骑

• Pinyin: qí
• Hanzi breakdown: 骑 = 马 (horse, semantic) + 奇 (odd/strange, phonetic component)

Meaning

To ride; to sit on and control a mount or vehicle. Specifically for straddling mounts like horses, bicycles, and motorcycles.

Used specifically for vehicles and animals that you straddle (sit on top of). Includes bicycles, motorcycles, horses, camels, and similar. NOT used for riding in cars, buses, or trains — those use 坐 (to sit). A very practical verb for everyday transportation.

Examples

1. 我每天骑自行车去学校。 I ride a bicycle to school every day.
2. 小时候我学过骑马。 I learned to ride a horse when I was little.
3. 他骑着摩托车去上班。 He rides a motorcycle to work.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, sports, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你会骑自行车吗？(Can you ride a bicycle?)
• 她骑马骑得很好。(She rides horses very well.)

Don't Say

• 不要说骑汽车或骑公交车 (Don't say 骑 for cars or buses — use 坐 for enclosed vehicles; 骑 is only for things you straddle like bikes, motorcycles, and horses)

Origin & History

Phonosemantic compound: 马 (mǎ, horse) as the semantic radical + 奇 (qí) as the phonetic component. Originally meant to ride a horse, later extended to bicycles and motorcycles.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal