天桥

• Pinyin: tiān qiáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 天 = 一 + 大 — sky, elevated; 桥 = 木 (wood) + 乔 — bridge

Meaning

Overpass; pedestrian footbridge; elevated walkway.

An elevated structure allowing pedestrians to cross above streets or railways. Common in Chinese cities for crossing busy roads. Also refers historically to a famous entertainment district in Beijing known for folk performances.

Examples

1. 这条路车流量太大，为了安全，请走天桥过马路。 This road has too much traffic — for safety, please use the overpass to cross.
2. 商场和地铁站之间有一座天桥相连，购物很方便。 There's a footbridge connecting the mall and the metro station, making shopping very convenient.
3. 老北京天桥是民间艺人表演杂技、卖艺的地方。 Old Beijing's Tianqiao was a place where folk artists performed acrobatics and busked.

Usage Guide

Context: urban, transportation, historical

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 从天桥过去。(Go across via the overpass.)
• 天桥上风景不错。(The view from the footbridge is nice.)

Don't Say

• 把高架桥叫'天桥' (Don't call a vehicular elevated highway a 天桥 — that's 高架 or 立交桥)

Origin & History

天 means sky or elevated, 桥 means bridge — a bridge in the sky, an overpass.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal