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发车 (fā chē) — to dispatch a vehicle; to depart (of a bus, train, etc.)

Definition

Refers to a scheduled vehicle (bus, train) leaving on time — used from the operator's side, not a passenger boarding. 开车 is the generic 'drive' for any car; 发车 specifically marks the scheduled departure.

verb
to dispatch a vehicleto depart (of a bus, train, etc.)

Examples

  • 发车。
    Huǒ chē míng tiān zǎo shàng bā diǎn fā chē.
    The train departs at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.
  • 。
    Gōng gòng qì chē yǐ jīng fā le sān tàng chē le.
    The bus has already dispatched three trips.
  • ，发车。
    Bǐ sài qián, sài chē zhǔn shí fā chē.
    Before the race, the racing car departed on time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

发fādispatch
车chēvehicle

“发” means dispatching and “车” is the vehicle, so together they mean sending a vehicle out or departing.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

Open 发 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 車; 车 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 車 was drawn as a carriage seen from above, with wheels on both sides and a shaft at the front; the simplified 车 is a later shorthand.

Open 车 →
Appears in
Vehicles

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