TongTong
Sign in

电动车 (diàndòngchē) — electric vehicle (especially an e-bike or electric scooter)

Definition

电动车 usually means an e-bike or electric scooter — the everyday two-wheeler in Chinese cities, not a car. It runs on a 电池, which is the power source you charge it with.

noun
electric vehicle (especially an e-bike or electric scooter)
Measure word · 辆

Examples

  • 电动车。
    Wǒ měi tiān qí diàndòngchē shàng bān.
    I ride an e-bike to work every day.
  • 电动车，。
    Zhè liàng diàndòngchē méi diàn le, yào chōng diàn.
    This e-bike has no power; it needs charging.
  • 电动车。
    Qí diàndòngchē bǐ kāi chē fāng biàn duō le.
    Riding an e-bike is much more convenient than driving a car.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

电动electric-powered
电diànelectric动dòngmove/power
偏正Modifier + head
车chēvehicle

电动 means electric-powered, and 车 is a vehicle; together they describe an electric vehicle.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 4Vehicles

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.