司機 / 司机
sījī
In Chinese, the word for driver is 司機 / 司机 (sījī). Wiktionary also lists 駕駛員 / 驾驶员 (jiàshǐyuán) and 駕駛者 / 驾驶者 (jiàshǐzhě).
Meaning: person who drives a motorized vehicle, such as a car or a bus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 司機 / 司机 | sījī |
| 駕駛員 / 驾驶员 | jiàshǐyuán |
| 駕駛者 / 驾驶者 | jiàshǐzhě |
The term 司機 / 司机 refers to drivers of various motorized vehicles, including cars, taxis and buses. In many Chinese cities, people use this term as a direct way to address a taxi or ride-hailing driver.
Which one should you use?
司機 / 司机 is the most common, everyday term for a driver, such as a taxi or bus driver. In contrast, 駕駛員 / 驾驶员 is used for professional drivers, such as those in a chauffeur or pilot role, while 駕駛者 / 驾驶者 is a more abstract or literary way to refer to 'the one who is driving' and is less common in daily conversation. Finally, the phrase 开车的 literally translates to 'someone who drives a car'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 司機 / 司机 is used in both mainland China and Taiwan.
How do you pronounce it?
sījī
Did you know?
- While 司機 is the standard term, some people use the slang 老司機 'old driver' to describe someone who is an expert or highly experienced in any specific field, not just driving.
- The word 駕駛 used in 駕駛員 is a formal loanword from Japanese that entered the Chinese language during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- The term 司機 can be used as a polite title when addressing a driver directly, but adding 师傅 'shīfù' (master/teacher) is often considered even more respectful and friendly in mainland China.
Examples in context
- 我需要一位司机去机场。I need a driver to go to the airport.
- 公司为我们提供专职的驾驶员。The company provides dedicated drivers for us.
- 能找个司机带我们去吗？Can we find a driver to take us there?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “driver” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
