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长途汽车 (cháng tú qì chē) — long-distance bus/coach

Definition

A compound noun meaning 'long-distance bus/coach', used for intercity travel rather than city transit. Pair with the verb 坐 ('take') when talking about riding it.

noun
long-distance bus/coach
Measure word · 辆

Examples

  • 长途汽车，。
    Wǒ zuò cháng tú qì chē qù běi jīng, dà gài xū yào wǔ gè xiǎo shí.
    I'm taking the long-distance bus to Beijing; it takes about five hours.
  • 长途汽车，。
    cháng tú qì chē Zhàn lí shì zhōng xīn hěn yuǎn, nǐ dé tí qián chū fā.
    The long-distance bus station is far from the city center; you need to leave early.
  • 。
    Míng tiān shàng wǔ yǒu yī bān cháng tú qì chē kāi wǎng shàng hǎi.
    There's a long-distance bus heading to Shanghai tomorrow morning.

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.

长途long route
长chánglong途túroute
偏正Modifier + head
汽车car
汽qìsteam车chēvehicle
偏正Modifier + head

长途 says long route, and 汽车 names the vehicle.

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 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú途
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

途 is made from 辶 (written fully as 辵), a walking part, and 余, which gives the sound.

Open 途 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì汽
Same sound today

The 氵 part is water, and 气 is used for the sound and also means air, so 汽 shows water in an air-like form.

Open 汽 →

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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