How to take a taxi in English
Can you take me to the Plaza Hotel?
“Please drive me to the Plaza Hotel.”
When: Right after you get into a taxi or an Uber
The moment
You just got into a yellow cab on a busy street in Manhattan and you need to get to the Plaza Hotel. Tell the driver where to go, check the price, and pay at the end.
A1 · Unit 3 · Getting around
The lines
Say where you're going
Get in and say the place first. "Can you take me to the Plaza Hotel?" is polite and short. You can also give an address or a corner, like "Fifth and 59th".
Can you take me to the Plaza Hotel?
“Please drive me to the Plaza Hotel.”
When to use it: Right after you get into a taxi or an Uber
What you’ll hear back: Sure thing. (Yes, of course.)
About how much?
"About how much will it be?" asks for a rough price before you go. "About" means you don't need the exact number. In yellow cabs the meter shows the real price.
About how much will it be?
“More or less, what will the price be?”
When to use it: Before the ride starts, when you worry about the price
What you’ll hear back: Around twenty bucks, depends on traffic. (About twenty dollars. It changes with traffic.)
Words for this scene
| Word or phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| You can stop right here. | yuh-kin STAHP rait HEER | Please stop the car in this place. |
This is great, you can stop right here, thanks. This place is good. Please stop now. Thank you. Tip: Say "on the corner" or "just past the light" to be exact. | ||
| Can I pay by card? | kin-ai PAY bai KARD | Can I pay with my credit card, not cash? |
Can I pay by card, or is it cash only? Is a credit card OK, or do I need cash? Tip: Yellow cabs have a back-seat screen for tapping your card. | ||
| Keep the change. | KEEP thuh CHAYNJ | You don't need to give me money back. |
Here's twenty-five. Keep the change. Here is twenty-five dollars. The extra money is for you. Tip: Tip taxi drivers about 15 to 20 percent in the US. | ||
Your objective
Tell the driver where you’re going, ask roughly how much it will cost, and say how you’ll pay.
- where you’re going
- the rough price
- how you’ll pay
Lines that get it done
- Can you take me to the Plaza Hotel?
- About how much will it be?
- Can I pay by card? · Can I pay with my credit card, not cash?
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You get in the taxi. What do you say first?
- Can you take me to the Plaza Hotel?
- Can you bring the Plaza Hotel to me?
- Can I take you to the Plaza Hotel?
- Do you go the Plaza Hotel yesterday?
Show the answer
Can you take me to the Plaza Hotel?
"Take me to" plus the place tells the driver where you want to go.
2. You see your hotel door. What do you tell the driver?
- You can stop right here.
- You can stay right here.
- You can park all day here.
- You can stop right there tomorrow.
Show the answer
You can stop right here.
"Stop right here" asks the driver to stop the car at this spot.
3. The ride is $21. You give $25 and want the driver to have the rest. What do you say?
- Keep the change.
- Change the money.
- Give me the change.
- Keep the card.
Show the answer
Keep the change.
"Keep the change" means the extra money is a tip for the driver.