gōnggòng qìchē
standard
In pinyin the Chinese word for "bus" is gōnggòng qìchē, written 公共汽车 (gōnggòng qìchē). In daily speech people shorten it to gōngjiāochē. It is also called bāshì.
Meaning: public bus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Note |
|---|---|
| gōnggòng qìchē | standard |
| gōngjiāochē | everyday |
| bāshì | borrowed from English |
Gōnggòng qìchē means "public automobile". Gōngjiāochē, written 公交车 (gōngjiāochē), is the short form for "public transport vehicle" and is what you read on bus stops and apps.
Which one should you use?
Bāshì, written 巴士 (bāshì), copies the English word "bus". You will hear it in Hong Kong and Taiwan and in names of tour buses.
How do you pronounce it?
Mind the tones in gōnggòng. The first syllable is high and flat and the second falls.
Did you know?
- Chinese buses are counted with the measure word liàng, so one bus is yí liàng gōngjiāochē.
Examples in context
- Wǒ zuò gōngjiāochē shàngbān.I take the bus to work.
- Gōngjiāochē zhàn zài nǎlǐ?Where is the bus stop?
- Zhè liàng gōnggòng qìchē qù jīchǎng.This bus goes to the airport.
Example conversation
Tom asks a local woman, Ms. Zhao, about the bus at a stop in Beijing.
- TomQǐngwèn, zhè liàng gōngjiāochē qù jīchǎng ma?Excuse me, does this bus go to the airport?
- Ms. ZhaoQù, shàng chē ba.Yes, get on.
- TomXièxie nǐ!Thank you!
