高铁

• Pinyin: gāo tiě
• Hanzi breakdown: 高 = high/fast; 铁 = 钅(metal) + 失 (lose, phonetic) — iron, here meaning railway — short for 高速铁路 (high-speed railway)

Meaning

High-speed rail; bullet train. China's extensive network of high-speed passenger trains.

Short for 高速铁路 (high-speed railway). Refers to both the train system and individual trains. A defining feature of modern Chinese infrastructure, with the world's largest high-speed rail network. Common collocations include 坐高铁 (take the high-speed train), 高铁票 (bullet train ticket), and 高铁站 (high-speed rail station).

Examples

1. 坐高铁从北京到上海只要四个多小时。 Taking the bullet train from Beijing to Shanghai only takes about four hours.
2. 中国的高铁又快又方便。 China's high-speed rail is both fast and convenient.
3. 我已经在网上买好了高铁票。 I've already bought the bullet train tickets online.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, transportation

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 我们坐高铁去吧，比飞机还方便。(Let's take the bullet train; it's even more convenient than flying.)
• 高铁站离这里远不远？(Is the high-speed rail station far from here?)

Don't Say

• 我开高铁去上班 (Don't use 开 for riding the high-speed train — 开 means to drive; say 坐高铁 for taking the train as a passenger)

Origin & History

Abbreviation of 高速铁路 (high-speed railway). A modern compound that entered widespread usage with China's rapid rail expansion beginning in the 2000s.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal