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车子 (chē zi) — small vehicle (such as a car, cart, or bicycle); (regional) bicycle

Definition

An everyday, colloquial word for a small vehicle — a car or bicycle. 比 汽车 (qìchē) more casual, and 比 车 (chē) more specific (refers to a single vehicle you can see/use, not the category as a whole).

noun
small vehicle (such as a car, cart, or bicycle)(regional) bicycle
Measure word · 辆

Examples

  • 车子。
    Tā de chē zi tíng zài mén kǒu.
    His car is parked at the door.
  • ，车子。
    Zài běi fāng fāng yán lǐ, chē zi cháng zhǐ zì xíng chē.
    In northern dialects, 车子 often refers to a bicycle.
  • 车子。
    Zhè liàng chē zi gāi sòng qù xiū le.
    This vehicle needs to be sent for repairs.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

车chēvehicle
子zǐsuffix

The word builds on 车, vehicle, with 子 making a familiar everyday term for a small vehicle or bicycle.

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 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 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
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