Book 1, Lesson 8: Transportation and Travel

Lesson 8 gets you moving.

Note: This page serves as a companion to the A Course in Contemporary Chinese series by the Mandarin Training Center of the National Taiwan Normal University. You can use this post as a reference, but we strongly advise you to purchase the book to get the full didactic value it offers.

After learning to tell time and make appointments in Lesson 7, Book 1 Lesson 8 of A Course in Contemporary Chinese (Dangdai) introduces the vocabulary of transportation—trains, buses, scooters, and the high-speed rail that connects Taiwan’s cities.

Taiwan has excellent public transportation, but navigating it requires specific vocabulary. Whether you are catching the 高鐵 to Tainan, riding the 捷運 across Taipei, or hopping on the back of a friend’s 機車, this lesson gives you the words to get where you are going.

The Theme: Getting Around

The scenario of Lesson 8 revolves around travel and transportation choices. People discuss how to get from one city to another, compare travel options, and make plans to visit famous sites. It is the vocabulary of movement and exploration.

The vocabulary divides into several categories:

Modes of Transportation

The vehicles that move you around Taiwan: 火車 (train), 高鐵 (high-speed rail), 捷運 (MRT/subway), 公車 (bus), 計程車 (taxi), 機車 (scooter). Each has its place in Taiwanese life.

Travel Verbs

Actions related to transportation: 坐 (to sit/ride), 騎 (to ride), 載 (to give a ride), 參觀 (to visit/tour). Different vehicles require different verbs.

Comparison Words

Vocabulary for evaluating options: 比 (compared to), 比較 (relatively), 快 (fast), 慢 (slow), 舒服 (comfortable). Essential for discussing which transportation method to choose.

Travel Infrastructure

The systems that support movement: 站 (station), 車票 (ticket), 網路上 (online), 便利商店 (convenience store). The practical vocabulary of buying tickets and finding stations.

Destinations

Places worth visiting: 臺南 (Tainan), 故宮博物院 (National Palace Museum), 中國 (China). The destinations that make travel worthwhile.

Vocabulary Table

Click any character to view stroke order, pronunciation, and example sentences in our dictionary.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning	Type
坐	zuò	to sit; to ride (vehicle)	Verb
火車	huǒchē	train	Noun
跟	gēn	with; and; to follow	Preposition/Verb
玩	wán	to play; to have fun; to visit (for fun)	Verb
怎麼	zěnme	how; why	Question word
慢	màn	slow	Adjective
鐘頭	zhōngtóu	hour	Noun
比較	bǐjiào	relatively; comparatively; to compare	Adverb/Verb
快	kuài	fast; quick	Adjective
車票	chēpiào	ticket (for vehicle)	Noun
非常	fēicháng	very; extremely	Adverb
但是	dànshì	but; however	Conjunction
又	yòu	again; also; both…and	Adverb
舒服	shūfu	comfortable	Adjective
站	zhàn	station; stop; to stand	Noun/Verb
或是	huòshì	or	Conjunction
臺南	Táinán	Tainan (city in southern Taiwan)	Proper noun
高鐵	gāotiě	high-speed rail (HSR)	Noun
網路上	wǎnglù shàng	online; on the internet	Phrase
便利商店	biànlì shāngdiàn	convenience store	Noun
同學	tóngxué	classmate	Noun
參觀	cānguān	to visit; to tour	Verb
古代	gǔdài	ancient times; antiquity	Noun
騎	qí	to ride (bicycle, motorcycle)	Verb
機車	jīchē	scooter; motorcycle	Noun
載	zài	to carry; to give a ride	Verb
捷運	jiéyùn	MRT; subway (Taiwan)	Noun
比	bǐ	compared to; than	Preposition
故宮博物院	Gùgōng Bówùyuàn	National Palace Museum	Proper noun
中國	Zhōngguó	China	Proper noun
公共汽車	gōnggòng qìchē	bus	Noun
公車	gōngchē	bus (abbreviated)	Noun
不行	bù xíng	not okay; won’t work; no way	Phrase
計程車	jìchéngchē	taxi	Noun
差不多	chàbùduō	almost; about the same	Adverb/Adjective

Key Grammar

坐 vs 騎 — How to “Ride”

Mandarin uses different verbs depending on the vehicle:

坐 (zuò) — for vehicles you sit inside:

坐火車 — to take the train
坐高鐵 — to take the high-speed rail
坐捷運 — to take the MRT
坐公車 — to take the bus
坐計程車 — to take a taxi

騎 (qí) — for vehicles you straddle:

騎機車 — to ride a scooter
騎腳踏車 — to ride a bicycle

This distinction is important. 坐機車 sounds wrong to native speakers—you 騎 a scooter, you don’t 坐 it (unless you are a passenger).

比 — Making Comparisons

比 creates comparative sentences:

Structure: A + 比 + B + Adjective

高鐵比火車快。 — The HSR is faster than the train.
捷運比公車方便。 — The MRT is more convenient than the bus.
計程車比公車貴。 — Taxis are more expensive than buses.

To express “how much more,” add a quantity after the adjective:

高鐵比火車快兩個鐘頭。 — The HSR is two hours faster than the train.

比較 — “Relatively”

比較 softens comparisons or expresses preference:

我比較喜歡坐火車。 — I relatively prefer taking the train. (I prefer taking the train.)
高鐵比較舒服。 — The HSR is relatively comfortable. (The HSR is more comfortable.)
這個比較好。 — This one is relatively better. (This one is better.)

比較 is softer than 比—it suggests preference without direct comparison.

又…又… — “Both…and…”

又 links two qualities:

高鐵又快又舒服。 — The HSR is both fast and comfortable.
這個地方又遠又貴。 — This place is both far and expensive.
她又漂亮又聰明。 — She is both beautiful and smart.

This pattern emphasizes that something has multiple qualities simultaneously.

怎麼 — “How” and “Why”

怎麼 has two main uses:

Asking “how”:

你怎麼去臺南？ — How do you get to Tainan?
怎麼買票？ — How do you buy tickets?

Expressing surprise or asking “why”:

你怎麼還沒來？ — Why haven’t you come yet?
怎麼這麼貴？ — Why is it so expensive?

Context determines the meaning.

或是 vs 還是 — Two Types of “Or”

或是 (huòshì) — “or” in statements:

你可以坐火車或是高鐵。 — You can take the train or the HSR.
網路上或是便利商店都可以買票。 — You can buy tickets online or at a convenience store.

還是 (háishi) — “or” in questions:

你要坐火車還是高鐵？ — Do you want to take the train or the HSR?

Remember: statements use 或是; questions use 還是.

差不多 — “Almost/About the Same”

差不多 expresses approximation or similarity:

時間差不多了。 — It’s almost time.
價錢差不多。 — The prices are about the same.
火車跟高鐵的時間差不多。 — The train and HSR times are about the same.

Time Duration: 鐘頭

鐘頭 measures hours of duration:

坐火車要四個鐘頭。 — Taking the train requires four hours.
高鐵只要一個半鐘頭。 — The HSR only takes one and a half hours.

Note: 鐘頭 is for duration; 點 is for clock time. “Two hours” is 兩個鐘頭, not 兩點.

Cultural Notes

高鐵 — Taiwan’s Pride

台灣高鐵 (Taiwan High Speed Rail) is one of Taiwan’s great infrastructure achievements. Opened in 2007, it connects Taipei to Kaohsiung in approximately 90 minutes—a journey that takes 4-5 hours by conventional train.

Key facts:

Speed: Up to 300 km/h
Route: Taipei (南港/台北) to Kaohsiung (左營)
Frequency: Every 15-30 minutes during peak times
Stations: 12 stations along the west coast

Buying tickets:

網路上 — Online via the THSR website or app
便利商店 — At 7-Eleven, FamilyMart (using ibon/FamiPort machines)
車站 — At the station ticket counters or machines

The phrase 我要坐高鐵去臺南 (I’m taking the HSR to Tainan) is something you will say—and hear—constantly as a student in Taiwan. Weekend trips to central and southern Taiwan become easy and affordable.

Early bird discounts (早鳥票) of up to 35% off are available if you book in advance. Student discounts also exist with a valid student ID.

機車 — Taiwan’s Ubiquitous Scooter

機車 (jīchē) refers to scooters and motorcycles, and they are everywhere in Taiwan. With over 14 million registered scooters for a population of 24 million, Taiwan has one of the highest scooter densities in the world.

The word 機車 has a second, slang meaning: “annoying” or “difficult.” If someone says 你很機車, they are not complimenting your scooter—they are calling you annoying. Context makes the meaning clear.

Scooter culture vocabulary:

騎機車 — to ride a scooter
載 — to give someone a ride (on the back)
安全帽 — helmet (required by law)
加油站 — gas station
停車格 — parking space

As a foreign student, you may be offered rides by classmates: 我載你吧 (Let me give you a ride). Riding on the back of a scooter is a quintessential Taiwan experience—and often the fastest way to navigate city traffic.

Renting scooters requires an international driver’s license or a Taiwanese license. Many students eventually get licensed, as scooters dramatically expand mobility outside of Taipei’s MRT network.

臺南 — Taiwan’s Cultural Capital

臺南 (Táinán) appears in this lesson as a travel destination, and it deserves special attention. As Taiwan’s oldest city, Tainan is considered the cultural and culinary heart of the island.

Why students visit Tainan:

歷史古蹟 — Historical sites including temples, forts, and old streets
小吃 — Tainan is famous for its unique snacks and dishes
安平古堡 — Anping Fort, dating to the Dutch colonial era
赤崁樓 — Chikan Tower, a historic landmark
神農街 — Shennong Street, a beautifully preserved old street

Tainan’s food culture is distinct from Taipei. Local specialties include:

擔仔麵 — Danzai noodles
棺材板 — Coffin bread (a thick toast filled with creamy seafood)
蝦仁飯 — Shrimp rice
牛肉湯 — Beef soup (a breakfast tradition)

The phrase 我想去臺南玩 (I want to visit Tainan for fun) is common among MTC students. A weekend trip via 高鐵 takes only 90 minutes from Taipei and offers a completely different atmosphere from the capital.

故宮博物院 — The National Palace Museum

故宮博物院 (Gùgōng Bówùyuàn), commonly shortened to 故宮 (Gùgōng), houses one of the world’s largest collections of Chinese art and artifacts—over 700,000 pieces spanning thousands of years.

The collection was originally housed in Beijing’s Forbidden City (also called 故宮). During the Chinese Civil War, the Nationalist government transported the most valuable pieces to Taiwan, where they remain today.

Famous items include:

翠玉白菜 — The Jadeite Cabbage, an intricately carved jade sculpture
肉形石 — The Meat-shaped Stone, a piece of jasper that looks like braised pork belly
毛公鼎 — The Mao Gong Ding, an ancient bronze vessel

Visiting vocabulary:

參觀 — to visit/tour
古代 — ancient times
文物 — cultural artifacts
展覽 — exhibition

The museum is located in Taipei’s Shilin District. Many MTC classes include a field trip to 故宮, making this vocabulary immediately practical. When classmates ask 你去過故宮嗎？(Have you been to the Palace Museum?), you should have an answer ready.

捷運 vs 地鐵 — Taiwan vs Mainland Vocabulary

This lesson highlights an important vocabulary difference between Taiwan and Mainland China [9].

In Taiwan, the subway/metro system is called 捷運 (jiéyùn). In Mainland China, it is called 地鐵 (dìtiě).

This is one of many vocabulary differences:

English	Taiwan	Mainland
Subway/MRT	捷運	地鐵
Taxi	計程車	出租車
Bus	公車	公交車
Scooter	機車	摩托車

If you study with Dangdai and learn Taiwanese vocabulary, you will be well-prepared for life in Taiwan and for the TOCFL exam [9]. However, be aware that these terms differ if you later travel to Mainland China.

便利商店 — The Convenience Store as Travel Hub

便利商店 appears in this lesson in the context of buying train tickets, which reflects an important reality: Taiwan’s convenience stores are transportation hubs.

At 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, you can:

Buy high-speed rail tickets
Buy train tickets
Buy bus tickets
Pick up tickets purchased online
Pay for transportation-related fees

The machines used are called ibon (7-Eleven) and FamiPort (FamilyMart). They have English interfaces and are essential tools for travel in Taiwan.

The phrase 我在便利商店買票 (I bought tickets at the convenience store) is completely normal in Taiwan—and often more convenient than buying at the station.