乘客

• Pinyin: chéng kè
• Hanzi breakdown: 乘 (ride) + 客 (guest, passenger)

Meaning

Passenger; rider.

Refers to anyone traveling on public transportation or in a vehicle as a non-driver. Used for buses, trains, planes, ships, taxis, and ride-shares. Common in announcements and regulations.

Examples

1. 请乘客们系好安全带，飞机即将起飞。 Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts. The plane is about to take off.
2. 这趟列车可以容纳八百名乘客。 This train can accommodate eight hundred passengers.
3. 出租车司机和乘客发生了争执。 The taxi driver and the passenger got into an argument.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, travel, service

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 乘客请注意。(Attention, passengers.)
• 乘客都下车了。(All the passengers got off.)

Don't Say

• 用'乘客'称呼私家车里的朋友——乘客一般指公共交通的旅客，私人情境不常用 (Don't call friends in your private car 乘客 — it's typically for public transport; in private settings it sounds odd)

Origin & History

Compound of 乘 (to ride) + 客 (guest/passenger), meaning 'one who rides as a guest.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal