跑车

• Pinyin: pǎo chē
• Hanzi breakdown: 跑 = 足 + 包 (foot + enclose — run); 车 = pictograph of a wheeled vehicle

Meaning

Sports car; a high-performance automobile designed for speed, agility, and prestige.

Represents luxury and social status in Chinese popular culture. Frequently appears in discussions of wealth, lifestyle, and automotive marketing. Also used in compound contexts such as F1 racing.

Examples

1. 他花费数百万元购置了一辆进口跑车。 He spent several million yuan on an imported sports car.
2. 这款跑车的百公里加速时间不到三秒。 This sports car goes from 0 to 100 km/h in under three seconds.
3. 博物馆展出了数十款各时代的经典跑车。 The museum displayed dozens of classic sports cars from different eras.

Usage Guide

Context: automotive, lifestyle, luxury, sports

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这款限量版跑车在发布当天便被全数预订一空。(This limited-edition sports car was fully reserved on the day of its launch.)
• 年轻一代对跑车的热情催生了国内高性能汽车市场的快速增长。(The passion of the younger generation for sports cars has fuelled rapid growth in the domestic high-performance automotive market.)

Don't Say

• 他骑着跑车去上班 — use 开 for driving a car, not 骑 (which is for bicycles or motorbikes); 跑车 is always driven, not ridden

Origin & History

跑 (run, racing) + 车 (vehicle, car) — a car built for running fast

Cultural Context

Generation: Millennials, Gen Z

Social background: Upper class, aspirational