taxista
/taɡˈsista/
The English phrase 'taxi driver' is translated into Spanish as taxista.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is formed by combining taxi with the suffix -ista, which is used in Spanish to denote a person's profession or occupation, similar to the English suffix '-ist'.
How does it change in a sentence?
taxista is an epicene noun, meaning it has the same form for both male and female taxi drivers, with only the article changing (el taxista or la taxista). The plural form of taxista is taxistas.
How do you pronounce it?
/taɡˈsista/
Did you know?
- While taxista is the official term, in some regions, the driver is colloquially referred to simply as el piloto of the vehicle.
- In certain regions, a taxi pirata refers to an illegal or unlicensed taxi driver. The term pirata is used metaphorically to indicate that the driver is operating outside the law.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to enter a long philosophical or political debate with a taxista during a trip. This social dynamic is a recognized cultural trope in literature and film.
Examples in context
- Su padre es un taxista.Their father is a taxi driver.Tatoeba #1732181 by marcelostockle, translation #305295 by CK
- Decile al taxista que maneje más rápido.Tell the taxi driver to drive faster.Tatoeba #1534719 by hayastan, translation #1534802 by CK
- La policía culpó al taxista del accidente.The police blamed the accident on the taxi driver.Tatoeba #865458 by Rafp, translation #238295 by CK
- Disculpe, ¿dónde puedo encontrar un taxista?Excuse me, where can I find a taxi driver?
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are arriving at the airport.
- JavierYa llegó el taxista por nosotros.The taxi driver has already arrived for us.
- ElenaPerfecto, ¿en qué coche está?Perfect, what car is he in?
- JavierEl taxista está en el coche blanco.The taxi driver is in the white car.
- ElenaMuy bien, vamos allá.Very well, let's go there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry taxista, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
