Sit the elevator or take the elevator in Chinese? Funny story…

You might have noticed if you say ‘take the elevator’ in Chinese, it actually translates to ‘sit the elevator’. Interesting right? Many of our of students ask us why Chinese people say “to sit the elevator” instead of “to take” it.  🛋️

Mr. Li has broken it down in our short video to help you understand! Don’t forget to check the transcript underneath and if you’re feeling brave… why not book a free trial class to practise using it? 😉

👉 The regular usage of 坐

The most common meaning of 坐 zuò is, of course, “to sit”. This is the first meaning you are taught when start learning Chinese.

For example:

▪️ 坐椅子
▪️ zuò yǐzi
▪️ to sit on a chair

👉 坐 + elevator = “to take the elevator” in Chinese

When you say “坐 zuò + elevator”, you use the second meaning of 坐 zuò, “to take” (a certain means of transportation).

You can easily use it with any form of transport, which includes buses, subways, planes, and.. elevators, of course! In this setting, it also means ‘to take’ and doesn’t need to be translated literally.

For example:

▪️ 坐公交车上班
▪️ zuò gōngjiāochē shàngbān
▪️ to take a bus to work

👉 What is 乘坐 chéngzuò?

If you ever travel to China by plane, you must have heard this kind of announcements:

▪️ 欢迎乘坐。。。航班
▪️ Huānyíng chéngzuò … hángbān
▪️ Welcome on board of this flight…

💡 Actually, the verb 乘坐 chéngzuò is nothing more but a formal version of 坐 zuò. In spoken Chinese, we usually just say “坐 zuò”.

What other means of transportation can you 坐 zuò？

To take the elevator in Chinese – tricky or not?

Despite the initial confusion of translation, it’s actually pretty simple. We think there are much harder elements of Chinese to master, such as the different uses for ‘can’ or the past tense in Chinese.

Let us know on social media how you found the introduction. If you have any questions, we’ll be happy to answer and help you get ready to take the HSK test!