Flag down Meaning in English
expression
Definition
To signal for a moving vehicle, especially a taxi or bus, to stop by waving your hand or making a gesture.
Usage & Nuances
Informal, common in cities when needing to stop a taxi or bus ('flag down a cab'). Always implies physical signaling, not just calling. Not used for stopping people on foot.
Spanish: hacer señas para detener - parar (un taxi, un coche) con señasPortuguese (BR): chamar (com sinal) - acenar para pararPortuguese (PT): mandar parar (com aceno) - acenar para pararChinese (Simplified): 挥手示意停车 - 招手拦车Chinese (Traditional): 揮手示意停車 - 招手攔車Hindi: इशारे से रोकना - हाथ हिलाकर रोकनाArabic: يُشير لإيقاف (سيارة أو تاكسي)Bengali: হাত দেখিয়ে থামানো - ইশারায় থামানোRussian: остановить жестом - остановить взмахом рукиJapanese: 手を振って止めるVietnamese: vẫy xe - ra hiệu cho xe dừng lạiKorean: 손을 흔들어 세우다Turkish: el sallayarak durdurmakUrdu: ہاتھ ہلا کر روکناIndonesian: menghentikan (kendaraan) dengan melambaikan tangan
Example Sentences
We finally managed to flag down a truck to give us a lift.
natural
Don’t worry, I’ll flag down the next available taxi.
natural
He tried to flag down a taxi on the busy street.
basic
You can flag down a bus if there is no stop nearby.
basic
She stood on the corner to flag down a cab.
basic
It's so hard to flag down a ride when it's raining.
natural