长途车 (cháng tú chē) — long-distance bus; long-distance coach

Definition

A long-distance intercity bus or coach. Pairs with 坐 (take) or 开 (drive); the station is 长途汽车站 or simply 长途站.

noun
long-distance buslong-distance coach
Measure word · 辆

Examples

  • 长途车。
    Wǒ zuò cháng tú chē qù lìng yí gè chéng shì.
    I took a long-distance bus to another city.
  • 长途车。
    cháng tú chē Zhàn lí zhè lǐ hěn yuǎn.
    The long-distance bus station is far from here.
  • 长途车。
    Tā měi tiān kāi cháng tú chē zhuàn qián.
    He drives a long-distance bus every day to make money.

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 journey
长chánglong途tújourney
偏正Modifier + head
车chēvehicle

“长” means long, “途” means journey, and “车” means vehicle, so it is a vehicle for a long journey.

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 →

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 →

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