
港口	gǎngkǒu	harbor / port	渡輪從港口出發。 Dùlún cóng gǎngkǒu chūfā.	The ferry leaves from the port.

Public Transportation

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
捷運	jiéyùn	MRT / metro	搭捷運比開車方便。 Dā jiéyùn bǐ kāichē fāngbiàn.	Taking the MRT is more convenient than driving.
地鐵	dìtiě	subway (used in many places; less common word in Taiwan)	在這個城市，地鐵很準時。 Zài zhège chéngshì, dìtiě hěn zhǔnshí.	In this city, the subway is very punctual.
公車	gōngchē	bus	公車快來了，我們快走。 Gōngchē kuài lái le, wǒmen kuài zǒu.	The bus is coming—let’s go.
客運	kèyùn	intercity coach bus	我們搭客運去台南。 Wǒmen dā kèyùn qù Táinán.	We’re taking an intercity bus to Tainan.
火車	huǒchē	train	火車誤點了十分鐘。 Huǒchē wùdiǎn le shífēnzhōng.	The train is delayed by 10 minutes.
高鐵	gāotiě	high-speed rail	高鐵站離市區有點遠。 Gāotiě zhàn lí shìqū yǒudiǎn yuǎn.	The HSR station is a bit far from downtown.
計程車	jìchéngchē	taxi	晚上回家我會搭計程車。 Wǎnshàng huíjiā wǒ huì dā jìchéngchē.	At night I’ll take a taxi home.
共乘	gòngchéng	ride share / carpool	我們可以共乘，省一點錢。 Wǒmen kěyǐ gòngchéng, shěng yìdiǎn qián.	We can carpool to save some money.
班次	bāncì	scheduled service / frequency	這條線班次很多，不用等太久。 Zhè tiáo xiàn bāncì hěn duō, búyòng děng tài jiǔ.	This line runs frequently, so you won’t wait long.
路線	lùxiàn	route / line	我不確定這條路線有沒有到。 Wǒ bù quèdìng zhè tiáo lùxiàn yǒu méiyǒu dào.	I’m not sure whether this route goes there.

Vehicles

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
車	chē	vehicle / car (context decides)	你的車停在哪裡？ Nǐ de chē tíng zài nǎlǐ?	Where did you park your car?
汽車	qìchē	car	這裡不能停汽車。 Zhèlǐ bùnéng tíng qìchē.	You can’t park cars here.
機車	jīchē	scooter / motorbike	他每天騎機車上班。 Tā měitiān qí jīchē shàngbān.	He rides a scooter to work every day.
腳踏車	jiǎotàchē	bike (casual)	我想買一台腳踏車。 Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì tái jiǎotàchē.	I want to buy a bike.
自行車	zìxíngchē	bicycle (more “proper”)	這條路有自行車道。 Zhè tiáo lù yǒu zìxíngchēdào.	This road has a bike lane.
公車	gōngchē	bus	公車上很擠。 Gōngchē shàng hěn jǐ.	The bus is crowded.
火車	huǒchē	train	火車比較穩，不會塞車。 Huǒchē bǐjiào wěn, bú huì sāichē.	Trains are steadier and avoid traffic jams.
高鐵	gāotiě	high-speed rail	高鐵車廂很乾淨。 Gāotiě chēxiāng hěn gānjìng.	HSR carriages are very clean.
飛機	fēijī	airplane	飛機延誤了，我們先吃飯。 Fēijī yánwù le, wǒmen xiān chīfàn.	The flight is delayed, so let’s eat first.
船	chuán	boat / ship	今天風大，船會比較晃。 Jīntiān fēng dà, chuán huì bǐjiào huǎng.	It’s windy today, so the boat will rock more.
渡輪	dùlún	ferry	我們搭渡輪去小島。 Wǒmen dā dùlún qù xiǎodǎo.	We’re taking a ferry to the small island.

Tickets, Cards, and Money Stuff

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
票	piào	ticket	你的票在哪裡？ Nǐ de piào zài nǎlǐ?	Where is your ticket?
車票	chēpiào	train/bus ticket	我在手機上買車票。 Wǒ zài shǒujī shàng mǎi chēpiào.	I buy tickets on my phone.
票價	piàojià	fare / ticket price	票價是多少？ Piàojià shì duōshǎo?	How much is the fare?
車資	chēzī	fare (often for taxis/buses)	車資大概兩百塊。 Chēzī dàgài liǎngbǎi kuài.	The fare is about 200 NT.
悠遊卡	Yōuyóu kǎ	EasyCard (stored-value transit card)	我用悠遊卡進站。 Wǒ yòng Yōuyóu kǎ jìnzhàn.	I use an EasyCard to enter the station.
刷卡	shuākǎ	tap/swipe a card	上車要刷卡。 Shàngchē yào shuākǎ.	You need to tap your card when boarding.
找零	zhǎolíng	give change	不好意思，你可以找零嗎？ Bù hǎoyìsi, nǐ kěyǐ zhǎolíng ma?	Sorry, can you give change?
收據	shōujù	receipt	可以給我收據嗎？ Kěyǐ gěi wǒ shōujù ma?	Can I have a receipt?

Actions You’ll Say a Lot

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
搭	dā	to take (transport)	我搭公車去上課。 Wǒ dā gōngchē qù shàngkè.	I take the bus to class.
坐	zuò	to sit / to ride	我坐火車比較舒服。 Wǒ zuò huǒchē bǐjiào shūfú.	Riding the train is more comfortable for me.
上車	shàngchē	to get on (a vehicle)	上車後請往裡面走。 Shàngchē hòu qǐng wǎng lǐmiàn zǒu.	After boarding, please move inside.
下車	xiàchē	to get off	下一站下車。 Xià yī zhàn xiàchē.	Get off at the next stop.
轉乘	zhuǎnchéng	to transfer	到中山站要轉乘。 Dào Zhōngshān zhàn yào zhuǎnchéng.	You need to transfer at Zhongshan Station.
換車	huànchē	to change vehicles	在這裡換車比較快。 Zài zhèlǐ huànchē bǐjiào kuài.	Changing vehicles here is faster.
等車	děngchē	to wait for a vehicle	外面很冷，我們在裡面等車。 Wàimiàn hěn lěng, wǒmen zài lǐmiàn děngchē.	It’s cold outside—let’s wait inside.
迷路	mílù	to get lost	我好像迷路了，可以幫我嗎？ Wǒ hǎoxiàng mílù le, kěyǐ bāng wǒ ma?	I think I’m lost—can you help me?

Road & Safety Words

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
馬路	mǎlù	road / street (where cars go)	過馬路要看左右。 Guò mǎlù yào kàn zuǒyòu.	Look both ways when crossing the street.
斑馬線	bānmǎxiàn	crosswalk	請走斑馬線，安全一點。 Qǐng zǒu bānmǎxiàn, ānquán yìdiǎn.	Please use the crosswalk—it’s safer.
紅綠燈	hónglǜdēng	traffic light	紅綠燈變綠了，可以走。 Hónglǜdēng biàn lǜ le, kěyǐ zǒu.	The light turned green—you can go.
人行道	rénxíngdào	sidewalk	這條路的人行道很寬。 Zhè tiáo lù de rénxíngdào hěn kuān.	The sidewalk on this road is wide.
自行車道	zìxíngchēdào	bike lane	不要走自行車道，容易被提醒。 Búyào zǒu zìxíngchēdào, róngyì bèi tíxǐng.	Don’t walk in the bike lane—you’ll get called out.
塞車	sāichē	traffic jam	下班時間很容易塞車。 Xiàbān shíjiān hěn róngyì sāichē.	Rush hour traffic jams are common.
停車	tíngchē	to park / parking	這裡可以停車嗎？ Zhèlǐ kěyǐ tíngchē ma?	Can I park here?
停車場	tíngchēchǎng	parking lot	停車場在地下二樓。 Tíngchēchǎng zài dìxià èr lóu.	The parking lot is on B2.
安全帽	ānquánmào	helmet	騎機車一定要戴安全帽。 Qí jīchē yídìng yào dài ānquánmào.	You must wear a helmet when riding a scooter.

Air & Sea Travel Basics

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
登機	dēngjī	to board a plane	我們十分鐘後要登機。 Wǒmen shífēnzhōng hòu yào dēngjī.	We board in 10 minutes.
登機門	dēngjīmén	boarding gate	登機門改到A12了。 Dēngjīmén gǎi dào A shí’èr le.	The gate changed to A12.
起飛	qǐfēi	take off	飛機快要起飛了。 Fēijī kuài yào qǐfēi le.	The plane is about to take off.
降落	jiàngluò	land	我們五點會降落。 Wǒmen wǔ diǎn huì jiàngluò.	We’ll land at five.
行李	xínglǐ	luggage	我的行李有點重。 Wǒ de xínglǐ yǒudiǎn zhòng.	My luggage is a bit heavy.
行李提領	xínglǐ tílǐng	baggage claim	行李提領在一樓。 Xínglǐ tílǐng zài yī lóu.	Baggage claim is on the first floor.
暈車	yūnchē	motion sickness	我會暈車，所以想坐前面。 Wǒ huì yūnchē, suǒyǐ xiǎng zuò qiánmiàn.	I get motion sick, so I want to sit in front.

Optional Variants & Handy Counters (Because Chinese loves “how many”)

Traditional	Pinyin	Meaning (EN)	Example (ZH + Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
巴士	bāshì	bus (loanword; common in signs/brands)	這台巴士有冷氣。 Zhè tái bāshì yǒu lěngqì.	This bus has air conditioning.
出租車	chūzūchē	taxi (more common in some regions)	我在路邊攔出租車。 Wǒ zài lùbiān lán chūzūchē.	I hail a taxi on the street.
一班車	yì bān chē	one scheduled vehicle/service (bus/train)	我錯過上一班車了。 Wǒ cuòguò shàng yì bān chē le.	I missed the previous bus/train.
一輛車	yí liàng chē	one vehicle (counter for cars/buses)	前面有一輛車停著。 Qiánmiàn yǒu yí liàng chē tíngzhe.	There’s a vehicle stopped ahead.
一台車	yì tái chē	one vehicle/machine (common for taxis, scooters)	我去叫一台計程車。 Wǒ qù jiào yì tái jìchéngchē.	I’ll go call a taxi.
一張票	yì zhāng piào	one ticket (counter: 張)	請給我兩張票。 Qǐng gěi wǒ liǎng zhāng piào.	Please give me two tickets.