客车

• Pinyin: kè chē
• Hanzi breakdown: 客 = 宀 (roof) + 各, guest; 车 = pictograph of a cart/vehicle

Meaning

Passenger vehicle; bus; coach. A vehicle designed for transporting passengers.

General term for vehicles primarily designed to carry passengers, including buses, coaches, and passenger trains. Contrasted with 货车 (freight vehicle). Common types: 长途客车 (long-distance coach), 旅游客车 (tour bus), 城际客车 (intercity bus). In railway context, 客车 refers to passenger trains.

Examples

1. 每逢春运，长途客车站都挤满了回家过年的旅客。 Every Spring Festival travel season, the long-distance bus station is packed with travelers heading home for the New Year.
2. 这条线路的客车每半小时发一班，非常方便。 Buses on this route depart every half hour, which is very convenient.
3. 为了安全起见，客车司机每四小时必须休息一次。 For safety reasons, coach drivers must rest once every four hours.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, travel

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 去那里可以坐客车。(You can take a coach bus to get there.)
• 客车票比火车票便宜。(Coach tickets are cheaper than train tickets.)

Don't Say

• 把客车和公交车完全等同 (客车 is broader and usually refers to intercity coaches; 公交车 specifically means city buses)

Origin & History

Compound of 客 (guest, passenger) + 车 (vehicle). Together meaning 'vehicle for carrying passengers.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal