司机

• Pinyin: sī jī
• Hanzi breakdown: 司 = originally a kneeling figure overseeing work, meaning 'to manage'; 机 = 木 (wood) + 几 (small table, phonetic), meaning 'machine'

Meaning

Driver. A person who drives a vehicle as their job.

Refers to someone whose profession is driving, including taxi drivers (出租车司机), bus drivers (公交车司机), and private drivers. In everyday speech, you can address a taxi driver directly as 师傅 (master/sir). Not typically used for someone who simply drives a car casually.

Examples

1. 出租车司机很热情。 The taxi driver is very friendly.
2. 司机把车停在了路边。 The driver parked the car by the road.
3. 他的爸爸是一名公交车司机。 His father is a bus driver.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, occupations, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请告诉司机我们要去火车站。(Please tell the driver we want to go to the train station.)
• 司机师傅，请在前面停一下。(Driver, please stop up ahead.)

Don't Say

• 不要称自己开车为'我是司机' (Don't call yourself 司机 just because you are driving — 司机 implies it is your profession; for casual driving, say 我来开车)

Origin & History

司 (sī, to manage/operate) + 机 (jī, machine). Literally 'machine operator,' referring to someone who operates a vehicle.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal