大巴

• Pinyin: dà bā
• Hanzi breakdown: 大 = pictograph of a person with outstretched arms (meaning big); 巴 = originally a snake pictograph, here used phonetically

Meaning

Coach; large bus. A long-distance or intercity bus.

Short for 大巴士, borrowed from English 'bus.' Refers specifically to large coaches used for long-distance travel, airport transfers, or tour groups. Distinguished from 公交车 (city bus) which runs fixed urban routes. Common in travel and transportation contexts.

Examples

1. 我们坐大巴从上海到杭州，大概要两个小时。 We took a coach from Shanghai to Hangzhou — it took about two hours.
2. 旅游团安排了一辆大巴来接我们去景点。 The tour group arranged a coach to pick us up and take us to the scenic spot.
3. 去机场可以坐大巴，比打车便宜很多。 You can take a coach to the airport — it's much cheaper than taking a taxi.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, transportation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 大巴几点出发？(What time does the coach depart?)
• 我们坐大巴去吧，比较方便。(Let's take the coach — it's more convenient.)

Don't Say

• 把大巴和公交车混淆 (Don't confuse 大巴 with 公交车 — 大巴 is a long-distance coach; 公交车 is a city bus running local routes)

Origin & History

大 (big/large) + 巴 (abbreviated phonetic borrowing from English 'bus') — a large bus, distinguishing it from smaller vehicles.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal