Getting Around China: Metro, High-Speed Rail, Taxis and Useful Phrases
Mandarin vocabulary for public transport, tickets and directions in China, including the metro, high-speed rail and ride-hailing apps.
China has one of the world's most extensive transport networks, including the world's largest high-speed rail system. Knowing the basic vocabulary makes travelling much smoother.
Modes of transport
- 地铁 (dìtiě) — metro, subway
- 公交车 (gōngjiāochē) — bus
- 出租车 (chūzūchē) — taxi
- 火车 (huǒchē) — train
- 高铁 (gāotiě) — high-speed rail
- 飞机 (fēijī) — aeroplane
- 自行车 (zìxíngchē) — bicycle
- 轮船 (lúnchuán) — ship
Places
- 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) — train station
- 地铁站 (dìtiězhàn) — metro station
- 机场 (jīchǎng) — airport
- 汽车站 (qìchēzhàn) — bus station
- 出口 (chūkǒu) — exit
- 入口 (rùkǒu) — entrance
- 站台 (zhàntái) — platform
Tickets
- 车票 (chēpiào) — ticket
- 单程 (dānchéng) — one way
- 往返 (wǎngfǎn) — return
- 座位 (zuòwèi) — seat
- 二等座 / 一等座 — second class / first class seat
- 我要买一张去上海的票。 (Wǒ yào mǎi yì zhāng qù Shànghǎi de piào.) — I'd like to buy a ticket to Shanghai.
For long-distance trains, ticket purchases usually require ID, which for foreign visitors means a passport, so carry it with you.
In the metro
- 换乘 (huànchéng) — transfer
- 下一站 (xià yí zhàn) — next stop
- 这是去…的吗？ (Zhè shì qù… de ma?) — Is this going to…?
- 几号线 (jǐ hào xiàn) — which line
Metro maps and announcements are typically bilingual in big cities.
Taxis and ride-hailing
- 师傅，去这里。 (Shīfu, qù zhèlǐ.) — Driver, take me here (showing an address).
- 请打表。 (Qǐng dǎ biǎo.) — Please use the meter.
- 停在这儿就行。 (Tíng zài zhèr jiù xíng.) — Stopping here is fine.
- 打车 (dǎchē) — take a taxi
Ride-hailing apps such as DiDi are widely used and remove much of the communication. It helps to have your destination saved in Chinese characters.
Directions
- 左 / 右 (zuǒ / yòu) — left / right
- 直走 (zhí zǒu) — go straight
- 前面 / 后面 — ahead / behind
- 远 / 近 (yuǎn / jìn) — far / near
Etiquette
In metros, people let others exit before boarding. Priority seats are reserved for the elderly, pregnant women and those with disabilities. On high-speed trains, seat numbers are assigned, and luggage racks are above the seats.
Emergencies
- 我迷路了。 (Wǒ mílù le.) — I'm lost.
- 请帮帮我。 (Qǐng bāngbang wǒ.) — Please help me.
- 我的行李丢了。 (Wǒ de xíngli diū le.) — I've lost my luggage.
Practice
- Learn the names of the stations and lines you'll use.
- Practise buying a ticket.
- Save addresses in Chinese on your phone.
- Look up unfamiliar signs in a dictionary.
Look up transport words offline with English Chinese Dictionary →
English Chinese Dictionary
Offline English–Chinese dictionary with meanings in Chinese characters
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