<blockquote>
  <p>Does 让 here mean, I can get them to take a ride in my taxi and also I
  can get them to hire my taxi (as in for several hours).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes, you are right. In this case, the taxi driver is boasting his ability to persuade foreigners to ride in his cab and to even hire it for exclusive use over a period of time.</p>

<p>According to <a href="http://www.zdic.net/zd/zi/ZdicE8ZdicAEZdicA9.htm" rel="nofollow">汉典</a>, <strong>让</strong>(ràng  ㄖㄤˋ) has the following meanings</p>

<p>　1. 不争，尽（jǐn）着旁人：～步。～位。谦～。 (yield, give up)</p>

<p>　2. 请：～茶。 (offer)</p>

<p>　3. 许，使：不～他来。 (make, get)</p>

<p>　4. 任凭：～他闹去。 (let, allow)</p>

<p>　5. 被：～雨淋了。 (<em>indicates passive voice</em>)</p>

<p>　6. 索取一定代价，把东西给人：出～。转（zhuǎn ）～。(trade)</p>

<p>　7. 闪避：～开。当仁不～。 (excuse)</p>

<p>　8. 责备，谴责：“二世使人～章邯”。</p>

<p>　9. 古同“攘”，侵夺。</p>

<p>From the context given, the taxi driver is certainly not boasting about offering a free ride to foreigners but his glib of tongue in getting (使, the third meaning) them to hire his service.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-03T05:32:59.520Z
2012-10-04T03:15:45.263Z
2012-10-04T03:15:45.263Z
杨以轩
<p>让 has a lot of different meanings in Chinese. You need to consider the context to figure out the exact meaning. (not only the literally context but also some other aspects, like the tone)</p>

<p>In this case, I think the driver is showing off his tricks/capabilities to persuade/convince foreigners to hire him as a driver (that he can get more payment than just ordinary operation). Many taxi driver told me the exact same thing.</p>

<p>To know whether it's a "tricks-persuade" or "capabilities-convince", you need to provide me more context :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-06T03:52:43.927Z
2012-10-06T03:52:43.927Z
AGamePlayer
<p>我不但能够让外国人坐我的车，还能够让他包我的车。</p>

<p>I would translate it as follows, (assuming it is uttered by a taxi driver)</p>

<p>Assumption:- The taxi driver could be informing that he has some special permit to not only hire out his taxi on a metered-mileage basis, but also hire it out as a time package-hire.  </p>

<p>我不但... I not only </p>

<p>能够让... have permit to allow </p>

<p>外国人... foreigners...</p>

<p>坐我的车,... to ride in my car,</p>

<p>还... but also</p>

<p>能够让他...  am permitted to let them </p>

<p>包我的车... package-hire it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-27T08:36:24.733Z
2020-01-27T08:36:24.733Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>It simply means 'allow' here.</p>

<p>It means that,
I could not only allow foreigners to sit in my car, but also allow them to rent my car.</p>

<p>However, in English, 坐我的车 should mean that 'sit in my car and I could take them a trip'.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-27T11:58:12.737Z
"Allow" may not seem correct in the general context of a taxi, but the fact that "foreigners", 外国人, was particularly emphasized shows that there is some kind of special permit attached to his taxi that allows him to carry foreigners not only as ordinary trip passengers but to also let them package-hire it as well. If not, there is really no need to even mention anything about foreigners. In this sense he was "boasting"
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-09T06:47:14.143Z
I suspect the writer of this comment is a native Chinese speaker.  To use 'allow' in this context seems really strange.  Surely it can't possibly be allow?  He's a taxi-driver, of course he allows people to sit in his taxi, whether foreigners or locals.
Robert Budzul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-09T07:04:15.790Z
Yeah, allow seems like a bad translation. I think "get" is more appropriate. 'Not only can I get foreigners to take my taxi, I can get them to rent my taxi [for an extended period of time].'
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-09T02:37:02.440Z
2012-10-09T02:37:02.440Z
Yuan
<p>In the following sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我不但能够让外国人坐我的车，还能够让他包我的车。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This is from a Chinese reader.  The voice is of a Chinese taxi-driver.  </p>

<p>The problem is the translation of 让...</p>

<p>He's talking about going to hotels and getting customers.</p>

<p>Does 让 here mean, I can get them to take a ride in my taxi and also I can get them to hire my taxi (as in for several hours).</p>

<p>Or does it mean 'offer' as that seems to be one of the meanings of 让 given in the dictionary.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-03T04:46:35.363Z
Well could you please further clarify the nuance between the two possible translations (since I'm too confused to see how one differs from the other)? Do you mean "_I can get them to ... (**possibly by persuasion**)_" for the 1st one and "_I can offer them the service ... (**and let them know about my offering**)_" for the 2nd?
Nihil
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-03T23:57:47.410Z
yes, persuasion v. an offer...
Robert Budzul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-04T03:14:11.677Z
@Nihil One is 'to persuade, often through some sort of ingenious trickery or device' and the other is to 'offer courteously'.
deutschZuid
<usage><meaning-in-context>
What does 让 mean in 我不但能够让外国人坐我的车，还能够让他包我的车?
# What does 让 mean in 我不但能够让外国人坐我的车，还能够让他包我的车?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-10-03)

In the following sentence:

> 我不但能够让外国人坐我的车，还能够让他包我的车。

This is from a Chinese reader. The voice is of a Chinese taxi-driver.

The problem is the translation of 让...

He's talking about going to hotels and getting customers.

Does 让 here mean, I can get them to take a ride in my taxi and also I can get them to hire my taxi (as in for several hours).

Or does it mean 'offer' as that seems to be one of the meanings of 让 given in the dictionary.

**Tags:** usage, meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Well could you please further clarify the nuance between the two possible translations (since I'm too confused to see how one differs from the other)? Do you mean "_I can get them to ... (**possibly by persuasion**)_" for the 1st one and "_I can offer them the service ... (**and let them know about my offering**)_" for the 2nd?  
> **username_0**: yes, persuasion v. an offer...  
> **username_2**: @username_1 One is 'to persuade, often through some sort of ingenious trickery or device' and the other is to 'offer courteously'.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-10-03. Score: 7

> Does 让 here mean, I can get them to take a ride in my taxi and also I
> can get them to hire my taxi (as in for several hours).

Yes, you are right. In this case, the taxi driver is boasting his ability to persuade foreigners to ride in his cab and to even hire it for exclusive use over a period of time.

According to [汉典](http://www.zdic.net/zd/zi/ZdicE8ZdicAEZdicA9.htm), **让**(ràng ㄖㄤˋ) has the following meanings

　1. 不争，尽（jǐn）着旁人：～步。～位。谦～。 (yield, give up)

　2. 请：～茶。 (offer)

　3. 许，使：不～他来。 (make, get)

　4. 任凭：～他闹去。 (let, allow)

　5. 被：～雨淋了。 (*indicates passive voice*)

　6. 索取一定代价，把东西给人：出～。转（zhuǎn ）～。(trade)

　7. 闪避：～开。当仁不～。 (excuse)

　8. 责备，谴责：“二世使人～章邯”。

　9. 古同“攘”，侵夺。

From the context given, the taxi driver is certainly not boasting about offering a free ride to foreigners but his glib of tongue in getting (使, the third meaning) them to hire his service.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-10-06. Score: 1

让 has a lot of different meanings in Chinese. You need to consider the context to figure out the exact meaning. (not only the literally context but also some other aspects, like the tone)

In this case, I think the driver is showing off his tricks/capabilities to persuade/convince foreigners to hire him as a driver (that he can get more payment than just ordinary operation). Many taxi driver told me the exact same thing.

To know whether it's a "tricks-persuade" or "capabilities-convince", you need to provide me more context :)


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-01-27. Score: 1

我不但能够让外国人坐我的车，还能够让他包我的车。

I would translate it as follows, (assuming it is uttered by a taxi driver)

Assumption:- The taxi driver could be informing that he has some special permit to not only hire out his taxi on a metered-mileage basis, but also hire it out as a time package-hire.

我不但... I not only

能够让... have permit to allow

外国人... foreigners...

坐我的车,... to ride in my car,

还... but also

能够让他... am permitted to let them

包我的车... package-hire it.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-10-09. Score: 0

It simply means 'allow' here.

It means that,
I could not only allow foreigners to sit in my car, but also allow them to rent my car.

However, in English, 坐我的车 should mean that 'sit in my car and I could take them a trip'.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I suspect the writer of this comment is a native Chinese speaker.  To use 'allow' in this context seems really strange.  Surely it can't possibly be allow?  He's a taxi-driver, of course he allows people to sit in his taxi, whether foreigners or locals.  
> **username_7**: Yeah, allow seems like a bad translation. I think "get" is more appropriate. 'Not only can I get foreigners to take my taxi, I can get them to rent my taxi [for an extended period of time].'  
> **username_5**: "Allow" may not seem correct in the general context of a taxi, but the fact that "foreigners", 外国人, was particularly emphasized shows that there is some kind of special permit attached to his taxi that allows him to carry foreigners not only as ordinary trip passengers but to also let them package-hire it as well. If not, there is really no need to even mention anything about foreigners. In this sense he was "boasting"  

---

