Hailing a bus (put your arm out)
HAYL /heɪl/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
At many UK bus stops, the bus will NOT stop unless you signal. As your bus approaches, stretch your arm out towards the road. If you just stand there looking at your phone, it may drive straight past.
Chinese explanation
在英国许多公交站，你不招手公交车是不停的。看到你要坐的车驶近时，向马路方向伸出手臂示意。如果只顾低头看手机，车可能直接开过去。
Example conversation
A: The bus just drove past us!
B: You have to put your arm out to hail it, or the driver assumes you are waiting for a different bus.
A：公交车刚才直接开过去了！
B：你得伸手招一下，不然司机会以为你在等别的车。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
All Transport
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake