Xia yi ge honglvdeng zuo zhuan: Turn left at the light

下一个红绿灯左转。

xià yí ge hónglǜdēng zuǒ zhuǎn

At the next traffic light turn left

Character breakdown

下

xià

一个

one

yí ge

红

red

hóng

绿

green

lǜ

灯

light

dēng

左

left

zuǒ

转

turn

zhuǎn

Grammar and structure

'Xia yi ge' means 'next one', 'honglvdeng' is 'traffic light', 'zuo zhuan' is 'turn left'. The order is time/place first, then action.

Variations and politeness

下一个红绿灯右转

xià yí ge hónglǜdēng yòu zhuǎn

At the next traffic light turn right. — Changes the direction from left to right.

请在下一个红绿灯左转

qǐng zài xià yí ge hónglǜdēng zuǒ zhuǎn

Please turn left at the next traffic light. — Adds 'please' for a more polite request.

Mini dialogue

请问，怎么去火车站？

qǐng wèn, zěnme qù huǒchēzhàn?

Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?

在下一个红绿灯左转。

zài xià yí ge hónglǜdēng zuǒ zhuǎn.

At the next traffic light turn left.

When to use it

Appropriate

When giving directions to a taxi or ride-share driver.
When you want to instruct someone to turn left at the upcoming traffic light.

Avoid when

When you need to be extra polite or formal; the phrase is direct and may sound abrupt.
When the traffic light is not the immediate next one; use a different landmark or specify the distance.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'turn left at the next traffic light' in Chinese?

You say 'xià yí ge hónglǜdēng zuǒ zhuǎn' (下一个红绿灯左转).

How do you pronounce 'xià yí ge hónglǜdēng zuǒ zhuǎn'?

It is pronounced roughly as 'shyah ee guh hong-lyoo-dung dzwaw jwan', with the tones: xià (4th), yí (2nd), ge (neutral), hóng (2nd), lǜ (4th), dēng (1st), zuǒ (3rd), zhuǎn (3rd).

When do you use 'xià yí ge hónglǜdēng zuǒ zhuǎn'?

Use it when giving directions in a taxi or car, telling the driver to turn left at the next traffic light. It is direct and commonly understood in such situations.