駕駛執照 / 驾驶执照
jiàshǐ zhízhào
A driver's license in Chinese is 駕駛執照 / 驾驶执照 (jiàshǐ zhízhào). If unsure, use 駕駛執照 / 驾驶执照. Wiktionary also lists 駕照 / 驾照 (jiàzhào) and 駕證 / 驾证 (jiàzhèng).
Meaning: documenting permitting a person to drive (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 駕駛執照 / 驾驶执照 | jiàshǐ zhízhào |
| 駕照 / 驾照 | jiàzhào |
| 駕證 / 驾证 | jiàzhèng |
| 車本兒 / 车本儿 | chēběnr |
| 駕駛證 / 驾驶证 | jiàshǐzhèng |
This is the full name of the document that allows a person to drive. The first spelling is traditional Chinese and the second is simplified.
What does it mean word for word?
駕駛 means to drive and 執照 means license or permit.
Which one should you use?
Shorter everyday words are 駕照 (jiàzhào) and 駕駛證 (jiàshǐzhèng). 駕證 (jiàzhèng) is a concise, often administrative way to refer to the license. 車本兒 (chēběnr) is a colloquial word with the northern r ending.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The full form 駕駛執照 is the one used in official documents and legal contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong and Macau, 駕駛執照 is the common term.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is jiàshǐ zhízhào.
Did you know?
- The character 駕 ('jià') in 駕照 originally described the yoke of a horse-drawn carriage, meaning the word for driving a modern car is rooted in ancient chariot travel.
- The term 車本兒 ('chēběnr') features the 'er' sound at the end, which is a distinct linguistic trait of northern Chinese dialects and Beijing speech.
- While 執照 ('zhízhào') denotes a legal permit, the word 證 ('zhèng') is often used for certifications that prove a person's actual skill or professional qualification.
Examples in context
- 我需要更新我的駕駛執照。I need to renew my driver's license.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “driver's license” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
