Essential taxi phrases in 15 languages — from "please use the meter" to "I'd like a receipt." A reference guide for travellers visiting 120+ countries.
Knowing five phrases in the local language can transform a taxi ride from stressful to smooth. You don't need to be fluent — you just need to cover the moments that matter: destination, meter, price, receipt. Here's your cheat sheet for 15 languages covering most of the world's major tourist destinations.
Why These Six Phrases Matter
•"Please take me to [destination]" — the most fundamental phrase
•"Please use the meter" — combats the most common tourist overcharge tactic
•"How much does it cost?" — for routes where meters are not used
•"Is this the correct price?" — signals you're informed
•"Please stop here" — essential for flexible navigation
•"Can I have a receipt?" — important for business travellers and expense claims
Spanish
Please take me to…"Por favor, lléveme a…"
Please use the meter"Por favor, use el taxímetro"
How much does it cost?"¿Cuánto cuesta?"
Stop here please"Pare aquí, por favor"
Can I have a receipt?"¿Me puede dar un recibo?"
French
Please take me to…"Emmenez-moi à… s'il vous plaît"
Please use the meter"Utilisez le compteur, s'il vous plaît"
How much does it cost?"Combien ça coûte ?"
Stop here please"Arrêtez-vous ici, s'il vous plaît"
Can I have a receipt?"Puis-je avoir un reçu ?"
Thai (ภาษาไทย)
Please take me to…"ไปที่… หน่อยครับ/ค่ะ" (Pai tee… noi khrap/kha)
Please use the meter"ใช้มิเตอร์ด้วยครับ/ค่ะ" (Chai miter duay khrap/kha)
How much does it cost?"ราคาเท่าไร?" (Raka thaorai?)
Stop here please"จอดตรงนี้ครับ/ค่ะ" (Jod trong nee khrap/kha)
Can I have a receipt?"ขอใบเสร็จด้วยครับ/ค่ะ" (Kho bai set duay khrap/kha)
Japanese (日本語)
Please take me to…"…まで行ってください" (… made itte kudasai)
Please use the meter"メーターを使ってください" (Meter wo tsukatte kudasai)
How much does it cost?"いくらですか？" (Ikura desu ka?)
Stop here please"ここで止めてください" (Koko de tomete kudasai)
Can I have a receipt?"領収書をください" (Ryōshūsho wo kudasai)
Arabic (العربية)
Please take me to…"من فضلك خذني إلى…" (Min fadlak khudhni ila…)
Please use the meter"من فضلك استخدم العداد" (Min fadlak istaakhdam al-adad)
How much does it cost?"بكم؟" (Bikam?)
Stop here please"قف هنا من فضلك" (Qif huna min fadlak)
Can I have a receipt?"ممكن فاتورة؟" (Mumkin fatora?)
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)
Please take me to…"Cho tôi đến… với"
Please use the meter"Bật đồng hồ đi ạ"
How much does it cost?"Bao nhiêu tiền?"
Stop here please"Dừng ở đây nhé"
Can I have a receipt?"Cho tôi hóa đơn được không?"
Indonesian / Malay (Bahasa)
Please take me to…"Tolong antar saya ke…"
Please use the meter"Tolong pakai argo"
How much does it cost?"Berapa harganya?"
Stop here please"Berhenti di sini, tolong"
Can I have a receipt?"Boleh minta kuitansi?"
Portuguese (Português)
Please take me to…"Por favor, leve-me a…"
Please use the meter"Por favor, use o taxímetro"
How much does it cost?"Quanto custa?"
Stop here please"Pare aqui, por favor"
Can I have a receipt?"Pode me dar um recibo?"
Italian (Italiano)
Please take me to…"Per favore, mi porti a…"
Please use the meter"Per favore, usi il tassametro"
How much does it cost?"Quanto costa?"
Stop here please"Si fermi qui, per favore"
Can I have a receipt?"Può darmi una ricevuta?"
German (Deutsch)
Please take me to…"Bitte fahren Sie mich zu…"
Please use the meter"Bitte schalten Sie das Taxameter ein"
How much does it cost?"Wie viel kostet das?"
Stop here please"Halten Sie hier bitte an"
Can I have a receipt?"Kann ich eine Quittung bekommen?"
Hindi (हिंदी)
Please take me to…"कृपया मुझे… ले चलिए" (Kripaya mujhe… le chaliye)
Please use the meter"कृपया मीटर चलाइए" (Kripaya meter chalaiye)
How much does it cost?"कितने का है?" (Kitne ka hai?)
Stop here please"यहाँ रोकिए" (Yahaan rokiye)
Can I have a receipt?"रसीद दीजिए" (Raseed dijiye)
Korean (한국어)
Please take me to…"…으로 가주세요" (…euro gajuseyo)
Please use the meter"미터기 켜주세요" (Mitogi kyeojuseyo)
How much does it cost?"얼마예요?" (Eolmayeyo?)
Stop here please"여기 세워주세요" (Yeogi sewojuseyo)
Can I have a receipt?"영수증 주세요" (Yeongsujeung juseyo)
Chinese Simplified (普通话)
Please take me to…"请送我去…" (Qǐng sòng wǒ qù…)
Please use the meter"请打表" (Qǐng dǎ biǎo)
How much does it cost?"多少钱？" (Duōshao qián?)
Stop here please"在这里停车" (Zài zhèlǐ tíngchē)
Can I have a receipt?"可以给我收据吗？" (Kěyǐ gěi wǒ shōujù ma?)
Russian (Русский)
Please take me to…"Пожалуйста, отвезите меня в…" (Pozhaluista, otvezite menya v…)
Please use the meter"Включите счётчик, пожалуйста" (Vklyuchite schyotchik, pozhaluista)
How much does it cost?"Сколько стоит?" (Skol'ko stoit?)
Stop here please"Остановитесь здесь" (Ostanovites' zdes')
Can I have a receipt?"Можно квитанцию?" (Mozhno kvitantsiyu?)
Turkish (Türkçe)
Please take me to…"Lütfen beni…'ye götürün"
Please use the meter"Lütfen taksimetreyi açın"
How much does it cost?"Ne kadar tutar?"
Stop here please"Burada durun lütfen"
Can I have a receipt?"Fiş alabilir miyim?"
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Screenshot the phrases for your destination before you travel — no WiFi required. In countries where meter refusal is common (Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt, Morocco), "Please use the meter" is the single most valuable phrase you can memorise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most useful taxi phrase when travelling internationally?
"Please use the meter" — or its equivalent in the local language. Meter refusal is the most common form of tourist overcharging worldwide. Knowing this phrase signals you're informed and deters opportunistic pricing.
How do I get city-specific advice on what to say to drivers?
Hootling's taxi fare checker includes AI-generated driver phrases in the local language for your specific route — including contextual tips for the city you're in. Available for 120+ cities after a route check.
Do I need to speak the local language to take a taxi safely?
Not fluently — but knowing two or three key phrases makes a significant difference. Showing your destination address on your phone is always a safe fallback. Ride-hailing apps like Grab, Uber, and Bolt eliminate the language barrier entirely.
Check your exact route fare
Get real-time fare estimates with scam warnings — any city, any route.