骑自行车
qí zìxíngchē
To ride a bike in Chinese is 骑自行车 (qí zìxíngchē).
The phrase means to sit on and control a bicycle in order to move forward.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb 骑 refers to riding something while straddling it, such as a horse or a bicycle. The noun 自行车 is a compound meaning 'self-moving vehicle'.
Which one should you use?
While 骑 is used for straddling a bike, you should use 坐 when referring to riding in or on a car, bus or train.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Southern China, particularly Guangdong and Guangxi, 骑单车 is used frequently, even in formal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech, the noun component is often shortened to 车 to form the verb-object phrase 骑车.
How do you pronounce it?
qí zìxíngchē
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the verb 骑 is used for anything you straddle, meaning you use the same word to 'ride a bike' as you would to ride a giant panda.
- China was once known as the 'Kingdom of Bicycles' because bikes were the primary mode of transport for hundreds of millions of people before the rise of cars.
- If you are a passenger sitting on the back of a bicycle or a motorcycle, you must use the verb 坐 (to sit) instead of 骑 (to straddle). Using the wrong verb would imply you are the one steering.
Examples in context
- 我每天要么骑自行车，要么坐公车上班。Every day I either ride a bike or get the bus to work.This sentence is useful for showing a choice between riding a bike and taking the bus using 骑自行车.Tatoeba #813438 by DaoSeng, translation #813444 by CM
- 因为今天下雨了，所以我不能骑自行车。I can't ride a bike because it is raining today.This sentence is useful for expressing an inability to ride a bike due to weather using 骑自行车.Tatoeba #10593181 by pierrot105, translation #10593183 by pierrot105
- 明天我们一起去骑车吧！Let's go biking together tomorrow!
- 他学会了骑自行车。Tā xuéhuì le qí zìxíngchē.He learned how to ride a bike.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding how to go to the park.
- 梓涵 Zihan俊杰，我们骑自行车去公园吧。Jùnjié, wǒmen qí zìxíngchē qù gōngyuán ba.Junjie, let's ride bikes to the park.
- 俊杰 Junjie好主意，但我没有自行车。Hǎo zhǔyì, dàn wǒ méiyǒu zìxíngchē.Good idea, but I don't have a bike.
- 梓涵 Zihan你可以骑我的那辆。Nǐ kěyǐ qí wǒ de nà liàng.You can ride mine.
- 俊杰 Junjie太谢谢你了，梓涵！Tài xièxie nǐ le, Zǐhán!Thank you so much, Zihan!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
