Didi is China's dominant ride-hailing app — it absorbed Uber's China business back in 2016 — and in big cities it has largely replaced flagging taxis from the curb. For a visitor with zero Chinese, it solves three problems at once.
You type the destination instead of pronouncing it. You see the price before you commit. And you get the car's plate number, so you are never guessing which vehicle is yours.
Street taxis still work — the taxi phrases guide has the full set. But make Didi your default and you skip the hardest part of getting around: explaining where you want to go.
Download Didi from your app store and switch the interface to English — it has a full English mode, including translated chat with drivers.
Registering with your home phone number has worked for most foreign travelers as of 2026, but test it before you fly. Rules change, and you want to find a problem on your sofa, not at a curb in Shanghai.
Payment is the step to double-check. Didi has taken international cards for many travelers in recent years, though acceptance varies by card and country. Add yours in the app, then set up Alipay as a backup — Didi runs as a mini-program inside it and charges the same wallet you will use for everything else. Our Alipay and WeChat Pay guide for tourists walks through that setup.
Every phrase on this page — and 200+ more — lives in the China Survival Kit app: tap to show it big, play it in teacher Joy's real voice, and let locals tap their answer back. Works 100% offline.
Get the appFree 30-phrase audio guideType your destination and pick a car type. Express is the standard cheap tier and fine for almost everything.
English search usually finds hotels, airports, and major sights, but keep your hotel's name in Chinese characters saved in your notes — pasting it into the search box removes all doubt.
Before you confirm, Didi shows the fare up front or as a tight estimate. That number is the deal: no negotiation, no "special price," and payment settles automatically through your linked card or wallet when the ride ends.
Once matched, you will see the plate number, car model, and color. Memorize the last few plate characters — that is how you spot your car at a crowded curb.
This is the moment that catches every first-timer. The car pulls up, the window drops, and the driver says something short that sounds like "wěihào?" They are asking for the last four digits of the phone number on your booking — 尾号 (wěihào), literally "tail number." It is Didi's standard check that you are the right passenger.
One twist: in phone numbers, Chinese speakers read the digit 1 as yāo (幺), not yī, because yī and qī (7) are too easy to confuse over an engine. If your number ends in 1379, say "yāo sān qī jiǔ."
Swap in your own digits: líng 零 (0), yāo 幺 (1), èr 二 (2), sān 三 (3), sì 四 (4), wǔ 五 (5), liù 六 (6), qī 七 (7), bā 八 (8), jiǔ 九 (9).
If four tones through a car window feels like a lot, the China Survival Kit app has a Didi tail-number card: enter your digits and it plays them in Joy's recorded voice, read the phone-number way. Hold your phone to the window and you are done.
Can't find each other? The in-app chat translates automatically, so type in English. Face to face, this works too:
Airports and major train stations do not let ride-hailing cars stop wherever they like. There is a designated pickup zone, signposted 网约车 (wǎngyuēchē, "online-booked car"), often one level or a short walk away from the taxi rank.
After you book, the app tells you exactly which point to walk to — follow its map instead of waiting at the terminal doors. Drivers cannot idle long in these zones, so head there as soon as you are matched.
Landing soon? Our airport arrival guide covers SIM cards, the arrivals sequence, and how to walk past the unofficial "taxi? taxi?" touts on your way to the real pickup zone.
Sometimes Didi is not the answer — your battery is dying, the wait is long, or you are somewhere small where empty cabs cruise past constantly. Official taxis are fine: look for the roof light and a meter on the dashboard.
Show your destination in Chinese characters, then say one phrase:
When you are close and want out:
This phrase and the rest of the taxi essentials are in Joy's free 30-phrase audio guide, recorded slowly so you can hear the tones before you need them.
For many travelers yes, as of 2026, but acceptance varies by card and country. Add your card before you fly and set up Alipay as a backup — Didi runs as a mini-program inside it.
Usually not, but you rarely need it. Your destination is in the app, the in-app chat auto-translates, and the only spoken moment is confirming the last four digits of your phone number at pickup.
The last four digits of the phone number on your booking — 尾号 means "tail number." Answer digit by digit, and read the digit 1 as yāo, not yī.
Registering with an international number has worked for most travelers as of 2026, but rules change — test the app at home before your trip.
Fares are usually similar. Didi's real advantage is the upfront price and typed destination, not big savings over the meter.
Every phrase on this page — and 200+ more — lives in the China Survival Kit app: tap to show it big, play it in teacher Joy's real voice, and let locals tap their answer back. Works 100% offline.
Get the appFree 30-phrase audio guide