In British English, a minicab is a taxi you cannot just wave down in the street. You have to order it — by telephone, and now often with an app. In London the famous black cabs may pick you up from the kerb; a minicab is private hire, and it should be booked first.

In British English在英式英文裡, a minicabminicab is是 a taxi一種計程車 you cannot just wave down in the street你不能在路邊隨便招手攔的. You你 have to order it得先叫車 — by telephone用電話, and now often with an app現在也常常用app. In London在倫敦, the famous black cabs知名的black cab黑頭計程車 may pick you up from the kerb可以讓你在路邊招手上車; a minicabminicab is private hire則是私人預約的車, and it should be booked first得先訂車.

The car itself is often an ordinary car, not a special high taxi. That is the messy truth: the “mini” does not really tell you the car is tiny. Students hear mini- and think “small taxi”. Native speakers are talking about the kind of service, not the size.

The car itself車子本身 is often通常 an ordinary car就是一台普通的車, not不是 a special high taxi什麼特別高的計程車. That is這就是 the messy truth麻煩的真相: the "mini"這個『mini』 does not really tell you其實不是在告訴你 the car is tiny車子很小. Students學生 hear mini-一聽到mini- and think就會想成 "small taxi"『小計程車』. Native speakers以英文為母語的人 are talking about講的其實是 the kind of service服務的種類, not不是 the size車子大小.

The word is strongly British. American English uses cab or taxi for the vehicle, and private hire or a booked car for this kind of ride. In Taiwan you already live this split: waving down a 小黃 versus calling a fleet.

The word這個字 is strongly British很英式. American English美式英文 uses cab or taxi對車子本身用cab或taxi for the vehicle, and而 private hire or a booked car用private hire或booked car for this kind of ride來說這種叫車方式. In Taiwan在台灣 you你 already live this split其實早就活在這種差別裡了: waving down a 小黃路邊招小黃, versus跟 calling a fleet打電話叫車隊, 是兩回事.

Minicab is the called-ahead kind in the UK. It can also be a verb there (to minicab = to drive that kind of taxi for a living), but the noun is what learners meet.

MinicabMinicab is指的就是 the called-ahead kind這種先預約好的 in the UK在英國. It它 can also be a verb在那邊也可以當動詞用 there (to minicab = to drive that kind of taxi for a living)（to minicab＝以開這種計程車維生）, but但是 the noun名詞 is what learners meet才是學習者會遇到的.