可以用交通卡吗？
kěyǐ yòng jiāotōng kǎ ma?
Can I pay with a transport card?
How to ask which metro line to take in Chinese
要坐几号线？
yào zuò jǐ hào xiàn?
Which line should I take?
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
要 (yào) means 'need to', 坐 (zuò) means 'take/ride', 几 (jǐ) means 'which' (for numbers), 号 (hào) means 'number', and 线 (xiàn) means 'line'. Together it's literally 'Need to take which number line?'
Variations and politeness
请问要坐几号线？
qǐng wèn yào zuò jǐ hào xiàn?
Excuse me, which line should I take? — More polite because it starts with '请问' (excuse me).
坐几号线？
zuò jǐ hào xiàn?
Which line to take? — Shorter and more casual, omitting '要'.
Mini dialogue
A
请问要坐几号线？
qǐng wèn yào zuò jǐ hào xiàn?
Excuse me, which line should I take?
B
你要坐五号线。
nǐ yào zuò wǔ hào xiàn.
You need to take line 5.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you are in a metro station and need to know which line goes to your destination.
- When asking a station attendant or a local for directions.
Avoid when
- When asking about a bus or other non-metro transport; this phrase is specific to metro lines.
- When you already know the line number but need to confirm the direction; this phrase asks for the line, not the direction.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'Which line should I take?' in Chinese?
You say '要坐几号线？' (yào zuò jǐ hào xiàn?).
How do you pronounce '要坐几号线？'?
It is pronounced 'yào zuò jǐ hào xiàn?' with the tones: yào (4th tone), zuò (4th tone), jǐ (3rd tone), hào (4th tone), xiàn (4th tone).
When do you use '要坐几号线？'?
Use it when you are in a metro station and need to ask which line to take to reach your destination.
More phrases for this situation
Tomyo
Learn Chinese with spaced repetition
Remember 要坐几号线？ and hundreds of other phrases with smart reviews, audio and examples.