Pelican crossing
PEL-i-kun /ˈpelɪkən/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
A crossing with traffic lights and a button. Press the button and wait for the green man before crossing. A flashing green man means finish crossing but do not start.
Chinese explanation
带红绿灯和按钮的人行横道。按下按钮，等绿色小人亮起再过马路。绿色小人闪烁表示已在路上的人快走完，还没开始过的不要过。
Example conversation
A: The light is not changing.
B: You have to press the button on the pole. Now wait for the green man.
A：灯怎么一直不变？
B：你得按一下柱子上的按钮，然后等绿色小人亮。
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