How to Say "Can You Tell Me When to Get Off?" in Mandarin Chinese
Learn to ask a Chinese bus or taxi driver to tell you when to get off, using 到站请告诉我一下 and 到了叫我一声, and understand the driver's short confirmations.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you ride a bus or taxi in a Chinese-speaking city, the driver will not always announce every stop clearly, and you may not recognize your stop from the window. The practical solution is to ask the driver directly, before the trip or shortly after boarding. This lesson teaches one core request, 到站请告诉我一下 (dào zhàn qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià), plus a shorter everyday version, 到了叫我一声 (dào le jiào wǒ yì shēng), and the short replies a driver may give you. You will also learn how to name your destination so the driver knows exactly which stop you mean. All phrases use simplified Chinese, and the pronunciation guides show tones so you can say them clearly the first time.
By the end, you can…
- ask a bus or taxi driver to tell me when to get off.
- name my destination so the driver knows which stop I need.
- understand a short confirmation such as 好 or 知道了.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
到站请告诉我一下。
Please tell me when we reach the stop.
dào zhàn qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià
The standard polite request. Use it when boarding a bus or starting a taxi ride. 到站 means "arrive at the stop," and 一下 softens the request.
到了叫我一声。
Give me a shout when we arrive.
dào le jiào wǒ yì shēng
A shorter, friendly version common in taxis and on buses. 叫我一声 literally means "call me once." Use it with drivers you feel comfortable with.
我要去火车站。
I want to go to the train station.
wǒ yào qù huǒchē zhàn
State your destination first, then add the request. Replace 火车站 with your own stop, for example 人民广场 (Rénmín Guǎngchǎng).
还有几站？
How many stops are left?
hái yǒu jǐ zhàn
Ask this after the driver confirms, so you know how long to wait. 几站 means "how many stops." The answer may be 三站 (sān zhàn, three stops).
好的，谢谢。
Okay, thank you.
hǎo de, xièxie
A natural reply after the driver agrees. 好的 accepts the arrangement, and 谢谢 keeps the exchange polite.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 到站请告诉我一下 (dào zhàn qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià). 到站 means "arrive at the stop," 请 makes the request polite, 告诉我 means "tell me," and 一下 makes it sound lighter, like "just let me know." You can swap the destination in front: 到人民广场请告诉我一下 (dào Rénmín Guǎngchǎng qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià), "Please tell me when we reach People's Square." For a shorter request, use 到了叫我一声 (dào le jiào wǒ yì shēng). Both are complete sentences and need no extra words.
When to use it
Use 到站请告诉我一下 when you board a bus, especially if stops are not announced, or when you get into a taxi and want the driver to alert you. Say your destination first: 师傅，我去火车站。到站请告诉我一下。 (Shīfu, wǒ qù huǒchē zhàn. Dào zhàn qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià.) 师傅 (shīfu) is a common polite address for drivers. If the driver replies 好 (hǎo) or 知道了 (zhīdào le), that means yes. If you hear 行 (xíng), it also means okay. Then you can ask 还有几站？ to check the remaining distance.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
师傅，我去火车站。到站请告诉我一下。
Driver, I'm going to the train station. Please tell me when we reach the stop.shīfu, wǒ qù huǒchē zhàn. dào zhàn qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià好，知道了。
Okay, got it.hǎo, zhīdào le还有几站？
How many stops are left?hái yǒu jǐ zhàn还有三站，到了我叫你。
Three stops left. I'll call you when we arrive.hái yǒu sān zhàn, dào le wǒ jiào nǐA little context goes a long way
师傅 (shīfu) is a respectful, friendly way to address a bus or taxi driver in mainland China; it literally means "master" or "skilled worker" and is widely used for drivers, cooks and repair workers. On city buses, drivers are often busy and may reply with only 好 or 嗯, which still counts as agreement. In taxis, drivers usually speak more, so 到了叫我一声 is common and natural. Keep requests short and polite; adding 请 and 谢谢 is always appropriate.
One thing to watch for
Saying 请告诉我下车 (qǐng gàosu wǒ xià chē), a word-for-word translation of "tell me to get off."
Try this instead: 下车 means "get off the vehicle," so this sounds like you are asking the driver to tell you to exit, not to warn you that the stop is coming. Say 到站请告诉我一下 (dào zhàn qǐng gàosu wǒ yíxià) or 到了叫我一声 (dào le jiào wǒ yì shēng) instead.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely ask a bus driver to tell you when you reach your stop?
Show a sample answer
到站请告诉我一下。
This uses 到站 (arrive at the stop), 请 (please), 告诉我 (tell me) and 一下 (softening particle). 到了叫我一声 is also correct in a more casual situation.
2The driver says 知道了。What does this mean, and what can you say next?
Show a sample answer
It means "Got it." You can reply 好的，谢谢。 or ask 还有几站？
知道了 confirms the driver heard you. 好的，谢谢 accepts and thanks; 还有几站 asks how many stops remain. Both are natural follow-ups.
3How do you say "I want to go to the train station" before making your request?
Show a sample answer
我要去火车站。
我要去 means "I want to go to," and 火车站 means "train station." Replace 火车站 with your own destination, such as 人民广场 (Rénmín Guǎngchǎng).
Say your destination first, then 到站请告诉我一下 or 到了叫我一声. A short 好, 行 or 知道了 from the driver means yes, so you can relax and watch for your stop.
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