公共汽车

• Pinyin: gōng gòng qì chē
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = 八 (divide) + 厶 (private, inverted) = 'not private, public'; 共 = shared; 汽 = 氵(water) + 气 (gas); 车 = simplified from 車, pictograph of a chariot

Meaning

Bus; public bus. The full formal term for a public transit bus.

The formal, complete term for a city bus. In everyday speech, most people shorten it to 公交车. Still commonly seen on signs, official documents, and in textbooks.

Examples

1. 我每天坐公共汽车去上班。 I take the bus to work every day.
2. 公共汽车站在马路对面。 The bus stop is on the other side of the road.
3. 这路公共汽车到火车站吗？ Does this bus go to the train station?

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, directions, commuting

Tone: neutral, informative

Do Say

• 请问公共汽车站在哪里？(Excuse me, where is the bus stop?)
• 我坐公共汽车去学校。(I take the bus to school.)

Don't Say

• 在日常口语中，公共汽车显得太正式 — in casual speech, use 公交车 instead, which is the common short form.

Origin & History

Compound of 公共 (public, communal) and 汽车 (automobile), literally 'public automobile.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal