卧铺

• Pinyin: wò pù
• Hanzi breakdown: 卧 = 臣 (minister) + 人 (person), depicting lying down; 铺 = 钅 (metal) + 甫 (begin), meaning to spread out or a bed/shop

Meaning

Sleeping berth; sleeper (on a train). A bed compartment on long-distance trains.

A type of train accommodation with beds for overnight travel. Chinese trains have several classes: 硬卧 (yìngwò, hard sleeper), 软卧 (ruǎnwò, soft sleeper). Each bunk has different positions: 上铺 (upper), 中铺 (middle), 下铺 (lower). Essential vocabulary for train travel in China.

Examples

1. 这趟火车要十二个小时，我买了卧铺票。 This train ride takes twelve hours, so I bought a sleeper ticket.
2. 卧铺车厢比硬座舒服多了，可以躺着睡觉。 The sleeper carriage is much more comfortable than hard seats; you can lie down and sleep.
3. 他喜欢下铺，因为上下方便。 He prefers the lower berth because it's easier to get on and off.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, train, transportation

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 请给我一张卧铺票。(Please give me a sleeper ticket.)
• 卧铺卖完了，只有硬座。(The sleeper berths are sold out; only hard seats are left.)

Don't Say

• 我买了一个卧铺 — 应该说'买了一张卧铺票'，卧铺是位置，不是可以'买'的东西

Origin & History

Compound of 卧 (to lie down, recline) + 铺 (bed, berth). Literally 'lying-down berth.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal