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火车 (huǒ chē) — train

Definition

火车 is the everyday word for a 'train' — a general term covering all passenger trains, including slow and conventional ones. 高铁 is a specific, faster type of train (high-speed rail).

noun
train
Measure word · 列, 节, 班, 趟

Examples

  • 火车。
    Wǒ zuò huǒ chē qù běi jīng.
    I take the train to Beijing.
  • 火车。
    Wǒ mā ma zuò huǒ chē lái shàng hǎi.
    My mother comes to Shanghai by train.
  • 火车。
    Wǒ xǐ huan zuò huǒ chē.
    I like taking the train.

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.

火huǒfire
车chēvehicle

火 points to fire or steam, and 车 is a vehicle, so 火车 names a train.

Characters in this word

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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 1Trains & Transit2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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