机舱

• Pinyin: jī cāng
• Hanzi breakdown: 机 = 木 + 几 (wood + small table, originally a loom mechanism, now machine or aircraft); 舱 = 舟 + 仓 (boat radical + warehouse/granary, the enclosed space within a vessel — extended from ships to aircraft)

Meaning

Aircraft cabin; the enclosed pressurised interior of an aeroplane where passengers travel or where cargo is stored.

机舱 most commonly refers to the passenger cabin of a commercial aircraft. Key phrases: 机舱内 (inside the cabin), 经济舱 (economy class cabin), 商务舱 (business class cabin), 头等舱 (first class cabin), 机舱失压 (cabin depressurisation), 机舱服务 (in-flight service). The word originates from 舱 (cabin/hold of a boat), extended to aircraft cabins. It also covers the cargo hold of an aircraft.

Examples

1. 飞机穿越强气流区域时，机舱内剧烈颠簸，机长通过广播提示乘客立即系好安全带并保持座位，乘务员也暂停了正在进行的餐饮服务。 When the plane passed through severe turbulence, the cabin shook violently. The captain announced that passengers should fasten their seat belts and remain seated, and the flight attendants paused meal service.
2. 为缓解长途飞行不适，航空公司在经济舱机舱里加装可调腰靠并拉大座椅间距。 To reduce discomfort on long flights, the airline added adjustable lumbar support in the economy cabin and increased seat spacing.
3. 紧急迫降后，乘务员按照标准操作程序迅速引导全体乘客通过机舱紧急出口有序撤离，全体人员在两分钟内安全离机。 After an emergency landing, the crew followed standard procedures and quickly guided all passengers to evacuate in an orderly way through the cabin’s emergency exits; everyone was off the aircraft safely within two minutes.

Usage Guide

Context: aviation, travel, transport, safety

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 航空公司很重视机舱空气质量，现代宽体机配有高效过滤系统，可持续净化循环空气。(Airlines place great importance on cabin air quality, and modern wide-body aircraft have efficient filtration systems that continuously clean circulating air.)
• 竞争加剧后，各家航空公司都加大机舱设计投入，从座椅材质到灯光调节都在优化体验。(As competition intensifies, airlines are investing more in cabin design, improving everything from seat materials to lighting controls.)

Don't Say

• 机舱 for an airport terminal or boarding lounge — use 候机楼 or 登机口 for those; 机舱 strictly refers to the interior space of the aircraft itself

Origin & History

机 (machine/aeroplane — short for 飞机) + 舱 (cabin/hold) — 舱 originally referred to the hold or cabin of a ship; when aviation developed, the same term was applied to the aircraft interior

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal