During your stay in China you'll almost certainly need to take a taxi to get around. Taxis in China are remarkably inexpensive, but some dishonest drivers might be tempted to improvise a fare or take a longer route to increase the final bill. In such cases, it can be extremely useful to know how to pronounce a few Chinese phrases to avoid being overcharged. Drivers will show you far more goodwill if you can announce your destination in Chinese. Telling your taxi driver your precise destination, asking him to slow down, or asking to be taken to the airport will be a major advantage for getting around in China's major cities. Here are some essential words and useful expressions to learn for taking a taxi in China—they'll make your experience with Chinese taxis much smoother.

1- Your destination

When you get into a Chinese taxi, the driver will naturally ask you where you're headed. Familiarize yourself with this question, as you'll hear it almost every time. Where are you going? qù nǎr / 去哪儿

2- Asking to be taken to a destination

After the taxi driver asks where you want to go, it's best to announce your destination with a few Chinese words. Take me to this address qǐng sòng wǒ dào zhèi ge dìzhǐ / 请送我到这个地址

3- Asking a taxi to pick you up somewhere

If you want a taxi to come pick you up at a specific location, knowing this phrase is essential: Please pick me up here qǐng sòng wǒ dào zhěli / 请送我到这里

4- Asking the driver to stop here

You're in the taxi and want to stop along the way—tell the driver in Chinese. He'll understand and appreciate it far more than hand gestures. Let me get out here qǐng ràng wǒ zài zhèli xià chē / 请让我在这里下车

5- Asking to be taken to the airport

There are many ways to reach airports in China. The easiest solution, however, is by taxi. Here's the phrase to tell your Chinese taxi driver to take you to the airport—far easier than trying to communicate through mime or airplane sound effects. Please take me to the airport qǐng sòng wǒ dào jīchǎng / 请送我到机场

6- Asking the driver to slow down

Traffic in China can be quite surprising. Cars and taxis drive fast, overtake on both sides, and don't always follow the rules of the road. You can ask your taxi to slow down a bit if you feel unsafe. Can you drive more slowly? màn diǎn kāi chē / 慢点开车

7- Asking to be taken to this address

If you have a specific address you can say or show on a map, tell your taxi driver. To this address dào zhèi ge dìzhǐ / 到这个地址

8- Asking how long the trip will take

In a hurry? You can ask your taxi driver how long the journey will take. If you don't understand what he says, you can ask him to show you on his fingers—now that you've learned how to count in Chinese. How much longer? Hái yào duōjiǔ? / 还要多久？

9- Asking the driver to wait a moment

You want your Chinese taxi to stop for a moment and wait for you? If you don't tell him, he won't understand that you're getting out without paying, and this could cause problems. Can you wait a moment? qǐng zài zhèli shāo děng yíxià / 请在这里稍等一下

10- Asking to be taken to this hotel

If you have your hotel's address, simply ask your driver to take you there. Please take me to this hotel qǐng sòng wǒ dào zhèi jiā fàndiàn / 请送我到这家饭店

11- Asking the price for a specific destination

In some major cities, unlicensed taxis exist. If you have no choice, you'll need to ask the fare and possibly negotiate. What's the price to...? dào… – duōshǎo qián ?/ 到-多少钱？

12- Asking for a taxi receipt

For business trips, for example, fares are often reimbursed. For this, you'll need to ask for a receipt. May I have a receipt? qìng gěi wǒ chēfèi shōujù / 请给我车费收据

13- Offering to let the driver keep the change

Your driver has taken you to your destination and seemed friendly? You can then leave the change as a tip. Keep the change bú yòng zhǎole / 不用找了 These basic phrases can help you with your journeys. Some of them can also be used on buses or in other situations. You might want to keep a piece of paper with the Chinese characters and their translations handy in case your pronunciation doesn't allow the driver to understand you.