通车

• Pinyin: tōng chē
• Hanzi breakdown: 通 = 辶 + 甬 — to pass through; 车 = vehicle

Meaning

To open to traffic; to begin operation (of a road, railway, etc.).

When a new road, railway, or transit line officially opens for public use. A milestone event often reported in news about infrastructure development.

Examples

1. 这条地铁线路预计明年年底通车。 This subway line is expected to open to traffic by the end of next year.
2. 新建的跨海大桥今天正式通车，缩短了两地的通行时间。 The newly built cross-sea bridge officially opened today, shortening travel time between the two places.
3. 高铁通车后，原本八小时的车程缩短到两个半小时。 After the high-speed rail opened, what used to be an eight-hour trip was reduced to two and a half hours.

Usage Guide

Context: infrastructure, news, transportation

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 什么时候通车？(When will it open to traffic?)
• 已经通车了。(It's already open.)

Don't Say

• 用'通车'描述公交车到站 (通车 is for new routes opening — for a bus arriving, use 来车 or 到站)

Origin & History

通 means to pass through or connect, 车 means vehicle — to allow vehicles to pass through.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal