Taxis and Didi in China: Phrases for Getting a Ride
A taxi on the street still works in China, but the phone has quietly taken over. Didi drivers are the same cars and the same roads, only the booking, the pickup point and the payment all happen on screen before you open the door.
Learn a handful of cab phrases and you cover both worlds. The meter, the address, a stop at the right corner and a scan at the end are the whole conversation.
Useful phrases
- 我要打车。I want to take a taxi.
打车 is the everyday word for hailing a cab. You can say it to a hotel doorman and let them flag one down for you.
- 请打表。Please use the meter.
The meter starts around 13 yuan in Beijing and Shanghai. If a driver offers a flat price instead, the meter is almost always the cheaper deal.
- 多少钱？How much is it?
The standard price question. Most cities charge a higher night rate, which is usually printed on a card stuck to the window glass.
- 前面右转。Turn right ahead.
Drivers often miss a small turn off a wide road. Say it early, not as the junction arrives, or you get a lap of the block.
- 一直走。Go straight.
Useful when the driver starts second-guessing your directions. Add 快到了 (nearly there) when you want them to start slowing down.
- 请在这里停。Stop here, please.
Say it while you can still see the spot. On a busy road the driver may stop a hundred meters past where you wanted to get out.
- 我扫码付款。I'll pay by scanning the code.
Almost every driver shows a WeChat or Alipay QR code on the dash. Cash works, but breaking a 100-yuan note can be a problem late at night.
- 可以开发票吗？Can you give me a receipt?
The paper 发票 prints from the meter. Ask before the driver resets it, and check the amount matches what you paid.
- 我在这里等。I'm waiting here.
Didi drivers often call to confirm the pickup spot. Answering with this plus a landmark stops them circling the block looking for you.
- 我在东门。I'm at the east gate.
Big malls and stations have several entrances and a map pin is not enough. Name a gate or a shopfront so the driver knows which side to approach.
- 堵车吗？Is there a traffic jam?
You tend to get an honest answer. Beijing rush hour can double a short trip, and on those evenings the metro does not care about the roads at all.
- 多久能到？How long until we get there?
Drivers estimate from the traffic in front of them. Add twenty minutes if it is between five and seven in the evening.
- 请开慢一点。Please drive a little slower.
Worth learning if you get carsick. City driving here involves more lane changes and closer gaps than most visitors are used to.
Quick cultural tip
Why Didi beats raising your hand
Didi (滴滴出行) is how most locals get a car now, and the app has an English mode that translates the messages between you and the driver. You drop the pickup pin exactly, the price is fixed before the ride, and there is no conversation about the meter. Try the same journey by hailing on a main road and you can wait twenty minutes for a free car.
For airport runs, Didi also lets you pick a car class and pay inside the app, so no cash changes hands. If your phone battery is the weak point of the trip, carry a power bank, because paying by QR code means you need it alive to get home.