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客运 (kè yùn) — passenger transportation; (Taiwan) intercity bus service

Definition

The service or business of moving people (by road, rail, or air) — as a noun, not a person. Compare 乘客 (the passengers themselves) and 客车 (the vehicle, usually a long-distance bus or passenger train).

noun
passenger transportation(Taiwan) intercity bus service

Examples

  • 客运。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de zhǔ yào yè wù shì kè yùn.
    This company's main business is passenger transportation.
  • 客运。
    Jié jià rì de kè yùn liàng bǐ píng shí duō hěn duō.
    Passenger traffic volume during holidays is much higher than usual.
  • 。
    Tā zài kè yùn zhàn gōng zuò.
    He works at a passenger transport station.

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.

客kèpassenger
运yùntransport

Transportation for passengers.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè客kè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 客, 宀 is a roof and 各 gives the sound; the character meant a guest.

Open 客 →

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 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn運yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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