Permit-test vocabulary: English, Spanish and Chinese

Learning traffic vocabulary helps you connect a translated explanation to the words on signs and in a state handbook. These are study translations, not a certified legal translation or a list of guaranteed exam wording.

Actions and conditions

English	Español	简体中文
stop / complete stop	detenerse / detenerse por completo	停车／完全停稳
yield	ceder el paso	让行
right-of-way	prioridad de paso	通行优先权
must / must not	debe / no debe	必须／不得
may	puede / se permite	可以／允许
unless	a menos que / salvo que	除非
except	excepto	除……之外
at least / no more than	como mínimo / no más de	至少／不超过

“Yield” asks you to give priority; it does not mean accelerating to get ahead. “May” describes permission subject to the surrounding conditions, not an instruction to proceed regardless of danger. Check the full sentence before choosing an answer.

Road layout and signals

English	Español	简体中文
intersection	intersección	路口
crosswalk	paso peatonal	人行横道
shoulder	arcén / acotamiento	路肩
median / raised median	separador central / separador elevado	中央分隔带／凸起分隔带
divided highway	carretera dividida	分隔式公路
oncoming traffic	tránsito en sentido contrario	对向来车
blind spot	punto ciego	盲区
steady / flashing light	luz fija / intermitente	常亮信号／闪烁信号
circular red / red arrow	luz roja circular / flecha roja	圆形红灯／红箭头

For “divided highway,” check the handbook’s description and the physical layout in the question. Do not assume painted lines always count as a barrier or import another state’s school-bus exception.

Licensing words are different from road rules

English	Español	简体中文
learner permit	permiso de aprendizaje	学车许可
knowledge / written test	examen de conocimientos / teórico	知识考试／笔试
road / driving test	examen práctico de conducción	路考
supervised driving	conducción supervisada	陪同监督驾驶
proof of residency	comprobante de domicilio	居住地址证明
retest	repetir el examen	补考／重考

A translated term explains the concept; it does not make a permit valid in every situation or establish which documents your agency accepts.

Build a personal vocabulary card

Use four lines: the English word, your preferred translation, a short scenario and the state-handbook reference. For example, pair “unless” with a sentence that contains a genuine exception from the handbook you are using. Then explain how removing that exception changes the question.

Confirm official exam languages separately: California, New Jersey, New York and Washington.

Sources and review

Terminology references: California traffic rules, New York traffic control, New Jersey official multilingual manuals. Reviewed October 18, 2026. Spanish regional terms can vary.