警车

• Pinyin: jǐng chē
• Hanzi breakdown: 警 = 敬 (respect) + 言 (speech) — a warning word; 车 = pictograph of a wheeled vehicle

Meaning

Police car; patrol car.

The standard term for a police vehicle in Mainland China. Typically white with blue and red markings and flashing lights. 警车 is the general term covering patrol cars, SWAT vehicles, and all police-operated automobiles. Commonly encountered in news reports, crime fiction, and everyday speech.

Examples

1. 几辆警车呼啸而过，朝着案发方向疾驶。 Several police cars sped past with sirens wailing, racing toward the scene of the incident.
2. 警车停在路边，警察正在向附近居民了解情况。 The police car was parked by the road while officers were gathering information from nearby residents.
3. 嫌疑人被戴上手铐，押上了停在门口的警车。 The suspect was handcuffed and escorted onto the police car parked at the door.

Usage Guide

Context: law enforcement, news, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 前方有警车，请减速慢行。(There's a police car ahead — please slow down.)
• 他一听到警车鸣笛就慌了神。(He panicked as soon as he heard the police siren.)

Don't Say

• 我买了辆警车。(Unless you work in law enforcement or fiction, this phrasing raises immediate questions — specify 警察车款 if it's just a toy or replica)

Origin & History

警 (police, alert) + 车 (vehicle). A transparent compound: the vehicle belonging to or operated by the police. Standard modern Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal