Vocabulary guide
Cantonese Taxi Phrases: 15 Essentials with Jyutping
Taxi in Cantonese is 的士 (dik1 si2). 去邊度 (heoi3 bin1 dou6) means “Where to?”, while 車費 (ce1 fai3) means “fare.” These 15 taxi and navigation items come from Canto Cab’s New York Chinatown route.
15 taxi and navigation essentials
The list mixes taxi nouns with short navigation phrases. Learn the people and parts of a trip first—driver, passenger, fare, destination—then practice the directions that move the ride forward.
| Traditional Chinese | Jyutping | English |
|---|---|---|
| 上車 | soeng5 ce1 | Get in |
| 落車 | lok6 ce1 | Get out |
| 去邊度 | heoi3 bin1 dou6 | Where to? |
| 目的地 | muk6 dik1 dei6 | Destination |
| 的士 | dik1 si2 | Taxi |
| 司機 | si1 gei1 | Driver |
| 乘客 | sing4 haak3 | Passenger |
| 車費 | ce1 fai3 | Fare |
| 塞車 | sak1 ce1 | Traffic jam |
| 安全帶 | on1 cyun4 daai2 | Seat belt |
| 左轉 | zo2 zyun3 | Turn left |
| 右轉 | jau6 zyun3 | Turn right |
| 一直行 | jat1 zik6 haang4 | Keep going straight |
| 到咗 | dou3 zo2 | We have arrived |
| 下一個路口 | haa6 jat1 go3 lou6 hau2 | Next intersection |
From getting in to arriving
上車 (soeng5 ce1) and 落車 (lok6 ce1) form a useful opposite pair: get in and get out. 去邊度 (heoi3 bin1 dou6), “Where to?”, identifies the destination at the start. At the other end, 到咗 (dou3 zo2) signals that you have arrived.
The direction phrases can also stand on their own as vocabulary prompts. 一直行 (jat1 zik6 haang4) means to keep going straight, while 左轉 (zo2 zyun3) and 右轉 (jau6 zyun3) distinguish the two turns.
Practice in meaningful groups
- People: 司機 (driver) and 乘客 (passenger).
- Trip details: 目的地 (destination), 車費 (fare), and 塞車 (traffic jam).
- Movement: 上車 (get in), 落車 (get out), and 一直行 (keep going straight).
- Directions: 左轉 (turn left), 右轉 (turn right), and 下一個路口 (next intersection).
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
- How do you say taxi in Cantonese?
- Taxi is 的士 (dik1 si2).
- How do you ask “Where to?” in Cantonese?
- 去邊度 (heoi3 bin1 dou6) means “Where to?”
- Does Canto Cab test pronunciation?
- No. It displays Jyutping and plays Cantonese audio, but it does not record or grade speech.