If you are learning Mandarin Chinese and are planning to visit China for vacation, work or study, you will certainly need to learn the Chinese transportation vocabulary. After all, how else will you be able to get around without knowing how to say buses or trains in Chinese?
Luckily for you, we got this entire post dedicated to transportation in Chinese. Our guide will take you through 73 + means of transportation in the world starting from the most common vehicles used for daily commute leading up to bulldozers, helicopters, and submarines!
And we won’t stop there. Once you’ve known your way around vehicles, we’ll teach you a whole lot of phrases and expressions to be able to talk about transportation in Chinese, so that you’ll have everything you need for your next trip.
Sound good? Buckle up!
But first and foremost, let’s learn how to say “transportation” and “vehicle” in Chinese.
“Transportation” in Chinese
The word for transportation in Chinese, as a general term for transport facilities that take you from place to place, is:
- 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù)
If you break down the word into characters, 交 (jiāo) means “to transfer”, 通 (totōng) means “open” or “through”, and 工具 (gōngjù) stands for “tools”. Together, they express the idea of “transportation”.
However, when you are referring to the action of transporting in Chinese, you’ll need to use another word – 运输 (yùnshū).
You can use 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù) and 运输 (yùnshū) as follows:
- Cars are a common form of transportation.
汽车是一种常见的交通工具。
Qìchē shì yì zhǒng chángjiàn de jiāotōng gōngjù.
- the transportation of natural gas
天然气的运输
tiānránqì de yùnshū
In this guide, we’ll focus on the forms of transportation – 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù) in Chinese.
“Vehicle” in Chinese
The word for vehicle in Chinese is 车辆 (chēliàng) if you are talking about self-propelled wheeled vehicles such as cars or trucks.
车辆 (chēliàng), as well as other types of vehicles, like trains, planes, and ships can be called 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù) in Chinese.
A Grammar Note on Vehicles in Chinese
In Mandarin Chinese, all nouns require a measure word when counted. For instance, you wouldn’t just say “a car”, or “two boats” in Chinese, you would have to say “a [measure word] car” and “two [measure word] boats”.
Different vehicles require different measure words that speak to the feature of that specific mode of transportation. For example, for vehicles with wheels (e.g. car, bike, monocycle), you can generally go with the measure word 辆 (liàng) or 部 (bù), and for watercraft, 条 (tiáo) and 艘 (sōu) are the proper measure words to use.
Knowing the name of vehicles in Chinese is only half the battle. To help you fully master transportation vocabulary in Chinese, we include the corresponding measure word for each vehicle on our list.
If the concept of measure words sounds alien to you, we have this entire article dedicated to explaining how Chinese measure words work. If you don’t know how to count in Chinese yet, you might want to start with our Chinese number tutorial first.
Complete List of Transportation Vehicles in Chinese
There is a huge range of vehicles and they all perform different functions, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. To help you out, we’ll start with a list of the most common vehicles in Chinese that can serve as a starting point before moving on to specific modes of transportation.
Most Common Transportation in Chinese
Here’s a quick rundown of the 9 most common means of transportation in Mandarin Chinese to give you a foundation. The Pinyin version has been provided alongside the Chinese characters to help you pronounce the words. We’ve also included the corresponding measure word for each vehicle.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Measure Word |
| bike | 自行车 | zìxíngchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| motorcycle | 摩托车 | mótuōchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| car | 汽车 | qìchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| bus (public transport) | 公共汽车 | gōnggòng qìchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| taxi | 出租车 | chūzūchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| train | 火车 | huǒchē | 列 (liè) |
| subway (metro) | 地铁 | dìtiě | 列 (liè) |
| plane | 飞机 | fēijī | 架 (jià) |
| boat | 船 | chuán | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
These words are the basics of any transportation vocabulary lesson. They are used every day and everywhere.
Before we add more words to this list, here are some technicalities to help you understand how and where to use these core transportation words in Chinese.
1. Bike in Chinese: 自行车 (zìxíngchē)
Some vehicles have different names depending on the region you find them.
自行车 (zìxíngchē), 单车 (dānchē), and 脚踏车 (jiǎotàchē) – all of these three words mean bike in Chinese and are easily understood.
In Mainland China, a bike is generally referred to as 自行车 (zìxíngchē) – literally “self-moving vehicle”.
People in Taiwan and Cantonese-speaking regions prefer to name it 单车 (dānchē) -“narrow vehicle”.
脚踏车 (jiǎotàchē) – “foot pedal vehicle” is a slightly old-fashioned word for bike in standard Mandarin, but is the most common option in the version of Mandarin spoken in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, which includes Shanghai. (Read more on the language of Shanghai).
2. Motorcycle in Chinese: 摩托车 (mótuōchē)
摩托车 (mótuōchē) is what we call motorcycles in Mainland China, and 机车 (jīchē) is a motorcycle in Taiwan. Actually, 机车 (jīchē) in Chinese Mandarin means locomotive.
The word 摩托 (mótuō), you’ve guessed it, comes from the English word “motor”. 摩托 (mótuō) can also be used as the shorter form of 摩托车 (mótuōchē). The younger the people are, the more often they use the shorter form.
3. Car in Chinese: 汽车 (qìchē)
The word for car in Chinese is 汽车 (qìchē), literally “steam vehicle”. Well, the earliest cars were all powered by a steam engine, weren’t they?
In daily Chinese, it’s also very common to hear the colloquial versions – 车 (chē) or 车子 (chēzi) for cars though these words can also be used to refer to other land vehicles (e.g. motorcycles, buses, trucks, etc).
4. Bus in Chinese: 公共汽车 (gōnggòng qìchē)
The word for bus in Chinese – as a means of public transportation – is 公共汽车 (gōnggòng qìchē), meaning “public vehicle”. We also have the word 巴士 (bāshì), which is borrowed from the English word “bus”, for buses in general. An example of this would be 观光巴士 (guānguāng bāshì) – sightseeing bus.
Another common way of saying bus, particularly the inner-city bus in Chinese is 公交车 (gōngjiāochē) – “public transportation vehicle”. It can even be shortened to just 公交 (gōngjiāo) in spoken Chinese.
5. Taxi in Chinese: 出租车 (chūzūchē)
Taxi is another word that can be said in different ways depending on which part of the Chinese-speaking world you are traveling to.
In Mainland China “taxi” is 出租车 (chūzūchē), literally “(for) rent vehicle”, and 计程车 (jìchéngchē) – “taximeter vehicle” is a taxi in Taiwan.
In the Cantonese-speaking region (Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong Province of China), the favored word for car is 的士 (dīshì), coming from the English word “taxi”. The rest of China uses the word as well, but only for saying “take a taxi”: 打的 (dǎ dī) – 的 (dī) is the short form of 的士 (dīshì).
6. Train in Chinese: 火车 (huǒchē)
This is easy. 火车 (huǒchē) literally means “fire vehicle”!
But do you know how to say “railway” in Chinese? 铁路 (tiělù)! From 铁 (tiě) – “iron” and 路 (lù) – “track, road”.
7. Subway in Chinese: 地铁 (dìtiě)
Subway or underground is commonly referred to as 地铁 (dìtiě) in Mainland China, which is essentially the short version of 地下铁路 (dìxià tiělù) – “underground railway”.
In Taiwan and Singapore, the word 捷运 (jiéyùn) – “rapid transport” is used to mean subway.
8. Plane in Chinese: 飞机 (fēijī)
Well…easy: 飞机 (fēijī) – literally, “flying machine”, which is a word I inexplicably love!
9. Boat in Chinese: 船 (chuán)
The word for boat in Chinese is 船 (chuán).
Actually, 船 (chuán) can be both a boat or ship depending on the context, but the measure word to collaborate with it differs – 条 (tiáo) is reserved for small boats while 艘 (sōu) is used for bigger boats and ships.
Watch out, because 船 (chuán) sounds somewhat like 床 (chuáng), meaning “bed” in Chinese. You don’t want to mispronounce the word and confuse people. (If you want to make Chinese people laugh, try these instead)
Here are some pictures to help you visualize these core transportation vocabulary.
自行车
摩托车
汽车
公共汽车
出租车
火车
地铁
飞机
船
Road Transportation in Chinese
Road transportation is an essential part of day-to-day life. In this section, you will be able to learn how to name the different vehicles on the road in Chinese. Enjoy your ride!
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Measure Word |
| ambulance | 救护车 | jiùhùchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| bike | 自行车 | zìxíngchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| bus (generic) | 巴士 | bāshì | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| bus (public transport) | 公共汽车 | gōnggòng qìchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| camper | 房车 | fángchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| carriage | 马车 | mǎchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| coach (long distance) | 长途汽车 | chángtú qìchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| double-decker bus | 双层巴士 | shuāngcéng bāshì | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| electric car | 电动汽车 | diàndòng qìchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| electric scooter | 电瓶车 | diànpíngchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| fire engine | 消防车 | xiāofángchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| garbage truck | 垃圾车 | lājīchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| limousine | 豪华轿车 | háohuá jiàochē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| monocycle | 独轮车 | dúlúnchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| motorcycle | 摩托车 | mótuōchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| off-road vehicle | 越野车 | yuèyěchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| police car | 警车 | jǐngchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| racing car | 赛车 | sàichē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| school bus | 校车 | xiàochē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| sedan | 轿车 | jiàochē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| shared bike | 共享单车 | gòngxiǎng dānchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| shuttle | 班车 | bānchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| sports car | 跑车 | pǎochē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| taxi | 出租车 | chūzūchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| tricycle | 三轮车 | sānlúnchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| trolleybus | 无轨电车 | wúguǐ diànchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| truck | 卡车/货车 | kǎchē/huòchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| van | 面包车 | miànbāochē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
Both the measure words 辆 (liàng) and 部 (bù) are used for land vehicles with wheels in Chinese, however, 辆 (liàng) is the more common option, and 部 (bù) sounds more formal and often appears in the written language.
bus
公共汽车
gōnggòng qìchē
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pedestrian
行人
xíngrén
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bike
自行车
zìxíngchē
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bus stop
车站
chēzhàn
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crosswalk
斑马线
bānmǎ xiàn
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car
汽车
qìchē
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traffic light
红绿灯
hónglǜdēng
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crossroad
路口
lùkǒu
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sidewalk
人行道
rénxíngdào
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truck
货车
huòchē
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parking lot
停车场
tíngchēchǎng
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Rail Transportation in Chinese
China has probably the most-developed rail network in the world. I am sure you will need some rail transportation vocabulary when traveling to China, so this section will be useful.
Here’s how you name the wheeled vehicles running on rail track in Chinese.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Measure Word |
| elevated rail | 轻轨 | qīngguǐ | 列 (liè) |
| intercity train | 城际列车 | chéngjì lièchē | 列 (liè) |
| high-speed rail | 高铁 | gāotiě | 列 (liè) |
| monorail | 单轨 | dānguǐ | 列 (liè) |
| subway | 地铁 | dìtiě | 列 (liè) |
| train | 火车 | huǒchē | 列 (liè) |
| tram | 有轨电车 | yǒuguǐ diànchē | 列 (liè) |
Notice the measure word has changed to 列 (liè) for trains and the like. That’s the proper measure word for a line or row of things in Chinese.
Air Transportation in Chinese
Traveling does not necessarily mean you have to fly, but if you are planning to visit China, it is more than likely that you will be traveling by air.
Here you have some words related to air transportation in Chinese.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Measure Word |
| blimp | 飞艇 | fēitǐng | 艘 (sōu) |
| cable car | 缆车 | lǎnchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| drone | 无人机 | wúrénjī | 架 (jià) |
| glider | 滑翔机 | huáxiángjī | 架 (jià) |
| helicopter | 直升飞机 | zhíshēng fēijī | 架 (jià) |
| hot air balloon | 热气球 | rè qìqiú | 个 (gè) |
| jet | 喷气式飞机 | pēnqì shì fēijī | 架 (jià) |
| parachute | 降落伞 | jiàngluòsǎn | 顶 (dǐng) |
| paraglider | 滑翔伞 | huáxiángsǎn | 顶 (dǐng) |
| plane | 飞机 | fēijī | 架 (jià) |
| rocket | 火箭 | huǒjiàn | 枚 (méi) |
| spaceplane | 航天飞船 | hángtiān fēichuán | 艘 (sōu) |
Water Transportation in Chinese
Time to hit the water and discover waterborne transportation in Chinese.
Here’s how you name boats, ships, and other vessels in Chinese. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice the measure word 条 (tiáo) is used for small vessels while 艘 (sōu) is favored for bigger ones.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Measure Word |
| barge | 驳船 | bóchuán | 艘 (sōu) |
| boat | 船 | chuán | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
| canoe | 独木舟 | dúmùzhōu | 条 (tiáo) |
| cargo ship | 货轮 | huòlún | 艘 (sōu) |
| cruise ship | 邮轮 | yóulún | 艘 (sōu) |
| dragon boat | 龙舟 | lóngzhōu | 条 (tiáo) |
| ferry | 渡轮 | dùlún | 艘 (sōu) |
| fishing boat | 渔船 | yúchuán | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
| hovercraft | 气垫船 | qìdiànchuán | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
| kayak | 皮划艇 | píhuátǐng | 条 (tiáo) |
| motorboat | 摩托艇 | mótuōtǐng | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
| ocean liner | 远洋轮船 | yuǎnyáng lúnchuán | 艘 (sōu) |
| sailboat | 帆船 | fānchuán | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
| ship | 轮船 | lúnchuán | 艘 (sōu) |
| speedboat | 快艇 | kuàitǐng | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
| submarine | 潜水艇 | qiánshuǐtǐng | 艘 (sōu) |
| yacht | 游艇 | yóutǐng | 条 (tiáo)/艘 (sōu) |
Construction Vehicles in Chinese
Construction has a big impact on jobs, livelihood, and the economy. Here are the names of common construction vehicles in Chinese.
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Measure Word |
| bulldozer | 推土机 | tuītǔjī | 部 (bù)/台 (tái) |
| concrete mixer | 混凝土车 | hùnníngtǔchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| crane | 吊车 | diàochē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| dump truck | 土方车 | tǔfāngchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| excavator | 挖掘机 | wājuéjī | 部 (bù)/台 (tái) |
| forklift | 叉车 | chāchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| road roller | 压路机 | yālùjī | 部 (bù)/台 (tái) |
| tanker truck | 油罐车 | yóuguànchē | 辆 (liàng)/部 (bù) |
| tractor | 拖拉机 | tuōlājī | 部 (bù)/台 (tái) |
General Transportation-related Vocabulary in Chinese
You would not travel too far by memorizing just the names of vehicles in Chinese. It is time to learn a few useful words regarding transportation in general. They will help you find your way around when you go to China!
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 马路 | mǎlù | road |
| 公路 | gōnglù | highway |
| 高速公路 | gāosù gōnglù | high-speed road |
| 高架 | gāojià | elevated highway |
| 街 | jiē | street |
| 桥 | qiáo | bridge |
| 目的地 | mùdìdì | destination |
| 地址 | dìzhǐ | address |
| 路线 | lùxiàn | route |
| 导航 | dǎoháng | navigation |
| 入口 | rùkǒu | entry |
| 出口 | chūkǒu | exit |
| 路口 | lùkǒu | crossroad |
| 红绿灯 | hónglǜdēng | traffic light |
| 交通标志 | jiāotōng biāozhì | traffic sign |
| 交警 | jiāojǐng | traffic police |
| 堵车 | dǔchē | traffic jam |
| 迷路 | mí lù | lose one’s way |
| 站 | zhàn | station/stop |
| 加油站 | jiāyóu zhàn | gas station |
| 汽车站 | qìchē zhàn | bus station/stop |
| 地铁站 | dìtiě zhàn | subway station |
| 火车站 | huǒchē zhàn | railway station |
| 停车场 | tíngchēchǎng | parking lot |
| 车票 | chē piào | bus/train ticket |
| 单程 | dānchéng | one way |
| 往返 | wǎngfǎn | return |
| 机票 | jī piào | plane ticket |
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport |
| 航班 | hángbān | flight |
| 出发 | chūfā | depart |
| 抵达 | dǐdá | arrive |
| 中转 | zhōngzhuǎn | transfer |
| 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 旅行 | lǚxíng | travel |
| 乘客 | chéngkè | passenger |
Talking About Transportation in Chinese
Learning transportation vocabulary is necessary, but you cannot just utter individual words and expect others to understand you!
Well, don’t worry. We’ll cover all the language bases in this section to help you solve any problem or doubt you can have when talking about transportation in Mandarin Chinese.
We have divided this section into two parts: essential Chinese transportation verbs, and useful example sentences to use in simple conversation.
Chinese Verbs for Using Transportation
First, verbs. They are perhaps the most important part of Chinese learning for beginners. Let’s explore the key Chinese verbs and verb phrases associated with using transportation.
坐 (zuò)
The verb 坐 (zuò) is essential for talking about transportation in Chinese. To say “take” or “go by” a mode of transportation, for the most part, the pattern is 坐 (zuò) + transportation. 坐 (zuò) means to sit or take transportation.
Let’s look at some examples.
- 坐班车
zuò bānchē
take the shuttle/by shuttle
- 坐地铁
zuò dìtiě
take the subway/by subway
- 坐飞机
zuò bānchē
take the plane/by plane
- 坐轮船
zuò lúnchuán
take the ship/by ship
If you want to talk about going somewhere on foot, then the verb 走 (zǒu) is used instead.
- 走路
zǒu lù
walk/on foot
乘 (chéng)
Similarly to the verb 坐 (zuò), the verb 乘 (chéng) can be used to say “take” or “go by” as well.
Examples:
- 乘班车
chéng bānchē
take the shuttle/by shuttle
- 乘地铁
chéng dìtiě
take the subway/by subway
- 乘飞机
chéng bānchē
take the plane/by plane
- 乘轮船
chéng lúnchuán
take the ship/by ship
Both words mean the same in general (when talking about transportation), but 乘 (chéng) is more formal than 坐 (zuò). Hence the word 乘客 (chéngkè) – “passenger”. (There is no 坐客 zuòkè!)
打 (dǎ)
打 (dǎ) is one of the most versatile verbs in Mandarin Chinese and can be used for talking about transportation as well. Specifically, you can use 打的 (dǎ dī) or 打车 (dǎ chē) to mean “take a taxi”.
的 (dī) – watch out for the pronunciation – is the short form of 的士 (dīshì), which is one of the ways of saying “taxi” in Mandarin, coming from Cantonese. 打出租车 (dǎ chūzūchē) is also fine for “take a taxi” but is less commonly said.
开 (kāi)
The word 开 (kāi) can have different meanings, but when it comes to transportation, it means to drive, steer or fly.
Examples:
- 开出租车
kāi chūzūchē
drive a taxi
- 开拖拉机
kāi tuōlājī
drive a tractor
- 开快艇
kāi kuàitǐng
steer a speedboat
- 开直升飞机
kāi zhíshēng fēijī
fly a helicopter
骑 (qí)
The Chinese verb 骑 (qí) translates to “ride” and refers to sitting on and propelling a bicycle or similar vehicle.
Examples:
- 骑自行车
qí zìxíngchē
ride a bike
- 骑共享单车
qí gòngxiǎng dānchē
ride a shared bike
- 骑电瓶车
qí diànpíngchē
ride a electric scooter
- 骑摩托车
qí mótuōchē
ride a motorcycle
And of course, 骑 (qí) can be used for the action of riding an animal such as a horse – 骑马 (qí mǎ).
上 (shàng)/下 (xià)
These two verbs have many different meanings, and they can be used when referring to almost every means of transportation. While 上 (shàng) means “get on, get in, get aboard,” 下 (xià) means the opposite: “get off, get out of, disembark.”
Examples:
- 上车
shàng chē
get in the car
- 上地铁
shàng dìtiě
get on the subway
- 上飞机
shàng fēijī
get on the plane
- 下公交
xià gōngjiāo
get off the bus
- 下船
xià chuán
get off the ship
Simple Conversations Regarding Transportation in Chinese
Now is the time to use the Chinese transportation vocabulary and expressions in context. Practice the following sentences and you will be able to get the information you need whenever you need it. Plus, you’ll develop your knowledge of Chinese grammar and gain confidence in speaking Chinese in real conversations.
- 你平时怎么去上班？
Nǐ píngshí zěnme qù shàngbān?
How do you go to work usually?我每天开车上班。
Wǒ měitiān kāi chē shàngbān.
I drive to work every day.
- 你喜欢坐飞机吗？
Nǐ xǐhuan zuò fēijī ma?
Do you like flying in planes?不喜欢，我怕死。
Bù xǐhuan, wǒ pà sǐ.
No, I am scared of death.
- 你们的城市有地铁吗？
Nǐmen de chéngshì yǒu dìtiě ma?
Is there a subway in your city?没有，但是我们有轻轨。
Méiyǒu, dànshì wǒmen yǒu qīngguǐ.
No, we got light rail though.
- 你打算怎么去火车站？
Nǐ dǎsuàn zěnme qù huǒchēzhàn?
How do you plan to go to the railway station?坐公交/坐地铁/打的。
Zuò gōngjiāo/Zuò dìtiě/Dǎ dī.
By bus/subway/taxi.
- 你到了吗？
Nǐ dào le ma?
Have you arrived?马上，还有两站地铁。
Mǎshàng, háiyǒu liǎng zhàn dìtiě.
In a moment. Two more stops on the subway.
- 这辆车到机场吗？
Zhè liàng chē dào jīchǎng ma?
Does this bus go to the airport?不到，你要去那个车站坐机场巴士。
Bú dào, nǐ yào qù nàge chēzhàn zuò jīchǎng bāshì.
No. You need to take the airport shuttle at the stop over there.
- 下一班去上海的火车几点出发？
Xià yì bān qù Shànghǎi de huǒchē jǐ diǎn chūfā?
When does the next train to Shanghai depart?今晚九点半。
Jīnwǎn jiǔ diǎn bàn.
9:30 tonight.
- 请问在哪里买车票？
Qǐngwèn zài nǎlǐ mǎi chēpiào?
Excuse me, where do I buy the ticket?上楼左转售票口。
Shàng lóu zuǒ zhuǎn shòupiàokǒu.
Go upstairs, turn left, at the ticket window.
- 我买两张去南京的长途汽车票。
Wǒ mǎi liǎng zhāng qù Nánjīng de chángtú qìchē piào.
I need two bus tickets to Nanjing.单程是吗？一百二十元一张。
Dānchéng shì ma? Yì bǎi èr shí yuán yì zhāng.
One way, right? That’ll be one hundred twenty Yuan each.
- 我要去市政大厅，应该在哪站下车？
Wǒ yào qù shìzhèng dàtīng, yīnggāi zài nǎ zhàn xià chē?
I am going to the city hall. Which stop should I get off?到了我会告诉你。
Dào le wǒ huì gàosù nǐ.
I’ll let you know when we are there.
Want to Learn More Chinese?
There you go: all the useful transportation words and expressions you can use when traveling to a Chinese-speaking country, planning your holidays, talking to your Chinese friends about your last trip, etc.
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qì chē
Chinese Definition
| car | |
| 1. 名词. 汽车 | |
| Components | |
| 汽 | |
| 1. steam, vapor, gas | |
| 车 | |
| 1. vehicle; car | |
| 2. machine; instrument | |
| 3. to tailor or sew using a sewing machine | |
| 車衫 — to sew clothes with a sewing machine | |
| 4. (Cantonese) to drive somebody; to give somebody a ride | |
| 你 可 唔 可以 車 我 去 地鐵 站 呀？ — Can you drive me to the MTR station? | |
| 5. (Sichuanese) to rotate | |
| 6. usage. 車 is a collective term for all types of vehicles with wheel(s). Additional morphemes are added in front to specify the type of the vehicle. For example: | |
| 汽車 — car | |
| 火車 — train | |
| 自行車 — bicycle | |
| 嬰兒車 — pram | |
| 7. (Chinese chess) chariot; rook |
Translations for 车 and their definitions
| 汽車 | |
| 1. n. automobile; motor vehicle | |
| 汽車 駕駛員 — motorist | |
| 汽車 修理工 — auto mechanic | |
| 2. n. bus; coach |
| 汽车 | |
| 1. n. automobile; motor vehicle | |
| 汽車 駕駛員 — motorist | |
| 汽車 修理工 — auto mechanic | |
| 2. n. bus; coach |
| 車 | |
| 1. vehicle; car | |
| 2. machine; instrument | |
| 3. to tailor or sew using a sewing machine | |
| 車衫 — to sew clothes with a sewing machine | |
| 4. (Cantonese) to drive somebody; to give somebody a ride | |
| 你 可 唔 可以 車 我 去 地鐵 站 呀？ — Can you drive me to the MTR station? | |
| 5. (Sichuanese) to rotate | |
| 6. usage. 車 is a collective term for all types of vehicles with wheel(s). Additional morphemes are added in front to specify the type of the vehicle. For example: | |
| 汽車 — car | |
| 火車 — train | |
| 自行車 — bicycle | |
| 嬰兒車 — pram | |
| 7. (Chinese chess) chariot; rook |
| 车 | |
| 1. vehicle; car | |
| 2. machine; instrument | |
| 3. to tailor or sew using a sewing machine | |
| 車衫 — to sew clothes with a sewing machine | |
| 4. (Cantonese) to drive somebody; to give somebody a ride | |
| 你 可 唔 可以 車 我 去 地鐵 站 呀？ — Can you drive me to the MTR station? | |
| 5. (Sichuanese) to rotate | |
| 6. usage. 車 is a collective term for all types of vehicles with wheel(s). Additional morphemes are added in front to specify the type of the vehicle. For example: | |
| 汽車 — car | |
| 火車 — train | |
| 自行車 — bicycle | |
| 嬰兒車 — pram | |
| 7. (Chinese chess) chariot; rook |
| 自動車 | |
| 1. n. automobile; motor car |
| 自动车 | |
| 1. n. automobile; motor car |
| 升降梯 | |
| 1. n. elevator; lift | |
| 2. n. scissor lift; builder’s lift; construction hoist |
Pronunciation
qì chē
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Yìbǎi duō nián qián Láitè xiōngdi jiàshǐle dì-yī jià fēijī.
一百多年前莱特兄弟驾驶了第一架飞机。
The Wright Brothers flew the first airplane over 100 years ago.
Kèchē tíngzàile jiē shàng.
客车停在了街上。
The bus is parked on the street.
Niǔyuē Zhōu de jiàzhào
纽约州的驾照
New York State driver’s license
Chéngkèmen zhèngzài chéngzuò lǎnchē.
乘客们正在乘坐缆车。
The passengers are riding the cable car.
zài gāosù gōnglù shàng xíngshǐzhe de kǎchē
在高速公路上行驶着的卡车
truck driving on a highway
zài dānguǐ diànchē guǐdào shàng de dānguǐ diànchē
在单轨电车轨道上的单轨电车
monorail on a monorail track
Zhōumò nánrén hé nánhái zhèngzài gōngyuán lǐ qí zìxíngchē.
周末男人和男孩正在公园里骑自行车。
The man and the boy are riding bicycles in the park on the weekend.
Wǒ xīngqī yī kāi chē qù shàng bān, qítā shíhòu dōu shì chéng huǒchē.
我星期一开车去上班，其他时候都是乘火车。
I drive my car to work on Mondays, but take the train the rest of the week.
Wǒ zuò dìtiě qù bàngōngshì.
我坐地铁去办公室。
I take the subway to the office.
Wǒ jīngcháng kāi zhùlìchē qù chēzhàn.
我经常开助力车去车站。
I always go to the station by moped.
Nǐ zuì xǐhuan yòng de jiāotōng gōngjù shì shénme?
你最喜欢用的交通工具是什么？
What kind of vehicle do you enjoy riding the most?
Zài Xīlà , wǒmen zūlexiǎo mótuōqí qù zhèn shàng wán .
在希腊，我们租了小摩托骑去镇上玩。
In Greece, we rented scooters and drove around town.
chéngzuò yǒuguǐ diànchē
乘坐有轨电车
CHINESE / MANDARIN VOCABULARY -CAR(Click in the arrow to listen how to pronounce the word in Mandarin)
| English | Chinese | Pinyin | Listen |
| accelerator | 加速踏板 | jiā sù tà bǎn | |
| air filter | 空气过滤器 | kōnɡ qì ɡuò lǜ qì | |
| antenna | 天线 | tiān xiàn | |
| antifreeze | 防冻剂 | fánɡ dònɡ jì | |
| battery | 电池 | diàn chí | |
| belt | 安全带 | ān quán dài | |
| bike | 自行车 | zì xínɡ chē | |
| brake | 刹车 | shā chē | |
| engine | 引擎 | yǐn qínɡ | |
| exhaust pipe | 排气管 | pái qì ɡuǎn | |
| headlight | 头灯 | tóu dēnɡ | |
| hood | 引擎罩 | yǐn qínɡ zhào | |
| horn | 喇叭 | lǎ bɑ | |
| key | 钥匙 | yào shi | |
| jack | 插座 | chā zuò | |
| jumper cables | 跨接电缆 | kuà jiē diàn lǎn | |
| mirror | 后视镜 | hòu shì jìnɡ | |
| motorcycle | 摩托车 | mó tuō chē | |
| muffler | 消声器 | xiāo shēnɡ qì | |
| oil filter | 滤油器 | lǜ yóu qì | |
| pickup truck | 皮卡汽车 | pí kǎ qì chē | |
| spare tire | 备用轮胎 | bèi yònɡ lún tāi | |
| steering wheel | 方向盘 | fānɡ xiànɡ pán | |
| tank | 水箱 | shuǐ xiānɡ | |
| tire | 轮胎 | lún tāi | |
| truck | 卡车 | kǎ chē | |
| trunk | 行李箱 | xínɡ li xiānɡ | |
| vehicle | 车 | chē | |
| wheel | 方向盘 | fānɡ xiànɡ pán |
General Chinese (Beginner Level)
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Posted by Julia Song
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The vehicle is very important in our daily life. The airplane is the most common mean of transportation for those traveling to China. If you spend a short time in China, take a taxi or bus is a good choice for going out, and maybe you want to buy a car when plan to stay in China for a long time. In order to travel freely in China, learning Chinese words for different types of transport is necessary.
Transportation in Chinese Vocabulary List
Transportation on Land
公共汽车 [gōng gòng qì chē] — Bus
长途汽车 [cháng tú qì chē] — Long-distance bus
有轨电车[yǒu guǐ diàn chē] — Tram
小汽车 [xiǎo qì chē] – Car
的士 [dī shì] — Taxi
警车 [jǐng chē] – Police card
救护车 [jiù hù chē] – Ambulance
消防车 [xiāo fáng chē] — Fire engine
卡车 [kǎ chē] — Lorry
火车[huǒ chē] – train
自行车 [zì xíng chē] — Bicycle
摩托车 [mó tuō chē] — motorcycle
地铁 [dì tiě] — metro
Transportation on Sea
轮船 [lún chuán] — Boat
邮轮 [yóu lún] — Cruise ship
游艇 [yóu tǐng] — Yacht
Transportation in the Sky
飞机 [fēi jī] – Airplane
直升机 [zhí shēng jī] – Helicopter
热气球 [rè qì qiú] — hot-air balloon
宇宙飞船 [yǔ zhòu fēi chuán] – Spaceship
How to Talk about Take/Drive Transport in Chinese
If you are a passenger and want to take vehicles, all transportations listed above can use the term “坐+ Transport”, 坐 [zuò] is a verb , means sit, travel by. Some simple examples: 坐汽车[zuò qì chē] means by car, 坐飞机 [zuò fēi jī] means take a plane, 坐船[zuò chuán] means by ship.
Further Reading: How to take a Taxi in Chinese.
If you are a driver, use the term “开+Transport”, except the transports of bicycle and motorcycle. The word开[kāi] here means drive, for example: 开飞机[kāi fēi jī] means fly an airplane. To talk about ride a bike and ride a motorcycle, we use the word 骑[qí] means ride, so ride a bicycle is 骑自行车[qí zì háng chē].
What Kind of Transportation Do You Often Use?
Tell us what kind of transportation you often use in Chinese in the comments below. If the transport is unusual and doesn’t mention in the Chinese transport vocabulary list above that you don’t know how to say it in Chinese, here to ask Hanbridge Mandarin’s teacher for help!