Key Facts
- Word: 택시 (taeksi) [taek-ssi], noun, loanword origin
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
Taxi in Korean: What Does 택시 Mean?
택시 is the everyday word for taxi in both speech and writing. Two useful extensions are 콜택시, a taxi ordered by phone or app, and 택시 기사님, the polite way to refer to or address the driver (님 adds respect).
How Do You Pronounce It?
The spelling is 택시, and the spoken form is [taek-ssi]. The 시 after the final k sound tightens into a doubled 'ss'. The romanization keeps taeksi, so it hides this tensing.
Example Sentences with 택시
택시를 타요.
Taeksireul tayo.
I take a taxi.
The basic ride sentence. The verb 타요 is used for boarding any vehicle, whether a bus, a train or a cab.
택시가 안 와요.
Taeksiga an wayo.
The taxi isn't coming.
A complaint while waiting. 안 와요 means 'is not coming', and 가 marks 택시 as the subject.
늦어서 택시로 갔어요.
Neujeoseo taeksiro gasseoyo.
I was late, so I went by taxi.
A reason-and-result sentence. 늦어서 is 'because I was late', and 택시로 uses the particle that marks the means of transport.
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 택시를 타다 | to take a taxi |
| 택시를 잡다 | to hail a taxi |
| 택시 기사님 | taxi driver |
The Mistake to Avoid
The verb depends on how you get the taxi. Learners often use 부르다 (to call) for flagging one down on the street.
- Wrong (waving one down on the street): 택시를 불러요.
- Correct: 택시를 잡다, literally "to catch a taxi", for hailing on the street.
택시를 부르다 is still correct when you call a taxi by phone or book one in an app.
택시 Compared with Similar Words
Two neighbours help you pick the right way to get around.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 버스 | bus | 버스 is cheaper and runs on fixed routes. |
| 콜택시 | call taxi | 콜택시 is a taxi ordered by phone or app. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
택시 is a loanword from English "taxi", so it has no hanja.
In a Taxi: Naming the Destination and Stopping
A passenger is going to Seoul Station. Once they are close, the passenger asks the driver to stop at a convenient spot.
Passenger
기사님, 서울역으로 가 주세요.
Gisanim, Seoullyeogeuro ga juseyo.
Please take me to Seoul Station.
Driver
네, 알겠습니다.
Ne, algetseumnida.
Certainly.
Passenger
여기서 세워 주세요.
Yeogiseo sewo juseyo.
Please stop here.
Driver
네, 여기서 내리시면 돼요.
Ne, yeogiseo naerisimyeon dwaeyo.
Yes, you can get out here.
기사님 respectfully addresses the driver. The passenger can leave out 택시 because both speakers already know the setting. 서울역으로 gives the destination, and 가 주세요 makes the request polite. The same pattern works with a hotel or another station name.
세워 주세요 asks the driver to stop the vehicle. 내리시면 돼요 tells the passenger that they can get out. The driver’s reply concerns where to leave the taxi; it is not an instruction to drive somewhere else. Keeping the destination request and the stopping request separate makes each one clear.
Taxi Combinations from Waiting to Arrival
택시를 잡다 literally means “catch a taxi”. In everyday use it means secure or hail a cab, especially on the street. It does not describe physically grabbing the car. 택시를 부르다 means call or summon a taxi, so it fits arranging a pickup.
택시를 타다 describes taking or boarding the taxi. 택시에서 내리다 means get out of the taxi. The particles differ because the taxi is the thing boarded with 를, but the place exited with 에서. A journey can involve calling, boarding and getting out; these are separate stages.
택시 요금 means the taxi fare. 요금 is the charge for the service, while 목적지 is the destination. If a driver asks about 목적지, they need to know where you are going. Giving a payment method does not answer that question.
What Can You Read on Taxis and Signs?
빈차 means an empty vehicle. On a taxi display it signals that the cab is available. 예약 means a reservation or booking. A cab with a reservation display may look empty while already being assigned to someone, so the two labels communicate different things.
택시 승강장 means taxi stand. 승강장 names a place for boarding and getting off; 택시 identifies which kind of vehicle uses it. Look for this label when you want the taxi boarding area outside a station, rather than the bus stop or a private-car pickup area.
In a drama, someone saying they came 택시로 is describing the means of transport. The existing sentence 늦어서 택시로 갔어요 links lateness with choosing a taxi. It says how the person travelled without telling you whether they hailed the cab or booked it.
Addressing the Driver and Paying
기사님 is a respectful title, not the driver’s personal name. It is useful at the beginning of a request when you need their attention. You do not need to repeat it in every sentence once the driver is listening. Polite endings such as 주세요 keep short destination and stopping requests courteous.
카드 means card and 현금 means cash. 영수증 means receipt. These words become useful at the end of the trip, when the topic changes from the destination to payment. None of them tells you the fare in advance; for the amount charged, listen for 요금 and the number.
Words for the Rest of the Journey
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 목적지 | destination | Where you want the driver to take you. |
| 요금 | fare; charge | The amount charged for the ride. |
| 미터기 | meter | The device displaying the metered fare. |
| 영수증 | receipt | Shows the payment details. |
The transportation vocabulary lesson compares vehicle names. For the full interaction, the taxi and transport phrases lesson connects destinations, requests and payment.
Quick Self-Test
- Which expression fits arranging pickup: 택시를 부르다 or 택시에서 내리다?
- What does 빈차 signal on a taxi?
- Does 여기서 세워 주세요 ask for a fare or a stop?
Show answers
- 택시를 부르다. 내리다 means get out.
- An available, empty taxi.
- A stop: “Please stop here.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How is 택시 pronounced?
As [taek-ssi], with a tense double s, although the romanization is written taeksi.
How do I say 'take a taxi'?
Use 택시를 타다, with 타다 for boarding.
What is the difference between 잡다 and 부르다 for taxis?
잡다 is for catching one on the street, 부르다 is for calling one.
What is 콜택시?
A taxi you order by phone or through an app, rather than one you hail on the street.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Transportation words groups 택시 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add it to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- See also the taxi phrases page: pg-phrases-travel-phrases-taxi-transport.