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Unit 5 · Metro & bus Lesson 31 7 min Premium in the app

Wrong train, missed stop and getting help

Handle taking the wrong train or bus, missing a stop, asking how to go back, getting help from staff, and dealing with lost cards or ticket problems. Futian Station, Shenzhen, a maze of metro and rail lines underground. You've just gone one stop too far.

坐过

Key phrases

The 6 phrases this lesson is built around, with the words that make them up. Tap ▶ to listen, or the turtle to hear it slowly.

  • 我好像坐错车了。

    Wǒ hǎoxiàng zuò cuò chē le.

    I think I took the wrong vehicle.

    • 我Wǒ
    • 好像hǎoxiàng
    • 坐zuò
    • 错cuò
    • 车chē
    • 了le

  • 我是不是坐反方向了？

    Wǒ shì bu shì zuò fǎn fāngxiàng le?

    Am I going in the opposite direction?

    • 我Wǒ
    • 是shì
    • 不bu
    • 是shì
    • 坐zuò
    • 反fǎn
    • 方向fāngxiàng
    • 了le

  • 我坐过站了。

    Wǒ zuò guò zhàn le.

    I missed my stop.

    • 我Wǒ
    • 坐zuò
    • 过guò
    • 站zhàn
    • 了le

  • 我怎么回去？

    Wǒ zěnme huíqù?

    How do I go back?

    • 我Wǒ
    • 怎么zěnme
    • 回去huíqù

  • 我要重新买票吗？

    Wǒ yào chóngxīn mǎi piào ma?

    Do I need to buy another ticket?

    • 我Wǒ
    • 要yào
    • 重新chóngxīn
    • 买mǎi
    • 票piào
    • 吗ma

  • 我迷路了，请帮帮我。

    Wǒ mílù le, qǐng bāngbang wǒ.

    I am lost. Please help me.

    • 我Wǒ
    • 迷路mílù
    • 了le
    • 请qǐng
    • 帮帮bāngbang
    • 我wǒ

More phrases for this situation

Every other phrase from the lesson: 17 in all.

  • 我坐错地铁了吗？

    Wǒ zuò cuò dìtiě le ma?

    Did I take the wrong metro?

  • 我坐错公交了吗？

    Wǒ zuò cuò gōngjiāo le ma?

    Did I take the wrong bus?

  • 我应该在哪里下车？

    Wǒ yīnggāi zài nǎlǐ xiàchē?

    Where should I get off?

  • 我要回到上一站。

    Wǒ yào huí dào shàng yí zhàn.

    I need to go back to the previous stop.

  • 这张票还能用吗？

    Zhè zhāng piào hái néng yòng ma?

    Can I still use this ticket?

  • 我的交通卡不能用了。

    Wǒ de jiāotōng kǎ bù néng yòng le.

    My transit card no longer works.

  • 我的交通卡丢了。

    Wǒ de jiāotōng kǎ diū le.

    I lost my transit card.

  • 我的车票丢了。

    Wǒ de chēpiào diū le.

    I lost my ticket.

  • 我出不了站。

    Wǒ chū bù liǎo zhàn.

    I cannot exit the station.

  • 我找不到出口。

    Wǒ zhǎo bú dào chūkǒu.

    I cannot find the exit.

  • 我找不到换乘口。

    Wǒ zhǎo bú dào huànchéng kǒu.

    I cannot find the transfer entrance.

  • 可以帮我看一下路线吗？

    Kěyǐ bāng wǒ kàn yíxià lùxiàn ma?

    Could you help me check the route?

  • 请告诉我应该怎么走。

    Qǐng gàosu wǒ yīnggāi zěnme zǒu.

    Please tell me how I should go.

  • 请带我去服务台。

    Qǐng dài wǒ qù fúwùtái.

    Please take me to the service desk.

  • 请帮我找工作人员。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ zhǎo gōngzuò rényuán.

    Please help me find a staff member.

  • 请帮我写下来。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ xiě xiàlái.

    Please write it down for me.

  • 谢谢您的帮助。

    Xièxie nín de bāngzhù.

    Thank you for your help.

What you’ll hear, and how to answer

Staff won’t follow your script. These are things they are likely to say here, with a reply that works.

  1. Staff

    您好，怎么了？

    Nín hǎo, zěnme le?

    Hello, what's wrong?

    You

    我迷路了，请帮帮我。

    Wǒ mílù le, qǐng bāngbang wǒ.

    I am lost. Please help me.

  2. Staff

    到对面站台，坐反方向。

    Dào duìmiàn zhàntái, zuò fǎn fāngxiàng.

    Go to the opposite platform and ride the other way.

    You

    我要重新买票吗？

    Wǒ yào chóngxīn mǎi piào ma?

    Do I need to buy another ticket?

Play the scene

Futian Station, Shenzhen, a maze of metro and rail lines underground. You've just gone one stop too far.

深圳·福田站 · Futian Station, Shenzhen

  1. Staff

    您好，怎么了？

    Nín hǎo, zěnme le?

    Hello, what's wrong?

  2. You

    我坐过站了。

    Wǒ zuò guò zhàn le.

    I missed my stop.

  3. Staff

    没事，坐回去一站就到。

    Méi shì, zuò huíqù yí zhàn jiù dào.

    Don't worry. Go back one stop and you're there.

  4. You

    我怎么回去？

    Wǒ zěnme huíqù?

    How do I go back?

  5. Staff

    到对面站台，坐反方向。

    Dào duìmiàn zhàntái, zuò fǎn fāngxiàng.

    Go to the opposite platform and ride the other way.

  6. You

    我要重新买票吗？

    Wǒ yào chóngxīn mǎi piào ma?

    Do I need to buy another ticket?

  7. Staff

    不用买票，不出站就行。

    Bú yòng mǎi piào, bù chū zhàn jiù xíng.

    No new ticket needed, as long as you don't exit.

  8. You

    谢谢您的帮助。

    Xièxie nín de bāngzhù.

    Thank you for your help.

Culture tip

Go to the service desk

The service desk can usually help with ticket problems, lost cards, exit issues, and route questions.

Which phrase means “I missed my stop”?

Show the answer

我坐过站了。 — I missed my stop.

Go deeper

Background for this situation: key words, what to expect and a few more short dialogues.

Key Wrong Route and Help Terms

坐错车 To take the wrong vehicle. It can refer to the wrong metro, bus, train, or direction.

我好像坐错车了。 Wǒ hǎoxiàng zuò cuò chē le. I think I took the wrong vehicle.

坐反方向 To travel in the opposite direction. This often happens on metro lines or bus routes with two directions.

我是不是坐反方向了？ Wǒ shì bu shì zuò fǎn fāngxiàng le? Am I going in the opposite direction?

坐过站 To miss your stop by staying on too long. Use this when you passed your intended station or stop.

我坐过站了。 Wǒ zuò guò zhàn le. I missed my stop.

上一站 Previous stop or station. Use this when you need to go back one stop.

我要回到上一站。 Wǒ yào huí dào shàng yí zhàn. I need to go back to the previous stop.

换乘口 Transfer entrance or passage. Use this inside stations when looking for where to change lines.

我找不到换乘口。 Wǒ zhǎo bú dào huànchéng kǒu. I cannot find the transfer entrance.

工作人员 Staff member. In stations, staff can help with routes, tickets, cards, gates, and lost items.

请帮我找工作人员。 Qǐng bāng wǒ zhǎo gōngzuò rényuán. Please help me find a staff member.

Wrong Route Recovery Flow

Step 1: Explain the problem

Say whether you took the wrong metro, wrong bus, wrong direction, or missed your stop.

Step 2: Ask where to get off

Ask 我应该在哪里下车？ so you do not continue in the wrong direction.

Step 3: Ask how to go back

Ask 我怎么回去？ or 我要回到上一站 if you need to return to the previous stop.

Step 4: Check ticket or card rules

Ask whether your ticket can still be used or whether you need to buy another ticket.

Step 5: Ask staff for help

If you are lost, cannot exit, or cannot find the transfer entrance, ask staff or go to the service desk.

Useful Help Patterns

我好像……了 Use this when you are not completely sure but think something happened.

我好像坐错车了。 Wǒ hǎoxiàng zuò cuò chē le. I think I took the wrong vehicle.

我是不是……了？ Use this to confirm whether you made a mistake.

我是不是坐反方向了？ Wǒ shì bu shì zuò fǎn fāngxiàng le? Am I going in the opposite direction?

我怎么……？ Use this to ask how to return, exit, transfer, or continue.

我怎么回去？ Wǒ zěnme huíqù? How do I go back?

请帮我…… Use this to ask someone to help check a route, find staff, or write information down.

请帮我找工作人员。 Qǐng bāng wǒ zhǎo gōngzuò rényuán. Please help me find a staff member.

Ticket and Card Problem Tips

Lost ticket

If you lose your ticket, go to staff or the service desk before trying to exit.

Transit card not working

A card may fail because of low balance, card damage, wrong gate, or system error.

Need to buy another ticket

Rules vary by city and station. Ask staff before buying another ticket.

Station Help Tips

Go to the service desk

The service desk can usually help with ticket problems, lost cards, exit issues, and route questions.

Show your destination

If you cannot explain clearly, show the station name, address, or map on your phone.

Ask someone to write it down

If you cannot understand spoken directions, ask staff to write the route, line number, or station name.

Interactive Scenarios

Wrong direction

  • Traveler我是不是坐反方向了？

    Wǒ shì bu shì zuò fǎn fāngxiàng le?

    Am I going in the opposite direction?

  • Traveler我应该在哪里下车？

    Wǒ yīnggāi zài nǎlǐ xiàchē?

    Where should I get off?

  • Traveler我怎么回去？

    Wǒ zěnme huíqù?

    How do I go back?

Ticket or card problem

  • Traveler这张票还能用吗？

    Zhè zhāng piào hái néng yòng ma?

    Can I still use this ticket?

  • Traveler我的交通卡不能用了。

    Wǒ de jiāotōng kǎ bù néng yòng le.

    My transit card no longer works.

  • Traveler我要重新买票吗？

    Wǒ yào chóngxīn mǎi piào ma?

    Do I need to buy another ticket?

Lost in the station

  • Traveler我找不到出口。

    Wǒ zhǎo bú dào chūkǒu.

    I cannot find the exit.

  • Traveler我找不到换乘口。

    Wǒ zhǎo bú dào huànchéng kǒu.

    I cannot find the transfer entrance.

  • Traveler请帮我找工作人员。

    Qǐng bāng wǒ zhǎo gōngzuò rényuán.

    Please help me find a staff member.

Mini Quiz

How do you say “I think I took the wrong vehicle”?
  • 我好像坐错车了。 ✓ Answer
  • 我好像买错票了。
  • 我好像找不到出口。
Which phrase means “I missed my stop”?
  • 我坐过站了。 ✓ Answer
  • 我坐错公交了吗？
  • 我出不了站。
How do you ask “Do I need to buy another ticket?”
  • 我要重新买票吗？ ✓ Answer
  • 我要重新上车吗？
  • 我要重新换钱吗？
Which phrase asks someone to help find a staff member?
  • 请帮我找工作人员。 ✓ Answer
  • 请帮我找出租车。
  • 请帮我找发票。

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