Elevator = 电梯 [diàn tī]

A caveman sees an older woman step into an elevator and a young woman step out, and decides: “I should put my wife into this machine!” That machine is a 电梯.

电梯 (diàntī) means “elevator” or “lift.” 电 means electricity and 梯 means ladder or stairs, so it is “electric stairs.” An escalator is 自动扶梯 (zìdòng fútī).

To take the elevator is 坐电梯 (zuò diàntī).

我们坐电梯上去吧。 — Wǒmen zuò diàntī shàngqu ba. — Let’s take the elevator up.

电梯坏了。 — Diàntī huài le. — The elevator is broken.