出租汽車 / 出租汽车
chūzū qìchēChina
The English word 'taxi' can be translated into Chinese using several terms depending on the region. The default form is 出租汽車 / 出租汽车 (chūzū qìchē). Wiktionary also lists 的士 (dīshì) and 出租車 / 出租车 (chūzūchē).
Meaning: vehicle available for public hire (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 出租汽車 / 出租汽车 | chūzū qìchē | China |
| 的士 | dīshì | |
| 出租車 / 出租车 | chūzūchē | China |
| 計程車 / 计程车 | jìchéngchē | Taiwan |
| 德士 | déshì | Malaysia, Singapore |
The word refers to a vehicle available for public hire. In many regions, especially where the term 的士 is used, you may also encounter the colloquial verb phrase 打的 to mean 'to take a taxi'.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 出租汽車 / 出租汽车 literally means 'rented automobile'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly by geography. 出租汽車 / 出租汽车 and its variant 出租車 / 出租车 are used in Mainland China. In Taiwan, the primary term is 計程車 / 计程车. The term 的士 is used in Cantonese-speaking regions of Southern China, while 德士 is a phonetic loanword used in Malaysia and Singapore.
Is it said differently in some regions?
出租汽車 / 出租汽车 and 出租車 / 出租车 are used in China. 計程車 / 计程车 is the term used in Taiwan. 的士 is used in Cantonese-speaking regions of Southern China. 德士 is used in Malaysia and Singapore.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
chūzū qìchē
Did you know?
- The colloquial way to say 'to take a taxi' in parts of China is the verb phrase 打的, which sounds like 'hitting a taxi' if translated literally.
- Male taxi drivers are colloquially called 的哥, which literally translates to 'taxi elder brother'.
- The word 的 in 的士 has no meaning on its own in this context and serves only as a sound to mimic the English 'ta'.
Examples in context
- 她在百貨公司門前下了的士。She got out of the taxi at the department store.This sentence shows how to describe getting out of a 的士.Tatoeba #348180 by nickyeow, translation #311654 by CK
- 喂，我要一辆的士，现在就到华山路200弄40号门口。Hi, I need a taxi to come to the entrance of No.40, Lane 200, Huashan Road right now.This sentence shows how to request a 的士 at a specific location.Tatoeba #420624 by sysko, translation #13911407 by jan_OkulaJu
- 我需要叫一辆出租车去机场。 (Wǒ xū yào jiào yī liàng chū zū chē qù jī chǎng.)I need to call a taxi to go to the airport.
- 请帮我拦一辆出租车。 (Qǐng bāng wǒ lán yī liàng chū zū chē.)Please help me hail a taxi.
- 我去接你，你要不要坐的士回家？ (Wǒ qù jiē nǐ, nǐ yào bú yào zuò dī shì huí jiā?)Shall I pick you up? Do you want to take a taxi home?
- 请帮我拦一辆出租车 (Qǐng bāng wǒ lán yī liàng chū zū chē)Please help me hail a taxi
Sources
- Wiktionary, “taxi” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
