Planning a trip, commute, or a day out in a Chinese-speaking city? Let’s unlock the words and phrases you’ll use every single time you move around town. In this A2-friendly guide, you’ll learn core transportation vocabulary, simple sentence patterns for getting from A to B, and cultural tips to sound natural.

Essential transportation words you’ll use daily

Here are high-frequency words and verbs you can plug into real conversations. I’ll keep things practical and easy:

• 地铁 (dìtiě) — subway/metro
• 公交车 (gōngjiāo chē) — bus
• 出租车 (chūzūchē) — taxi
• 火车 (huǒchē) — train
• 飞机 (fēijī) — airplane
• 自行车 (zìxíngchē) — bicycle
• 站 / 车站 (zhàn / chēzhàn) — stop / station
• 票 (piào) — ticket
• 换乘 (huànchéng) — transfer (change lines)
• 号线 (hào xiàn) — line number (e.g., 2号线 Line 2)
• 上车 / 下车 (shàng chē / xià chē) — get on / get off
• 坐 (zuò) — take (public transport)
• 骑 (qí) — ride (bike)
• 开车 (kāi chē) — drive (a car)
• 打车 (dǎ chē) — hail/take a taxi

Keep these handy; we’ll use them right away.

The right verb for the right ride

In Chinese, you often pair a verb with the vehicle. Use the correct verb and you’ll sound natural.

我骑公交车去学校。 → 我坐公交车去学校。 Use 坐 for public transport (bus, metro, train). 骑 is for bikes.

Quick practice: choose the verb and directional word

Fill the blanks with the right verb. Think about whether it’s public transport or a bike, and whether you’re getting on or off.

我每天地铁去公司。

请在下一站。

Asking for directions and buying tickets

Here are simple, ready-to-use phrases:

• 我怎么去机场？ (Wǒ zěnme qù jīchǎng?) — How do I get to the airport?
• 从火车站到市中心怎么去？ — How do I get from the train station to downtown?
• 去机场要坐几号线？ — Which line should I take to the airport?
• 我要买两张票。 — I want to buy two tickets.
• 请问在哪里换乘？ — Excuse me, where do I transfer?
• 这趟车开往哪里？ — Where is this train/bus bound for?

Use these at stations, in buses, or with staff.

Patterns you’ll use again and again

Make these sentence frames your best friends:

1. 坐 + 交通工具 + 去 + 地点

• 我坐地铁去博物馆。
• 我们坐公交车去市中心。

2. 骑 + 自行车 + 去 + 地点

• 他骑自行车去学校。

3. 从A到B怎么去？

• 从火车站到机场怎么去？
• 从酒店到地铁站怎么走？

4. 换乘 + 号线 / 在 + 地点 + 换乘

• 在中山公园换乘3号线。
• 要换乘2号线。

5. 买票 + 数量 (张)

• 我要买两张票。

6. 上车 / 下车

• 你在哪一站下车？
• 现在可以上车了。

Cultural notes: sounding local

• Metro lines by numbers: Cities often name metro lines with numbers (2号线, 3号线). Signs and maps are color-coded.
• Payment: In many cities, you can use transport cards or mobile apps (Alipay/WeChat) to scan a QR code for metro and buses.
• Peak hours: Rush hour can be crowded; lining up is common. Look for arrows showing where to stand.
• Talking to staff or drivers: Polite openings like “请问…” (Excuse me…) help. In taxis, many people say “师傅” (shīfu, sir) to address the driver.
• Direction boards: “开往…” means “bound for.” If you see “开往机场,” that means the train goes to the airport.

Mini-dialog models you can copy

• 在售票处：

  • A: 请问，到市中心的票多少钱？
  • B: 一张五块钱。要几张？
  • A: 我要两张，谢谢。

• 问路：

  • A: 从火车站到机场怎么去？
  • B: 先坐2号线，再换乘3号线。

• 在公交车上：

  • A: 还有空位吗？
  • B: 有，靠窗的座位在那边。

Common slip-ups to avoid

• Don’t say “我开地铁去…” (I drive the subway) — use “我坐地铁去…”.
• For taxis, “打车” is natural in speech. You can also say “坐出租车,” but not “坐打车.”

Wrap-up & next steps

You now have the go-to words for moving around: 地铁, 公交车, 出租车, plus key verbs 坐/骑/开/打车. With patterns like “坐…去…” and “从A到B怎么去,” you can buy tickets, ask directions, and get on/off confidently.

Try this: on your next commute (or a pretend route), say your plan out loud in Chinese: “我坐地铁去市中心，在人民广场换乘2号线，然后在南京东路下车。” A few minutes of practice will make real trips feel much easier. 加油！