车号

• Pinyin: chē hào
• Hanzi breakdown: 车 = simplified from 車, pictograph of a cart; 号 = 口 (mouth) + 丂 (phonetic), number or designation

Meaning

Vehicle number; license plate number; train or bus number.

Can refer to either the registration number of a vehicle (license plate) or the designated number of a train, bus, or flight. In everyday conversation, often used interchangeably with 车牌号 when referring to license plates.

Examples

1. 你记住那辆肇事车的车号了吗？ Did you remember the license plate number of the vehicle that caused the accident?
2. 他把车号报给了交警，方便查找车主信息。 He reported the vehicle number to the traffic police to help locate the owner's information.
3. 请问您乘坐的是几号车？车号在车票上有写。 Excuse me, which train number are you taking? The train number is printed on your ticket.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 麻烦您提供一下车号。(Could you please provide the vehicle number?)
• 这个车号是北京的牌照。(This vehicle number is a Beijing license plate.)

Don't Say

• 注意区分'车号'和'车次' (Don't confuse 车号 with 车次 — 车号 is the vehicle's registration number, while 车次 is the train/bus service number)

Origin & History

A compound of 车 (vehicle) and 号 (number), straightforwardly meaning the identifying number of a vehicle.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal